Empowered and Equipped to Stay Sober

 

This is the story of one of our latest graduates of the Narconon Arrowhead program:

My life before I started using was sporadic. I was always living with different people growing up—it was stressful. But the happiest moment I can remember was when I won my first wrestling tournament. It was the first one I ever participated in, and I continued on a winning streak for my first four tournaments. I was 10 or 11 years old and still remember standing on the podium in first place.

I started smoking cigarettes when I was 12. Then it moved to weed, and from there, alcohol. Smoking a cigarette, to me, was the gateway drug. I got a buzz from it, and I liked it, so I became curious about other things that gave me that same feeling.

As for how it affected my life, I’ve been to prison for weed. When you’re in prison, you lose everything. They took my car and my house. My girlfriend left me, my dog was taken away, and I couldn’t see my family.

It also affected my health. I neglected my teeth, and I’m not physically in shape like I used to be. I severed a lot of relationships because I was drunk.

What led me to Narconon was a seizure. I had drunk a lot the night before, and the next morning, I woke up sore and didn’t even know where I was.

My brother’s friend had come to Narconon 10 years ago and told me it did good for him, so it made sense for me to come here.

I had been to another rehab program before, and honestly, it’s hard to even compare it to Narconon. It’s like the difference between a unicycle and a Jeep. Other programs I’ve seen often make you feel like a victim and say you’re at the mercy of your addiction. Narconon, on the other hand, encourages you to do better in life. It’s a three-month program for one thing, and it empowers you.

When I arrived, I was tired, but I was able to sleep and eat as much as I needed. Other rehabs typically only serve food three times a day and don’t cater to what people want to eat.

While going through the program, I realized how much time and money I had wasted being drunk and how little control I had over my environment in that state.

I also realized how much I thought I was a tough guy. I’ve been to prison, but I couldn’t cope with everyday life. My real weakness was my mental state. I wasn’t as tough as I thought—I couldn’t handle day-to-day life.

I think the sauna was my favorite part, and the Objectives were the most eye-opening. It gave me mental clarity on the things and time I have wasted. It broke through on a deeper, more emotional level.

“Not only do I feel equipped to stay sober; I’ve seen other students blossom, so to speak. I’ve watched people on the program become entirely different people—more bubbly, smiling more.”

Not only do I feel equipped to stay sober; I’ve seen other students blossom, so to speak. I’ve watched people on the program become entirely different people—more bubbly, smiling more.

One thing I realized since being here is that I used to judge people based on weakness. I lacked compassion. In prison, you have to toughen up and act a certain way—there’s no room for compassion. But here, I’ve been able to see that again. It is something I had blocked out.

Now that I’m sober, I feel better in general. I’m feeling emotions I haven’t felt in a long time because substances numbed them. I experience the whole spectrum again—excitement, anger, happiness.

I’m proud of myself for the first time in quite a few years.

I’m looking forward to going back to school and doing the things I enjoy—things I didn’t make time for when I was drinking. I’d prefer to socialize at a rock climbing gym rather than a bar. Even just in day-to-day life. It will be nice to have a paycheck again. I look forward to not having to stress so much over money because I’m no longer spending it on substances.

My relationship with my family is good. It was never bad before, but now there’s more trust and less worry that I’m drinking myself to death.

If anyone out there is suffering from addiction, I want to say this: you don’t know what a good mood really is until you don’t have to rely on something else to put you in a good mood. People often use “getting messed up together” as “having a good time together,” but don’t mistake drug addiction for connection.

—Karl L., Narconon Arrowhead Graduate