Drug Treatment

The drug treatment program at Narconon Arrowhead is a long term, drug free and non-traditional approach to handling drug addiction with a 76% success rate. Addiction is no unraveled in 28 days. Each person progresses at their own pace, usually completing the Narconon program in three to four months. This gives them the time and support they need to actually rebuild a new life from the ground up to replace the one that was destroyed by drugs or alcohol. The end result for the family is that they have their loved one back. The end result for the graduate is a drug free life, free also from cravings, depression and guilt.

Drug addiction treatment to be effective needs to help and guide the individual in confronting and gaining the skills and abilities needed to resolve all areas of their lives – not merely ceasing their drug use which is only the beginning. Personal issues of nutrition and gaining a healthy balance need to be addressed. Issues of cravings, quilt, and depression resulting from addiction need confronted and relieved, legal issues often exist. Broken or strained relationships in the family and workplace need resolved. The issue of how the addict gets on with his life in a drug free and productive manner, and be happy and fulfilled doing so, can be one of the biggest issues of all. Addicts and alcoholics are often quite concerned about being miserable and suffering without the drugs or alcohol. Narconon Arrowhead is an empowering program that assists the individual in resolving each of these situations as well as others he or she may have. We don’t enforce or insist rather we help, guide, and assist the individual in finding their own unique answers that will work and more importantly continue to work for them. This helps insure a continuing drug free life as their solutions are theirs and not something dictated or enforced on them.

There are common denominators between drugs though each may have its own effects and side effects. All drugs are essentially poisons with the amount taken determining the effect. A small amount of any drug will act as a stimulant (increases activity). A larger amount of any drug will act as a sedative (suppressing activity). A still larger amount poisons and can kill. This is true of any drug and only the amount needed differs. Drugs act to block of sensations, unfortunately this includes desirable sensations as well as unwanted sensations. Though sometimes of short term value in handling pain, they also wipe out ability, alertness, and greatly confuse thinking processes. At an addictive level drugs serve as major sources of numbing mental and physical sensation, while at the same time increasing unwanted attitudes, emotions, sensations, and pains, when attempts are made to cease use.

The cycle of addiction begins with a problem, discomfort, or physical or emotional pain. Drugs or alcohol are used in an effort to find relief. Short term temporary relief is found which give the drug or alcohol value in the eye of the user. When confronted with the problem, pain, etc. again in the future the individual is prone to use the drug or alcohol again. The problem arises when it takes more and more of the drug or alcohol to get the same effect and instead of handling the source of the problem or pain the drugs are continually used to mask the symptoms while the problem itself continues to get worse. The drugs and alcohol themselves create new physical problems, shut of awareness and ability, all of which simply increases the symptoms to the point of the person being obsessed with finding and using the drugs or alcohol to numb himself, despite consequences to self and family.

Many times someone’s personal opinions, or pet theories gets mixed up with actual addiction facts and this is often confusing to someone trying to understand addiction. Probably a good starting point is a solid definition of what addiction is. Addiction is a condition characterized by repeated compulsive seeking and using of drugs, alcohol or other similar substances despite adverse social, mental, and physical consequences. When addiction exists, the drug use controls the individual rather than the individual controlling the usage.