Drug Addiction tears apart families, ruins lives and kills. Addiction recovery is a rough road, filled with stumbling blocks and it often leads nowhere but failure, throwing the addict still deeper into their destructive, addictive behaviors. Stopping the drug use and going through the withdrawals are only the first steps. No matter how effective the withdrawal process, unless the "why" and "how" of the addiction are addressed as well, the recovering addict is left with no coping skills, no way to deal with a sober life. And all too often, they return to the familiarity of their addiction.

Most Addiction Treatment relies on drugs like methadone to ease symptoms of withdrawal, effectively replacing one drug with another. The recovering addict is still left chemically Dependant, it's just a different chemical. As often as possible, the ideal solution is to navigate the withdrawal process naturally, without the aid of additional chemicals, returning the body to a state of health and balance.

That's just what Narconon does. The first step in the Narconon Drug Rehab program is detoxification, a monitored process where the "student" stops all drug and alcohol use and begins to rebuild the health they damaged through abuse. Vitamin and mineral supplements help sooth the body's reaction to the detox process while relaxing exercises calm muscles and mental stress. Complimented by physical exercise and sauna to further detoxify the body, the process is carefully monitored and continues until the student no longer feels the physical effects of withdrawal.

All students entering the program undergo a complete medical examination, including routine lab tests like a metabolic panel, lipid profile, blood count, toxicology, sexually transmitted disease tests and others. During their time at the Rehab Center, their health and vital signs are closely monitored. Students who, in the eyes of the admitting nurse or physician, are in need of medically supervised withdrawal are referred to an appropriate provider to undergo treatment before entering the program. Most students rarely need such specialized services and are able to enroll directly into the program and detoxification process.

Detox is just the first step, however, as students of the Narconon program embark on a journey of recovery, engaging in a series of learning programs to help them draw away from substance abuse and the lifestyle choices that led them there, and learn to communicate with others, taking responsibility for themselves and finding new ways to live without the use of drugs or alcohol.

Students are guided through a structured series of courses, done in sequence, each building upon the last. Through these courses, they learn, or relearn, how to reenter the community. That's the whole focus of the Narconon program, returning their students to the community as happy, whole, healthy and addiction-free individuals.

Course work includes communications and perceptions, where students learn to establish healthy communications with others, and combat their own negative perceptions; a course in learning to handle life's hills and valleys without resorting to anti-social behavior; work on personal values and integrity, and extensive work on addressing past mistakes and poor choices, and learning to make positive, life-affirming choices.

The program also includes a comprehensive reentry plan, where students who have completed their detox and courses work closely with staff to help craft a personalized plan for success. The plan includes assessment of the student's skills and abilities, and encourages them to take a proactive role in creating a plan that will guarantee them a successful reentry to society. Graduates are encouraged to become involved in community or volunteer work and staff members conduct frequent follow ups, checking on graduates and their success and providing help and support when needed.

Indeed, this is not the typical Drug Addiction Treatment program. From the very first steps, the Narconon program seeks to involve the student in all phases of their recovery, encouraging personal accountability and responsibility and addressing the core reasons why they became addicted in the first place, then seeking to heal the hurts caused by their addiction. The program acknowledges that addiction has both biochemical and psychological processes, and that the body has been poisoned and debilitated by substance abuse.

Through the detoxification process, the body is cleansed of the biochemical poisoning and put on the path to healing. Course work addresses the psychological aspects, teaching new behavioral approaches and life techniques, and helping students to formulate, or rediscover, a personal, constructive system of values supporting an addiction-free life.

The end result is a graduate who is armed with the knowledge and ability to face life with renewed hope and joy, successfully moving into society and leading a happy, drug-free life.