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GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES Drug Rehabilitation and Prevention Programs

GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

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Page 1: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES

Drug Rehabilitation and Prevention Programs

Page 2: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

FORT COLLINS NEW LIFE CENTER SUNSHINE SUMMIT LODGE

The Narconon Program has been saving lives since 1966. The Narconon Fresh

Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center

in Los Angeles and is a non-profit, secular (non-religious) drug rehabilitation and prevention

organization. The Program’s purpose is to rehabilitate people from drug and alcohol addiction and

to prevent youth from turning to drugs and alcohol through effective drug education.

Narconon Fresh Start manages two drug withdrawal support centers and four drug

rehabilitation centers: Sunshine Summit Lodge, established in the serene rural community of

Warner Springs, CA; Rainbow Canyon Retreat a former dude ranch in a scenic valley in Rainbow

Canyon, NV; Fort Collins New Life Center within sight of the beautiful Rocky Mountains of CO; and

Lone Star Victory Ranch near the beautiful beaches of the Texas Gulf Coast.

Our innovative and effective physical detoxification method and our cognitive behavioral

modification approach to rehabilitation has been proven for over 45 years. Our methods are

supported by evidence based studies, accredited physicians, scientists and community groups but

mostly we are known for the resulting successes of our program. This Graduate Success Story

brochure is a small sample of the thousands of graduate successes our treatment centers produce.

Our hope is that through these stories, we can help more families and save more lives.

NARCONON FRESH START

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Page 3: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

RAINBOW CANYON RETREAT TEXAS LONE STAR VICTORY RANCH

KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL REHABILITATION

The keys to the 76% success rate of our drug free, holistic rehabilitation

method are our New Life Detoxification Program and our Life Skills Program.

Our New Life Detoxification Program removes the physical cravings and compulsions that are

caused from the drug residual build up within the body, and our Life Skills Courses help achieve the

cognitive behavioral modification that is needed to restore our clients back into happy, drug free,

productive members of society.

We know our clients can be truly rehabilitated and we do not refer to our clients as addicts,

while in the program nor after they graduate, because we understand the causes of addiction and

we know the solutions to it. Our educational rehabilitation philosophy is based on confronting and

locating the many causes of addiction and the many behaviors associated with it and resolving

them. After completing our program, our graduates are healthier and more competent mentally

and physically. They have addressed the underlying issues of their addiction and they have

acquired the practical knowledge necessary, through our Life Skills Courses, to handle life in an

ethical manner with restored purpose and vigor.

2

Page 4: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

Laci T.

Graduated Sept 2008

3

Page 5: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

— I graduated the program with a new outlook on life, goals for my

future and for once a purpose.

When I was 20 years old, I started drinking alcohol for “fun”. Part of it was to fit in and the

other part of it was a way to gain enough courage to break out of my shell of insecurities. At that

time in my life, I had everything going for me: a new car, an excellent job, goals and a great

relationship with my family. During that time in my life, I had started a new relationship and

alcohol slowly took more control of my life. Alcohol was my security blanket, the ice breaker for

conversation and part of my daily activity. Six years later, alcohol had done its damage and I now

had no job, a totaled car, 2 DUI’s (within a month), a messy divorce, no drivers license and prison

time or death was knocking at my front door.

After getting the DUI’s, I moved home to live with my parents, looking for some kind of help. I

tried several things to stop my addiction: anti-depressants, counseling and AA meetings. Nothing

was working. I always seemed to find a way to get drunk, whether it was sneaking a bottle into

my parents house or finding some so called friends that wanted to just get drunk with me. My

parents were heartbroken, finding me completely passed out in their house several times and

having to pick me up at random places after days of missing. This was not the daughter they

raised or their daughter that they knew 6 years ago. I remember one day my parents asking

me…”What is wrong with you”? I did not know. I did not have an answer for them. All I knew was

that I didn’t even know who I was anymore and that I didn’t know how to stop ….. I just couldn’t.

About two weeks after that, I was on a weekend binge and had texted my mom for help. She came

and picked me up, scared to death and my family began to search for help. My dad and aunt had

come across Rainbow Canyon Retreat in their search. This was the answer! My mom and dad

presented me with an option to go to treatment explaining to me that this was more than just

treatment this was my way out and they were right.

Now, I count my blessings daily. I am so thankful for my family and Rainbow Canyon Retreat.

The program was not just about my alcohol addiction, it was about my whole life and why I did

the things that I did. After getting through the detoxification program, I confronted all areas of

my life and for the first time, I was able to understand my insecurities and why I had them. I

graduated the program with a new outlook on life, goals for my future and for once a purpose. I

participated in Rainbow Canyon’s aftercare program, where I was given a chance to really start

to build my foundation for my future. I got my driver’s license back, bought a car, paid off my

court fees and continued on my path to sobriety.

The day I came into the program, I was given some intake paperwork and one of the questions

was what are your goals? My goal that day, which is still my goal today…is to have a family.

Today, I have that and so much more; I have myself back; my family can sleep at night; and I have

a great relationship with my spouse and a beautiful daughter. With the tools that I learned from

the program, I am able to secure my sobriety and my future as a mom, a wife and a daughter!

— Laci T.

4

Page 6: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

Mike P.

Graduated Sept 2007

— I felt this huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, because I didn’t

have to ever lie or do drugs again.

I have always had an extremely close Italian family in Belleville, NJ, just right outside Newark. I was

considered one of the local sports heroes of my town, because of my wrestling ability, which started at the

age of four. My father always encouraged my wrestling and signed me up with a well-known wrestling

club, training with NCAA champions and Olympians. We were always traveling somewhere throughout

the country for tournaments, meeting many other amateur and professional athletes and their families.

My parents knew the importance of education and sent me to a private high school in Northwestern

New Jersey, away from the dangerous city life. It didn’t take long for me to prove myself in the wrestling

program there and gain recognition throughout the country. During my senior year, I was in a bad car

accident, which resulted in four fractured vertebrae. The doctors told me that I would not compete in

wrestling again, and they started me on Oxycontin treatment for the pain that I was in. While on this

medication, I felt no pain, and I was actually able to wrestle again, which was everything to me. About

eight months later, I realized that when I didn’t have the medicine, I felt physically ill. I went to my mother

and explained that I felt worse, when I didn’t have the Oxycontin and my mother helped me wean off the

Oxycontin.

The psychologist at school suggested I begin taking Adderall due to my ADHD. Of course, this was a

doctor so we all agreed it would help. My senior year was rough but I continued to study hard and

graduated with honors and scholarships. As a young adult, I did not understand what addiction was nor

did my family understand that you could develop an addition from prescription drugs that are given to

you by your trusted family doctors. This was where it started.

I went away to a Division One college on a full ride scholarship to American University in Washington,

and later transferred to Rutgers University. During my first year of college, I was diagnosed with a

hyperactive thyroid condition called Graves Disease. I was put on medication, but it never stabilized. After

a couple of years at Rutgers, I wasn’t allowed to continue wrestling due to the complications associated

with the disease. Still going to school, I had a hernia surgery. This began the downward spiral. I was once

again prescribed Oxycontin. It didn’t take long before I had to have the drug all of the time to avoid the

sickness caused by the withdrawal symptoms and eventually I dropped out of school.

5

Page 7: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

When I returned home, I was using Adderall and Oxycontin and I needed more and more of them to feel

OK. When I couldn’t get them, I found it easier to replace them with cocaine and another drug called

“Diesel”, which I later found out was heroin. I soon found out the heroin and Oxycontin were both opiates

and one could easily replace the other and both handle the withdrawal symptoms I would experience. I

was now really trapped by the addiction. If I didn’t have the drugs I would get very sick, so I had to keep

taking them and nothing else mattered but getting more.

Eventually, I told my mother about my addiction. I truly wanted to get clean but I did not understand

how. Over time, I went through about ten different detox centers and I was in and out of NA and AA

treatment programs. I tried over and over to better my life, but after failing to do so, I got very

discouraged and mentally, I just wanted to end it all. I finally told my parents that I did not want to live

anymore.

My parents were devastated and immediately researched treatment programs and were referred to

Narconon Fresh Start, where they were counseled and educated on addiction, relapse and the success

rates of all of the various treatment methodologies available. Luckily, my parents recognized the benefits

of the alternative type of care that Narconon Fresh Start offered and they sent me to one of their centers

in Southern California.

Once at Sunshine Summit Lodge in California, I loved the program and the care the staff gave me. I

immediately felt better, never thought about leaving early and I wanted to stay as long as I could to

continue feeling better. I asked everyone I could, “What do I have to do to become a staff member?” I felt I

had a purpose again and I was really happy. I felt this huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders,

because I didn’t have to ever lie or do drugs again.

After working at Narconon for over a year, I began a very good relationship with a female friend and

coworker, Michelle. We enjoyed many things together such as movies, amusement parks and going out to

eat. We started dating and she suggested that I follow my goals to be a professional mixed martial arts

(MMA) fighter. I brought her home to meet my parents, and my father and mother fell in love with her.

My father told me “Marry this girl and don’t screw this (relationship) up!”

I began training three days a week at an MMA gym near the

Narconon Center, where I was working. I was progressing, but I

needed to really dedicate myself to become a professional, so I decided

to train at my sport full time (15 times a week). Due to my training,

ability and my 20 years of wrestling experience, I got the attention I

needed and I was able to become a professional MMA fighter. I took my

father’s advice and got married in September 2010 and a few months

later, I partnered with friends to open our own MMA gym and I’m

living my dream.

The Narconon Program helped me overcome my addictions, helped

me continue to progress in my life, reach my goals and everything is

right on track. I now know the dangers of prescription drugs, and now

through my story, I’m doing what I can to explain the dangers to

others.

— Michael P.

6

Page 8: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

Michelle P.

Graduated June 2005

7

Page 9: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

— I have been clean for many years now and my life keeps getting better.

I grew up in a small town in Wyoming. I had supportive family and friends along with a bright future. In

school, I received excellent grades and got along great with everyone that I encountered. I attended Girl

Scouts of America for years and all of my teachers told me often how far I would go in life.

I began experimenting with alcohol, pot and crank (methamphetamines) at the age of 14. At first, it was

something I played around with every couple of months leading to every weekend. No one in my family had

never even tried drugs before, so it was extremely easy to hide it from them, as they did not know what to

look for. I kept up a good front and graduated from high school with good grades, scholarships, and

acceptance to multiple colleges and universities.

When I started college, I told myself that drugs and alcohol were what college kids did and continued my

weekend habit. Binge drinking and crystal meth fueled study sessions were all too common. I successfully

graduated from college in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. When I completed college, I

told myself it was time to grow up and stop using drugs. I tried many times to quit and had many reasons

why it was ok to continue.

Once college was over I lost my focus and drive. Weekend use turned into daily use and before long, I

became an IV drug user. I needed crystal meth to wake up and needed prescription drugs to go to sleep. I

had no ambition, no goals, and no desire to live. I lost my job, my family and all of my friends. The beginning

of 2005 was my lowest of lows. I remember vividly looking at myself and wondering what happened. This

bright girl with a solid future was now withered and destroyed. I looked at myself and was disgusted; I had

not showered in days; was wearing one ladies sweat pants, whom I just met, another ladies t-shirt that I did

not know, a bandana covering my oil soaked hair; I had yellow skin and eyes and my arms were covered in

bruises. This was not the future that I had been guaranteed by teachers, friends, and relatives. I had ruined

my life and did not think I had a chance at survival. I was convinced that I would be dead before 30.

I ran into a friend of my family’s who convinced me to go to my parents. I did not think they would want

to see me, but took a chance and showed up. My father took me right in. He asked me if I wanted help. He

said he would do some research and find the best place for me. Over the next three weeks my father spoke to

over 25 different rehab centers across the country from outpatient to year long inpatient. My sister-in-law

helped him find numbers on the internet and ran across the Narconon Fresh Start programs. This was the

last phone call my father made. Immediately he knew this was the right spot.

The idea that I was responsible for my condition, the fact that it was longer than 30 days, and the hope of

an internship after completion of the program were reason enough. The more he learned, the more my

father knew that Sunshine Summit Lodge would be the best place for me. I had never been to rehab before,

so I did not know what to expect. I anticipated bars on the windows and chain link fencing, so I was

surprised by the open campus, pool, and multiple smiling faces. There were books, education, and my hope

for the future was restored.

Completing the program was, by far, the hardest thing that I had ever completed in my life. There were

many days that I wanted to give up and run away, but through the help of the Narconon staff, as well as the

help of my family, I finished my program June 3, 2005. I have been clean for many years now and my life

keeps getting better. I have the best relationship I could ever dream of with my family. I have amazing

friends and the most supportive husband. Everything continues to improve; I have a stable job that I love,

my husband and I have purchased a new home, and we are very happy to announce the arrival of our first

child! — Michelle P.

8

Page 10: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

Sarah H.

Graduated Oct 2006

9

In high school, I experimented

with drugs. When I was 22 years

old, I snorted heroin for the first

time. Obviously, I knew that it

was bad, but I didn’t care. I knew

that the guy I was with wasn’t

good for me, but that didn’t

matter to me either. I had given

up on life, and I would soon be

injecting heroin and any other

drug that I could shoot as well.

I did not have a bad

upbringing; my parents were

loving, encouraging, and always

there for me. I had always done

well in school and I hoped to someday get my college degree, join the Peace Corps and be able to help

people to make their lives better. Somehow, someway, I allowed my life to spiral out of control, and I gave

up on all of my dreams and any hope for my future. I let the drugs take it all away.

My parents sent me to several 28-day twelve-step programs but each time I got out, I relapsed. After

the last 28 day program, I went to live in a sober living home and eventually failed a drug test there. I left

the sober house and hit the streets, not planning to ever come back. I let myself go, doing more drugs and

just trying to escape from the horrible nightmare that my life had become. All I wanted was to be

completely numb.

My parents, after researching various rehabs on the internet, decided that I was going to Narconon

Fresh Start. They took me to California and I found myself in the mountains at the Sunshine Summit

Lodge. Once there, I tried my best to not face up to what I had done but eventually, I began to change.

After I completed the sauna detox program, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I could face a life without drugs.

My body felt clean, and I didn’t constantly think about using. When I got to the Personal Values &

Integrity Course, I got honest and that was when my life really began to change. I was finally able to

make a conscious decision to take responsibility for everything that I had done, to face it.

After graduating from the program, I remained at the Sunshine Summit Lodge to do the internship,

which was one of the best decisions of my life. I was able to put the skills I had learned into use and

solidify the already firm foundation that the Narconon Fresh Start program had given to me. Also, I was

able to live one of my life’s dreams: to be able to help people make their lives better.

After my internship, I left Narconon to obtain my degree and start living my life free of drugs. Now, I

am attending California State University Long Beach with a 4.0 grade point average; I have an awesome

relationship with my family; and I am engaged to be married to an incredibly kind and wonderful man.

I truly believe that Narconon Fresh Start is the best program in the world. It gave me more than just

the ability to live without drugs; it gave me self-respect, responsibility, and helped me to realize that life is

worth living.

— Sarah H.

— It gave me more than just the ability to live without drugs...

Page 11: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

Graduated June 2011

Megan D.

10

I started getting high in high school and it didn’t seem like too much of a problem at the time. I

justified my drug use to myself. I thought that it was ok because it was not like I was using drugs every

day and I thought that it was not really effecting my life that much. As I got older, I began to experiment

with harder drugs and my use increased drastically. When I was 20, I started using an opiate based

prescription drug called Oxycontin and when I couldn’t get that, I started using heroin. Before long, I

found that I was physically dependent on these drugs. Between the ages of 21-31, I tried numerous ways

and programs as an attempt to quit and end the nightmare I was experiencing.

When I was 29, I made a decision to go on methadone maintenance to handle my addiction. The

methadone combined with a high dose of Xanax that I was prescribed was what finally caused my life to

fall apart completely. I lost my money, my car, my apartment, my husband and my kids. When my

parents gave me the opportunity to come Narconon Fresh Start, I took it.

The program was not an easy program for me because I was learning life skills that I had never

bothered to learn before. Once I realized that I could use these tools to put my life back together again, I

finally understood my purpose in getting clean. Now I have a job, I am helping people and most of all I

am a confident and happy person. This program has shown me that I didn’t have to carry the past

around with me forever and that my past no longer dictates my future. I now know that I am capable of

controlling my life and I am!

— Megan D.

— I now know that I am capable of controlling my life and have.

Page 12: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

I grew up in Yucaipa, CA in

the Inland Empire near

Redlands. I was a good

student, dated one of the

football players in high school

and I always worked a job too.

I graduated from High School,

eventually becoming the head

server at a popular local

restaurant. My high school

sweetheart and I saved enough

money to move into our own

place. We were so in love, and

when I found out that I was

going to have a baby, we were

really looking forward to a

happy future together.

Then, everything changed, when my boyfriend got in a very bad accident on his ATV (all terrain vehicle) 3

months into my pregnancy, suffering severe head injuries. I was at his side at the hospital for months. When

he finally woke up from a coma, he was not the same guy that I knew before. After that, I took the role of his

care taker, working hard to make ends meet, while my mom would watch our baby. Never fully recuperating

mentally, my boyfriend regressed back to adolescent behaviors, eventually getting together with a younger

girl. But, I had already experienced the heartbreak of his loss, the day I realized he was not the same person.

I started using Norco prescription pills, which are a mixture of Tylenol and Vicodin (a potentially addictive

opiate based pain medication), in order to deal with working so much and later as a way of coping with the

situation that I was in. One day my friend had an Oxycontin pill, which is a much stronger opiate based pain

medication. Since I was out of pills, I tried it. What I didn’t know, is that this drug is basically synthetic heroin

and it is just as addictive as heroin. As my drug use escalated, I started snorting more and more of this drug,

and I was also introduced to crystal methamphetamine.

As my addiction progressed, I started lying and stealing to keep up with my habit. I lost my daughter, my

car, my apartment, my family and myself. I ended up living on the streets, staying wherever I could and I was

too lost to even stay in contact with my family. I ended up getting arrested for attempted car theft, while on

meth, serving 9 months in the county jail. When I got out of jail, I couldn’t face it all and I started using

needles and heroin to escape all of the pain, causing even more of a downward spiral.

Finally, enough was enough. My cousin, who went thru the Narconon program, convinced my family to get

me to go to Sunshine Summit Lodge. When I first arrived, I had it in my head that I would complete the

program, but I wasn’t sure if I could remain sober. After going through the program, resolving the sources of

my problems and regaining my self respect and integrity, I have no doubt about remaining sober.

Since graduating, my life has completely changed. I am now very proud to be working in the drug addiction

recovery field, and instead of using drugs, I’m helping others regain control of their lives. I have a great

relationship with my family and I am finally taking the right steps to getting my daughter back! — Mandi D.

Mandi D.

Graduated Feb 2011

11

— I am now very proud to be working in the drug addiction recovery field.

Page 13: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

Erin P.

Even before drugs and alcohol, I had

no self-confidence or self-esteem. I spent

so much time hospitalized, being diag-

nosed with all different, so called, disor-

ders. I was on up to 8 psychiatric medi-

cations including lithium, Xanax, Prozac,

Ambien, Effexor, Seroquel and Geodon. I

was told over and over that I had all

these illnesses that "weren’t my fault"

and these drugs were the only way to fix

them, but they never did. After a while, I

completely just gave up on myself and

my street drug use escalated. I felt de-

feated. I was made to feel that I was

somehow broken beyond repair. I

thought I’d be unhappy, and on drugs

forever. I didn’t care if I lived or died, because nothing was helping.

In September of 2009, I had an intervention and later that day, I ended up at Rainbow Canyon Retreat. It

took quite a while for me to come around. I understood the program, but I just didn’t believe it would actually

help me. There were some things that I really fought, because of my lack of really being able to confront things.

I went as far as to compare myself to "a totaled car, just not worth fixing". I’d cry at almost every graduation

because I’d hear people’s success stories and think "that is never going to be me".

Things started to change when I completed the sauna detox program and my mind became much clearer.

Then, in the part of the program that teaches you how to unstick yourself from the past, I had a life changing

realization that "I didn’t want to be this way anymore". It was so simple, but so important. After this, my

whole perspective started changing, something just clicked and everything really started sinking in. Of course,

many parts of this program were difficult but nothing this important comes without hard work. I realized that

I had not been really taking care of all of the aspects of life, which started with not taking care of myself and

snowballed into effecting my family, my friends and everything else in my life. I also realized that this program

is about so much more than not doing drugs; it’s about learning how to repair your life, and about giving you

the life skills necessary to be successful. It breaks down every aspect of everyday living to the simplest form, so

that it can be relearned from a new perspective, giving you the ability to have a better understanding of life as

a whole.

Since leaving Rainbow Canyon Retreat, I have become the closest I’ve ever been with my family, I’ve met the

love of my life, and we are engaged to be married. I will be taking over a very successful business, working with

animals and doing something I absolutely love. I still sometimes can't believe that I’m finally happy. It would

have never been possible without Narconon Fresh Start. I really do wish that everyone could have the

knowledge that I now have. Usually, families want "their daughter/son back" to how they were before drugs,

but Narconon has made me a happier, more well-rounded person then I ever was in my life. This may be the

most difficult thing I’ve ever done, but it was well worth it, and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

— Erin P.

Graduated Jan 2010

12

— Narconon has made me a happier, more well-rounded person then I ever

was in my life.

Page 14: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

Graduated Feb 2010

I first started using drugs after moving to

Colorado. My mother moved us there to get us away

from an abusive relationship. I was confused and

upset about leaving my original home, especially

because my brother, Wyatt, would not be coming

with us. In one month, I went from trying my first

drug, which was acid to then doing mushrooms,

ecstasy, and smoking pot.

While this was happening, I was not aware but

Wyatt was getting very sick. Wyatt had a very rare

form of kidney disease and he was in and out of the

hospital all of the time. Wyatt eventually succumbed

to the disease and my heart became cold. I didn’t

care about anything anymore. I started doing

cocaine and meth everyday so that I didn't have to

feel all the horrible pain I was feeling.

After a very bad paranoid episode on meth, I somehow was able to stop using it. Much later, I

eventually turned to alcohol to cope with an inappropriate sexual advance by my boss. After a ruined

relationship, I started drinking more and got into an abusive relationship with another alcoholic. I got

arrested multiple times and I hated myself at this point. I was hospitalized several times for alcohol

poisoning. I was hurting myself while blacked out by slitting my wrists and overdosing on pills. After

getting arrested, I knew that I couldn't keep living like this. I kept telling my mom that I wanted help but

I had no idea how to quit and I knew I couldn't do it on my own.

One day, my mom and sister came to my apartment and asked me if I wanted to go to lunch and I said

“Yes”. When we got there, I saw a lady I didn't know and some of my family members. I knew right away

that it was an intervention! I sat and listened to everything they had to say. Before I knew it, I was in

California at medical detox.

After a week of detox, I was on my way to Nevada to go to Rainbow Canyon Retreat. I was frightened

and not sure of myself. Once I got there, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. All of the staff made

me feel very comfortable and made sure I was in good hands. The program really helped me take

responsibility for my actions and confront the problems that I had created in my life. Every single part of

the program helped me in a massive way. I learned the fundamentals of life and how I am worth

something and I am a good person. I took a good look at my life and was able to pinpoint the parts in my

life that were causing me to drink. I dealt with those issues. Narconon had, now and forever, changed

my life and gave me the tools I needed to succeed.

I love my Narconon family and will forever thank them for giving me a second chance at life and giving

me the tools to be a productive member to society. Since leaving Narconon, I have gotten remarried and

my husband and I were blessed with a beautiful baby girl in January 2012. I have a great support system

and couldn't ask for anything more. I know that I can now do anything I want to do! — Kateri T.

Kateri T.

13

— I was able to pinpoint the parts in my life that were causing me to drink.

Page 15: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

Jon R.

I first got into the drug scene at the age of fifteen.

At that time, I really looked up to my cousin, who was

a year older than me and had his driver's license and

his own vehicle. One day he offered me some pot and

I ended up smoking it with him. Within a month, I

was smoking pot on a daily basis, then within 3

months I was selling it. As time progressed, I became

involved with using and selling other drugs too such

as cocaine, LSD, mushrooms, ecstasy, heroin and all

kinds of different prescription medications.

Before I knew it, everything started to slip away

from me. I lost my father to cancer and I was unable

to be there for him because I was so entangled with

the use of drugs and alcohol. After his loss, I started

using more, hustling more and even stealing to get

more money for drugs. This all began to catch up

with me physically and mentally. I finally realized

that I needed help so I tried a couple of local 30 day programs but my sobriety from these programs was

short-lived. I always ended up going back to drugs and I had no idea why.

One day, I walked to my grandfather's house withdrawing from heroin. As he saw me walking up the

driveway, he grab his phone ready to call the cops and I told him that he can call the cops if he chose to

but I just wanted him to hear me out. I told him that I needed one last chance and it had to be out of state

and he then said if I found a place that he would think about it. After about a week of researching

programs and talking to an intake counselor at Narconon Fresh Start, I knew that this was the program

that would work for me. My grandfather did his own research on the program and agreed to give me one

more chance.

When I arrived at Rainbow Canyon Retreat, I was really scared but I was ready to start working on

myself. After being there just a short time, I was already seeing improvements with my communication

skills, which I was lacking when I began using drugs. The most beneficial part of the program for me was

the new life detoxification program because it gave me a chance to get the past drug residuals out of my

body. After that, I no longer had drug cravings or night sweats and I was able to get a full night of sleep.

Then, the life skills courses began to help me realize the causes of a lot of my personal problems that led

me to use drugs and alcohol. After that, I was able to handle things as they came to me without getting all

worked up and frustrated with life.

The Narconon program has given me my life back. I now have my family's support again and I’m

holding a great job which allows me to pay my own bills and enjoy the things I work for. I have a stable

fulfilling relationship and for once in my life, I care about my future and I am able to have the control

needed to live this life without drugs or alcohol despite all of the temptations that are still around in

society. I can't express how thankful I am to my family and the staff at the Narconon program for giving

me one last chance to get my life right. — Jon R.

Graduated Mar 2010

14

— I am able to have the control needed to live this life without drugs...

Page 16: GRADUATE SUCCESS STORIES - Fresh Start Programs · The Narconon Fresh Start group of centers grew out of and was developed from the first residential Narconon Center in Los Angeles

225 W. Broadway, Suite 400, Glendale, CA 91204

Tel: 855-734-2223 Fax: 818-243-7956

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