Is Addiction an Incurable Disease? My Perspective
My name is Joe, and there was a time in my life when I thought addiction was an incurable disease. I remember one afternoon, waking up in a bus station restroom in Atlantic City, in the heart of the ghetto. I had a needle still stuck in my arm, and I had been out cold for several hours. My first thought when I came to wasn’t about my health or safety; it was about whether the drugs I had just bought were still in my coat pocket. They weren’t. Someone had come into that restroom, seen me lying there, possibly dead, and instead of helping, they stole the drugs right out of my coat.
That was one of the lowest moments of my life. I was sick, not just physically but in every way imaginable. I had tried to quit before, many times in fact. The longest I ever managed was a couple of months, but I always ended up right back where I started. No one knew I was using. Not my family, not my real friends, only a couple of so-called friends who didn’t really care. In a desperate attempt to get clean, I turned to methadone. I drove to a clinic far from my house every day to take it, and while it kept me from getting sick, it didn’t fix the real problem. I kept using, even while on methadone, which was incredibly dangerous.
Then came the day in that Atlantic City bus station, and I knew I needed help. I couldn’t do it alone anymore. The next morning, I went to my father and told him everything. “I’m addicted, and I need help,” I said. The very next day, I was on a plane to Narconon. If you know anything about methadone, you’ll understand how brutal the detox process is. It took me 30 days before I could even get a few hours of broken sleep each night. But slowly, life began to return.
“Narconon changed everything for me. For the first time in years, I felt better off drugs than on them.”
Narconon changed everything for me. For the first time in years, I felt better off drugs than on them. I stayed and completed the entire program, and something amazing happened—I realized I didn’t need the drugs anymore. A few years later, my life took a turn for the better. I met my wife, an amazing, beautiful, and intelligent attorney. We got married, had a daughter who is now 13, and together, we built a thriving law practice. Today, there’s no struggle in my life. I’m genuinely happy.
It has been over 22 years since I got clean. Not a day goes by when I even think about drugs. I’ve been back to Atlantic City, driven past the exact spots where I used to score, and felt nothing—no triggers, no pull. I’m not the same person I was. I’m not a drug addict anymore.
So, is addiction an incurable disease? In my opinion, no, it’s not. My own experience has shown me that addiction can be overcome, and life after addiction can be not just normal, but thriving. If you or someone you love is struggling, please don’t wait. Narconon saved my life, and it can save yours, too. Reach out today.
Joe G., Narconon Graduate
