Relapse Prevention

This may sound obvious but the time for relapse prevention is before the relapse, not after. Too often relapse prevention refers to the next relapse instead of just removing relapse as an issue to begin with. Through 40 years of experience Narconon has discovered and found workable solution to the three causes of relapse – Cravings, guilt, and depression. Make no mistake these are the factors leading to relapse. At Narconon Arrowhead we have a 76% success rate among our graduates. We give the program participants the skills, tools, and abilities to prevent relapse from even getting out of the starting gate.

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.

Abuse occurs when a drug, alcohol, or other substance is used to the detriment of the users health, family relations, finances, career, etc. The detriments may be slight at the beginning of abuse but generally escalates quite quickly into cravings (mental or physical) for the drug, alcohol, or substance. This is followed in short order by a marked rise in feeling of guilt and depression as the individual starts sacrificing quality of life for self and others in the more and more single-minded pursuit of the drugs and alcohol. Once abuse has set it the whole process of addiction picks up speed as does the damage done to health, families, career, etc. The sooner this dwindling spiral is halted and addressed with effective drug and alcohol rehabilitation the better.

Addiction services needed in most cases go far beyond withdrawal and cessation of use. At Narconon Arrowhead the addiction services are extensive and comprehensive. A partial list, and this is only a partial list of some of the main points, includes; Drug free gentle withdrawal, Full detoxification of drugs and toxins stored in the body, Therapeutic drills designed to extrovert and get the individual back in communication, Legal Liaison when needed, nutritional handlings, increasing abilities to study and learn, recognizing and dealing with individuals or environments which can be dangerous to ones sobriety. In addiction a full handling of the cravings, guilt and depression that so often accompany addiction are fully addressed, as well as effectively planning for the future after rehab. Our addiction services also include a full family consultant section as we are well aware that addiction affects much more than the addict. Families generally have lots of questions and concerns regarding their loved ones progress. These are just a few of the life changing addiction services embraced by Narconon Arrowhead.

Heroin is a highly addictive illegal drug. During the 1800’s opium addiction was a major problem in the U.S. Morphine was developed as supposedly a non-addictive substitute for opium but proved to be even more addictive. The same is true of Heroin which was a supposedly non addictive replacement for morphine, but again is actually more addictive than opium or morphine. In more modern times we know have methadone as a supposed ‘solution’ to heroin addiction. Methadone is even more addictive than heroin. If withdrawal from heroin can be gruesome and harrowing, then methadone is even worse and can be life- threatening if unsupervised.