|
News Narconon Denmark Celebrates 20 Years Saving Lives The successful program has helped hundreds of people through effective rehabilitation. Four decades ago an incarcerated heroin addict named William Benitez decided that he had to try something new to save himself from his addiction as well as to help other similarly afflicted friends. He requested permission from Arizona state prison officials to start a drug rehabilitation program with 20 addict inmates, but was at first denied. Thankfully, he persisted because on February 19, 1966 he was finally granted permission and founded what he called NARCONON, meaning NARCotics-NONe. Inspiration for the program came from a prison library book Benitez had read by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard. Benitez later wrote, “What impressed me the most about Hubbard’s materials was that they concentrated not only on identifying abilities, but also on methods, practical exercises, by which to develop them. I realized that drug addiction was nothing more than a ‘disability’ resulting when a person ceases to use abilities essential to constructive survival.” Benitez felt this viewpoint offered a radically new and hopefully more effective approach toward recovery from drugs. He wrote Mr. Hubbard from jail requesting assistance.
My
name is Connie Filippou and I always wanted to write a story about
my life because I considered it exciting, so exciting that I thought
it would make a good film. Connie
Filippou, staff member
A Graduates story. I
am a 29 years old and have been on drugs from I was 14. Recently a
13 years old girl got an overdose, to a private party. It could have
been me 15 years ago, but I made it through the hell and came out on
the other side. At
that time started smoking hash and take some pills and as it
normally goes for the most in that situation, I also started with
other things to see if they where as good as they said. But when you
get addicted then it is not good at all. I was so lucky that I had a
work the first years I was addicted to heroin. Actually
I had everything I could wish, a girlfriend I loved, I had a good
car and an apartment downtown, we got a wonderful son, yes I had all
a common family had and I had one more thing, a heroin use. This
made me starts lying, go behind that back of my family, girlfriend
and friends. The most terrible was that they didn’t even know and
therefore couldn’t understand what was going on with me. During
time when I should use more and more drugs, the things started to
fall apart. I lost my job, I couldn’t pay the bills anymore, my
drug use cost now 1700-2200 Euro per week, I couldn’t contribute
to my family and the relationship started to fall apart too. But it
didn’t bother me. I have been in and out of many rehab centers,
but without the expected result. The
only result was that I could stay pretty drug free while at the
center. But I could feel that I my life was not getting handled in
those centers, I used it as a kind of “Vacation” from the
streets and got some kilos on my body. During that time I lost my
car, girlfriend, apartment and family. They did what they could for
me but that didn’t get me on my feet either. Especially when the
rehab centers I tried failed. I ended up on the street, I didn’t
know what to do and my addiction became worse and worse. I had to
steal, make burglary and sell drugs to get for my own use. In the
end I thought that all hope was gone and prepared myself to die as
an addict. Then I heard about Narconon, something there should
change my life drastically.
I
got an approval from the commune to do the program and to try for
the last time to get drug free. When I arrived to Narconon Denmark I
was scared to dead, I had an idea that it would be a hell to get
through the withdrawal with all the abstinences and I almost
couldn’t confront it, but I was wrong. The way they helped me, by
the help of vitamins and assists, did that I got pretty easy through
the withdrawal. The care I experienced at Narconon Denmark, I have
never experienced before any place I have been. I could feel that
they had been through the same and had a technology they understood
to use.
Time
pass by and more and more changes happened in my life and they where
enormous, I got communication skills that I could feel was important,
now I didn’t needed to be introverted and I could communicate.
What I really look forward to do was the New Life Detoxification
program. A program where you get vitamins and minerals and goes in
sauna. This gets the drugs out of the fat-tissues and further out of
the body. I felt completely CLEAN after that part of the program and
never in my entire life have I had so much energy and been so clear
in my mind. I
can’t think of anything I don’t like about Narconon. If anything
then it is that you gain so many kilosJ.
The staff members are carefully and help the person through all the
difficult periods. Those there are several of. The place is 100%
drug free, as it is designed by the methods of L. Ron Hubbard and I
have never felt so alive. I have got a really good relationship with
my family again and look forward to be a REAL DAD for my son again.
I have found out that it is possible to change condition in life if
you come to the right place and that place was Narconon Denmark for
me. Kindly
regards Eirik
Haugland, Graduate
|