I’ve Been Drug-Free Since I Went to Narconon Arrowhead

I was born in Washington DC but lived in Texas since about age 4. I was basically raised in Texas.

Life was busy and social and I had a diverse group of friends. Some were more ethical than others. I had a fairly good childhood and a stable family. I had a great mom and siblings. Life was good. It was colorful and active.

I started experiencing drugs when I was about 14. Pot was the first thing I tried and went straight from pot to tripping on acid. I was staying at a girlfriend’s house and she had tickets to an Iron Maiden concert. Her parents smoked marijuana. We went to visit a friend and they had a hookah and we sat around and got high. We went to the concert afterwards and I got really sick and scared and didn’t have a lot of fun. That was the beginning that led to more and harder drugs.

Drugs almost took my physical life permanently. They did take it temporarily on several occasions. I lost my sense of self-worth and my dignity. My confront level was non-existent. I lost my connection to my family. I chose to walk away from my husband. I lost my family’s trust.

My mom put me in a hotel so I wasn’t on the streets. My mom and I had talked about me coming to Narconon. I still had contact with a former boyfriend and he found out where I was and showed up at the hotel. I was going through withdrawal and didn’t want to see him because I was flat-out disgusted with the connection I still had with him. After the hotel I went to an AA-type shelter for a few days. My mom was already working on getting me to Narconon at that point as I had decided I needed to go.

Arriving at Narconon was a little intimidating because I didn’t know what to expect but I was impressed with how beautiful the property was. I remember the drive into the park and thinking I couldn’t escape even if I wanted to! I knew my first night wouldn’t be too bad because I was high, but that the second night would probably be worse. Not being able to have coffee in the Withdrawal area made me really upset.

I loved the staff and I know I gave them a hard time sometimes. I thought that everybody was patient and understanding with me and just wanted to really help me to make gains. When I was in better shape a staff member took me around the building to check it out and that was comforting. I was also finally able to get more than 2 hours of sleep at night which was wonderful.

During my program my purpose started changing. I realized that I was agreeing with people who weren’t being ethical and I wasn’t taking my program seriously. The student I was working with called me out on it and I stopped doing that and started really taking it seriously. My purpose became to help other people and I discovered that I enjoyed doing drills with some of the new students to help get them through their withdrawal.

One of my biggest wins on the program is that my memory came back. I started remembering things that had been blocked for so long. Another big win was that my brain started working again and my body felt clean. The third big win was that I was sober for the first time in decades. I found value in people again and wasn’t just focused on my own needs. I found a job at Goodwill and I’m a team player and I’ve been at this job the longest of any I’ve had in my life. They know I’ve been to Narconon and support me in my sobriety.

Graduating and working on my post-program battle plan was the most amazing feeling in the world. I’ve been drug-free since I went to Narconon Arrowhead in 2018. After Narconon, my mom became my best friend. She never has and never will give up on helping me improve my life. I’m more reliable and people can count on me. For the first time ever I’m completely independent and self-supporting. I’m able to communicate more effectively. In the program I learned that I need to take care of myself. I also learned how to spot anti-social people to make sure they don’t have a negative influence on me. I stay aware of what’s happening around me. I’m looking forward to flourishing and prospering and more wins in life. I’m looking forward to continuing to improve and move along. And staying sober!

My proudest accomplishments are making the decision to say no to drugs and yes to life, getting through one of the hardest but most rewarding programs, the Narconon Program, and becoming a Narconon Graduate.

“I never thought I would ever be able to have the sense of trust and respect that I now have from my family and others.”

I never thought I would ever be able to have the sense of trust and respect that I now have from my family and others. People enjoy the person that I am, because I found myself again, and an even better version than before drugs. My relationship with my family is much better. My mom and I communicate and actually like each other. My family is close and we enjoy visiting each other.

My favorite thing about being drug-free is that I don’t want drugs anymore. My desires have changed. I have replaced my desire for drugs with my desire to create.

If someone is in active addiction I would tell them that, from my experiences, if you’re sitting there and you have drugs on one side and life on the other, you have to ask yourself if you want to have life or if you want to take those drugs and play Russian roulette. You have to ask yourself how precious is life to you. You also have to consider how people who love you will be affected by you taking drugs. Live by a code of survival and you will find your way to happiness. Take care of yourself.

Michelle R., Narconon Arrowhead Graduate