After a Life of Drugs and Deceit, is There Ever a Happy Ending?
On his graduation day, J.M. and I sat down to recount his journey through the shadowy world of addiction and into sobriety.
“I never thought I could do it,” he said smiling, with a look of disbelief on his face.
“I always knew you could, we just had to make you believe it,” I said, as I signed his graduation form.
A few months earlier, he had walked in through the doors of Narconon Suncoast, sucked up and beaten down by a life of opiate addiction, deceit, and manipulation. He had given up everything. He looked lost and knew this was his last hope. If this didn’t work, well, we won’t talk about that.
As he progressed through his program, he became just a little bit more alive through each step, until one day, I came into work and I didn’t even recognize him. He was bright, smiling, and happy, cutting up with the other students and just enjoying his morning. It was a complete 180 from the scared, tired man that had shown up for treatment 2 months earlier.
One of the most important things about his graduation day wasn’t necessarily that he was just completing a rehab program, but it was also his birthday.
“It’s the start of my new life, so it truly is my birth-day.”
“Welcome to your new life,” I said smiling.
“I never imagined I would feel this great!”
He told me this was the best, most complete program he’d ever done:
“The drug-free withdrawal, with the addition of vitamins, made this the shortest and easiest kick I’ve ever experienced. And even though I kind of resisted the whole process, the techniques Narconon Suncoast uses to get you through the withdrawals helped me to alleviate my muscle aches and bring me into the “here and now” and just get me through it.
“The sauna detox was amazing. Purifying my body in the sauna helped me to get rid of my restless legs, night sweats, and cravings. Within a week, my energy levels came back to normal. Without the residual effects of drugs, my cravings literally dropped to basically zero.
“Doing the various Objectives exercises helped me to realize I was dwelling in the past too much and helped to bring me into focusing on what is happening presently. I am now aware that I can confidently control myself and other aspects of my life again. Through Objectives, the remainder of my cravings for drugs was crushed completely.
“Finally relieving the stress and pressure created by bottling everything up, the Life Skills helped me to achieve some of my biggest wins on the program. I was able to get relief from the guilt and shame of my past, handle the people in my life, and discover the root of all my problems. I was able to regain a lot of self-respect and ensure my recovery stays positive and doesn’t slip. The Life Skills also gave me a better understanding of who I really am and my responsibilities, giving me the confidence to manage them.”
“I also never imagined that I would ever feel this confident about a drug-free life. Or even the fact that I was coming to rehab just to get off drugs and wound up discovering why I was doing them in the first place and learn the tools to solve them and maintain this life, drug free, for good!”
J.M. – Narconon Suncoast Graduate
Sometimes, people ask me why I do what I do. They ask me how I can work such long hours, sometimes 7 days a week, and keep going. Simply put, these successes are what drive me. They’re what make me excited to come to work everyday. They’re what makes my life worthwhile. If I can help fix one addict, one family, if even only one, well, then I’ve done my job.
