I Got My Best Friend Back

Jeff and Tara

I met Jeff about 5 years ago through friends of ours. I had no idea that he had used hard drugs.At the very beginning, he appeared to be fine and seemed to have his life together. We quickly grew to be inseparable.

As the months went on, it became apparent to me that maybe he didn’t have it together as much as I thought.

We started to have some pretty serious fights and I began to see that he was lying to me about things. This went on for a while and he would lie, we would fight, and then we would make up. Eventually, I had enough and left and we didn’t talk for a while.

During that time people started telling me Jeff had started using heroin. At some point, I made an excuse to go to his house and see for myself what was going on. He was a mess and looked like a completely different person. He was gaunt and unkempt and I could visibly see he was miserable and in pain.

After seeing him that night, I told myself I had to help him in some way. I still loved him and cared about him and seeing him in that condition broke my heart.

Every day after work I would go over to his house to hang out with him. I could tell when he was lying and tell me he hadn’t used that day, but I figured at least for the time I was physically with him, he wouldn’t have a needle in his arm. This didn’t last for very long and I could tell he was getting worse and using more and more.

I began to find drugs, needles, spoons, and empty baggies all over his house in different hiding spots. When I would confront him about the things I would find, he would quickly jump down my throat and tell me it was someone else’s and make me wrong for going through his stuff and not trusting him.

For a while, we were researching different rehabs but could never find one which seemed like a good solution.

At some point I decided to walk away completely. Jeff was on a quick decline and I knew soon enough he would end up dead or in jail and I couldn’t watch him do that to himself.

“When I talked to him that day, he sounded like a completely different person. He sounded happy and healthy and like he had really turned his life around.”

After a couple months of us not talking, he called to tell me he was going to rehab in Louisiana and that he never wanted to speak to me again. I didn’t care if I never spoke to him again, as long as he was going to get help.

He went to Narconon Louisiana in July of 2012 and I didn’t talk to him at all during his program. He graduated around Thanksgiving and called me when he got home.

When I talked to him that day, he sounded like a completely different person. He sounded happy and healthy and like he had really turned his life around. I knew immediately he was different because one of the first things he said that day was “ask me anything you feel like I lied to you about in the past and I’m going to tell you the truth right now so there are no more secrets.” I thought, who is this person?

From that point forward we began rebuilding our relationship. He has now been sober almost 3 years and is one of the best people I know.

Our relationship now is better than I could have ever imagined back then. We are open and honest and we communicate through everything. We bring out the best in each other and work together as a team.

For the first time since I met him, I can see a future together which is what I always wanted but never thought I would get.

Narconon Louisiana gave me my best friend back, for which I am forever grateful.

—Wife of Narconon Graduate