Gaining patience back

My success for the day is gaining some patience back. I actually feel a lot better because I was able to help someone who needed it. I feel like a better person since I’ve been at Narconon Fresh Start. Before coming here I was a drama queen. I didn’t care about anything but my drugs. The old me was no longer there she no longer existed. I think since I’ve been here I’ve matured and become more laid back; now, I don’t only think of myself. I am glad I came here. I’ve gained so much trust from my family I hope I can finish this program and be happy and proud of myself.
S. C.

Today I feel un-burdened and ready to start a new phase in my life

I have successfully gotten off my chest the things I’ve done to my friends, co-workers and the people around me. I feel un-burdened and ready to start this new phase in my life with a clean slate. I feel that writing down the transgression and thinking about them in detail makes me come to terms with them. I feel that I have overcome some possible suppressive events in my life.
D. H.

The Personal Values and Integrity Course our students go through helps them to take responsibility for their past bad actions and poor choices. When they finally take full responsibility for the areas of their life that have burdened them they stop acting negatively and making poor choices in the future. This can be a very difficult process for some students. This is why the previous courses leading up the Personal Values and Integrity Course go a long way in building up the program participant’s self-confidence and ability to confront and communicate effectively. When the client eventually realizes that the dark secrets they were suffering with and that had caused to feel shame were problems, issues and situations that others have experienced too they tend to feel a sense of relief because they can stop suffering and let go of the shame. Identifying, addressing and moving past the indiscretions and poor choices a person made before entering drug rehab is key part of the recovery process. Without doing so the recovering person will continue to be plagued by the problems of their past and never get the chance to feel as though they are starting out with a “clean slate”.

Looking on the bright side

After completing sauna I feel amazing! I feel that I can finally understand what the expression “look on the bright side” means because now my outlook on life has changed. Before I didn’t care about what I put into my body or how I treated myself. Through being here and learning how to take care of myself and how important good nutrition, exercise and healthy living is to maintain my sobriety there is no way that I’m going back to the way I used to live. I’ve invested so much already in getting this far in my program and achieving sobriety that I don’t want to jeopardize it. I’m going to keep up exercising and eating right so that I don’t fall back into bad habits.

This program has taught me so much more than I ever thought it would. I anticipated learning how to get off drugs but the education that I’m getting while I’m here is helping me in every area of my life! My family tells me when they talk to me they can actually hear my improvement in my voice and the topics I’m discussing with them. I can now make plans for my future when I return home instead of living day to day and no knowing what’s around the corner. Even though my addiction hurt me and those I love, by looking on the bright side I’m able to see that it brought me to Narconon Fresh Start and the new life that I’m excited to have when I graduate and go back home no longer an addict but as a fully recovered person = )
H.P.

A great day helping others

I had a great day today helping others. Helping others makes me feel good about myself. It also helps other people feel good about them. The moral of the story is when everybody helps everybody feels good!
C. N.

I’m me again

After so many years abusing drugs I thought that was who I was. I couldn’t imagine being off drugs completely, even pot! How would I handle a bad day if I couldn’t get high? What would I do to have fun if I was sober? Who would I hang out with if not my current drug using friends? All these questions and more ran through my mind as I finally concluded that I needed help to stop using. I had been in outpatient programs before and gone through countless counseling sessions so I knew that it was going to have to be something more intensive that that. When I spoke openly with my parents who I was living with at the time about my drug problem they told me about some research they had done on a drug rehab in Southern California. I spoke with the intake counselor on the phone and knew that this program was going to be something more challenging than any other recovery method I had gone through before.

At first, my hope was just to make it through detox. After I successfully accomplished that I then wanted to make it through the sauna program, which I did. By that time I had been at the Narconon Fresh Start drug rehab for over a month and was seeing so many changes in myself, I was amazed. Those questions I had before began to work themselves out as time passed and I progressed through my program. I learned ways of focusing my feelings when I was having a bad day or stressed out. I felt like I had control over my emotions instead of trying to cover them up by getting high.

When it came to having fun I realized that I was enjoying my days in rehab and that I was learning how to have fun without drugs. I developed new hobbies and rediscovered my love of reading again. I blew through so many books during my time there! Part of the program has you address the people in your past. I decided that my friends I had partied with and used drugs with were not going to be part of my life when I returned home. It really wasn’t that bad when I actually returned home because I had prepared them for these changes while I was at Narconon. They didn’t understand why I was choosing to avoid them but they left me alone and gave me the space I asked for. I wished them well when I did seem them so I think that softened the blow some.

Years later after graduating from the rehab I still use all of the life skills training I received there. Drugs and alcohol are no longer a part of my life and I choose to keep it that way. It is so awesome to be me again and not controlled by substances and cravings. The life I live now thanks to Narconon Fresh Start is one that I could have only dreamed of years ago. I’m forever grateful.
J.V.