The Best Thing I Almost Lost—Myself

6 months sober!

I will always be thankful for the time I spent at Narconon Suncoast. To stay, was the best decision I have ever made. I will never forget the way I felt the day I arrived. I was so tired and broken. I had given up. All my plans and dreams were over. I had turned into something I never thought I would be. I had lost everything I had worked so hard for; a career, love and trust from others and especially love for myself. I felt lost and alone. 

When I came in to Narconon, I really didn’t understand what was going on with me or around me. I shut down. It took many days for me to feel like myself again. I believe my biggest fear was to face all the damage I had caused myself and my family. I could have never faced that alone. That’s why the only thing for me to do was to stay, listen, and do everything I was told. At first, nothing made sense to me. I couldn’t do anything. But the more I listened and focused on what was important, the more things slowly built a foundation that is now strong and healthy today.

The first thing I had to do, was to get my body clean. The New Life Detox (sauna detox) was my favorite part of the program. I came back to life!!! I felt revived!! I was functioning perfectly well again!! I was very blessed to be able to feel so renewed!! For many years I had built a dependency on chemicals that hurt my body. After getting it cleaned out I was able to think clearly again.

I didn’t think clearly for many years, so I needed that to move on to work on my mind. I started the Life Skills courses and I was able to start controlling my way of thinking. I was able to go back to the basics. I had to focus on being present, communicating, being aware of what was going on around me, thinking straight and expressing myself effectively.

With these two steps done, it was time to deal with the aftermath of my addiction… my biggest fear. Luckily, I was able to talk to people that understood my situation! All the staff had gone through the program, and finally, I didn’t feel so alone in this mess anymore. I not only faced situations that hurt me, but I also was able to understand what made me affect my life in such a negative way. I was able to set goals and make substantial changes in my life to accomplish my dreams. I had to work on my personal values, integrity, ethics and handle the conditions I had created.

Narconon Suncoast has a very complete program and I was blessed to have had the opportunity to work on the things that I didn’t know were affecting me. I was always able to rely on the staff to guide me in the right direction. I would have never been able to overcome and change my situation without the help that Narconon had to offer. I look back today and I feel like the person that came in to Narconon was not me. Today I am me again. All I know is that I could have never made it without help, but not just any help, Narconon Suncoast’s help!

It has been six months since I completed the program. Feeling well and not depending on anything to feel good is what keeps me sober. I had to face my fears and feel my emotions again. I had to listen and focus on what was important. Some of us get this chance to get well and unfortunately not everybody does. It was definitely a blessing to meet the people I met during this process. I could have never done it without them.

V.R.

AUTHOR

Jason Good

Jason has been working in the field of addiction and recovery for over 11 years. Having been an addict himself he brings real-word experience to the table when helping addicts and their families, while also offering a first-person perspective to the current drug crisis. Jason is passionate about educating the public about what’s currently going on in our society, and thankfully, offers practical solutions. Jason is also the co-host of The Addiction Podcast—Point of No Return. You can follow Jason on Google+, Twitter, or connect with him on LinkedIn.

NARCONON SUNCOAST

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION