Getting off Methadone

NM Narconon Graduate

I arrived at Narconon on April 4, 2019. When I arrived, I was a shell of my former self—broken and defeated. I felt hopeless and was convinced my total destruction was not far away if I didn’t immediately change the way I was and the way I was living.

The first part of the program is arguably the most delicate since a person arrives sick from the drugs they are detoxing off, anxious and helpless. If it wasn’t for the staff and their dedication, I am not sure I would have been able to manage. They made my time in withdrawal bearable through a combination of vitamin therapy, body-calming assists and routine vital checks for my own peace of mind. I was coming off a lot of methadone and this is what I had to say when I got through withdrawals:

“Withdrawal has been largely a day-to-day process, but I can’t describe how remarkable it is now that I feel like a normal human being again. Before I came, I was afraid I might never feel well again without some kind of substance and the largest gain I have gotten is that I don’t need anything to make me feel good.

“It might sound strange, but despite feeling so much better, I still feel like I have so much left to accomplish. As scary as that sounds, it’s the absolute truth. I’m extraordinarily grateful to be at Narconon and to know that every coming day doesn’t have to feel like an insurmountable, daunting, and almost impossible feat. I feel like a huge chain has been broken and I can carry on with my treatment.”

After you get through the most painful and uncomfortable of your withdrawal symptoms, you move on to the sauna program where you sweat out any residual toxins and drugs from your body. It can be uncomfortable at times, but the end benefit is one of relief and satisfaction, knowing you are no longer a slave to drugs or alcohol—at least physically.

Next is the Objectives portion of the program which are a series of drills and exercises designed to increase one’s present time awareness. They also help you come to your own realization of how drugs have affected your life and the lives around you.

“I feel better about myself than I have in a very long time,
and for the first time in a very long time, I have hope.”

Finally, the last part of the program (life skills) is where you find out why you started using in the first place, what happened in your life that led you to where you are today and you develop skills for how you are going to move forward without relying on drugs and alcohol. Its a program I am extremely grateful I was able to complete, and I know I will remember the lessons and people for the rest of my life.

I feel better about myself than I have in a very long time, and for the first time in a very long time, I have hope. My life can be so much more than using drugs, with a future clouded by the constant haze of using. I am forever grateful to Narconon for the changes I have made.

—N.M. Narconon Graduate

AUTHOR

Aaron

Aaron has been writing drug education articles and documenting the success of the Narconon program for over two years.

NARCONON NEW LIFE RETREAT

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION