Michael’s Story: “I Feel Like I’m in Control of My Life Again”

 

Michael is a husband and father who struggled with substance abuse for 25 years. He started using drugs at 12 years old. Today, he shares what his life was like before Narconon and the changes he's experienced since completing the program.

Tell us a little about your history with addiction.

I started using drugs when I was 12 or 13 years old. I'm 37 now. Mainly it was opiates, but I found out the hard way that I liked just about everything. If it made me feel different, I liked it, and I took a lot of it. My mindset was, “I’ll take it until I'm either buried or in jail.”

What was your life like before coming to Narconon?

I had everything I ever wanted. I have a wife, a kid, and a good job, but because of my addiction, I chose to sleep under a tree in a Whole Foods parking lot for a night or two. I was pushing everyone around me away. I was lying at work, not showing up, and wasn't talking to my family. I was completely isolating myself from the world so I could use whatever drug I was using.

At what point did you realize you needed to get help?

Probably four or five years ago, but I kept fighting it. I kept thinking that I could either quit on my own or that a 12-step program was going to work. But I blew through four or five 12-step programs in a year. I realized that was just putting a band-aid on the problem for a month or two, and then I'd go right back to doing what I was doing before—or worse. Stealing money from people and going down the same road. This time, I knew I needed treatment and had no other option. It was either live on the street or do something to change my life. Then the opportunity to come to Narconon came up, and I jumped on it right away.

What were your first impressions of Narconon?

Honestly, I was a little weirded out at the beginning, but that was also because I was feeling really bad. Drug-free withdrawal was new to me. Everything about the program was brand new to me. It took a little time, but then I started seeing how much I was changing as a person.

Tell me about each step of the program.

Each step of the program has its own benefit. As soon as you get out of withdrawal, you go into the sauna. It's not a vacation—it has its moments—but you really get the full result. When I finished, I swear you feel 10 to 15 years younger. I was pretty certain I had run all of the drugs and major toxins out of my body. It really made me feel like I was a new person physically.

Objectives is one of those things where, if you aren’t familiar with it, it might throw you off. But something about it made me feel more centered. I knew who I was more than I did when I started. I had realizations that I had never voiced before, and bottom line, it got me centered with myself.

Life Skills, to me, was where the results from the sauna and Objectives really came together. I saw why the program does things in the order they do. Physically, I felt great. Mentally, my mind was clear. Now I was able to tackle the personal stuff in my life and figure out why it was that I did the things I did. It gave me a glimpse into my future and showed me that it could be really amazing.

It always felt like someone else was in control of me, but now I feel like I'm in control, and I know it. It feels like I can do anything.

How did the staff help you?

The staff are motivating. The people who choose to be staff here, if they wanted to, they could do whatever they want. But they choose to be here and help whoever comes through the program. They’re here because they seem to have this purpose to help whoever they can.

What changes have you noticed in yourself?

I'm more willing to trust myself and execute my ideas. I make my own decisions instead of being influenced by other people around me. I'm a lot happier and, most importantly, I have no desire to go back to the life I was living before. The idea of using drugs just seems stupid. I know I have a better handle on myself, and I have the tools now to make the choice not to go back to using drugs.

What are you excited about for the future?

I want to grow my family, raise my son, and go back to school. I also want to help people.

Would you recommend Narconon to others?

Definitely. It is a different approach, but it is more sensible than anything else I could think of when it comes to getting off drugs.

Michael H., Narconon Graduate