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By Gary W. Smith, C.C.D.C.
Executive Director
Narconon Arrowhead
Part I
Whether a person is genetically or bio-chemically
predisposed to
addiction or alcoholism is a controversy that has
been debated for years within the scientific, medical
and chemical dependency communities. One school of
thought advocates the "disease concept," which embraces
the notion that addiction is an inherited disease, and
that the individual is permanently ill at a genetic
level, even for those experiencing long periods of
sobriety.
Another philosophy argues that addiction is a dual
problem consisting of a physical and mental dependency
on chemicals, compounded by a pre-existing mental
disorder (i.e. clinical depression, bipolar disorder, or
some other mental illness), and that the mental disorder
needs to be treated first as the primary cause of the
addiction. A third philosophy subscribes to the idea
that chemical dependency leads to "chemical imbalances"
in the neurological system.
The fact remains that there is scientific research to
support all of these concepts, but that none of these
theories are absolute. Based on national averages we
have a 16% to 20% recovery rate. The message is clear
that we have a lot more to learn if we are to bring the
national recovery rate to a more desirable level.
There is a 4th school of thought, which has proven to be
more accurate. It has to do with the life cycle of
addiction. This data is universally applicable to
addiction, no matter which hypothesis is used to explain
the phenomenon of chemical dependency.
The life cycle of addiction begins with a problem,
discomfort or some form of emotional or physical pain a
person is experiencing. The person finds this very
difficult to deal with.
Here is an individual who, like most people in our
society, is basically good. He has encountered a problem
or discomfort that he does not have the ability to
resolve. This could include problems such as difficulty
"fitting in" as a child or teenager, anxiety due to peer
pressure, identity problems or divorce as an adult. It
could also include physical discomfort, such as a broken
arm or a bad back.
The person experiencing the discomfort has a real
problem. He feels this problem is a major situation that
persists and he can see no immediate resolution or
relief from it.
We have all experienced this in our lives to a greater
or lesser degree. The difference between which one of us
becomes an addict and which one does not depends on
whether or not, at the time of this traumatic
experience, we are subjected to pro-drug
or alcohol influences via some sort of significant peer
pressure when the problem is manifesting itself. The
painkilling effects of drugs or alcohol become a
solution to the discomfort because the person
experiences relief from the negative feeling associated
with the problem.
As soon as the addict experiences relief from the
discomfort, he inadvertently attaches value to the drug
or drink, because it helped him feel better. Even though
the relief is only temporary, it is adopted as a
solution to the problem and this assigned value is the
only reason the person ever uses drugs or drinks a
second, third or more times. At this point, it is just a
matter of time before the person becomes fully addicted
and loses the ability to control their drug use.
Part II
Once an addict has been through treatment there are
three main reasons for relapse: 1) mental and physical
cravings; 2) depression; and 3) guilt associated with
the moral degradation and dishonesty that becomes part
of an addict's life style. These manifestations can
haunt someone for years after they have sobered up and
more times than not, if left untreated, will trigger a
relapse. These unresolved symptoms, whether physical or
mental in origin, create an underlying, low-level type
of stress, which cannot be completely ignored by the
addict. The addict can "just say no" a thousand times,
but it only takes him saying "yes" one time to start the
cycle of addiction again.
The first barrier to successful recovery from substance
abuse is overcoming the mental and physical cravings for
the drug of choice. Drugs and alcohol are broken down
and filtered in the liver. There is a byproduct from
this detoxification process called a metabolite. These
protein-based
metabolites can and do find their way into the
person's body fat. Keep in mind that each time anyone
has ever used a drug or alcohol, they have a complete
recorded memory of that life experience. Whether good
times or bad, happy or sad, all emotions, feelings and
sensations that were present at the time the drug or
alcohol was ingested is filed away in the person's
memory. Even if a person is in a blackout, the
experience is still recorded in the mind. So each
metabolite is connected to a memory of the life
experience related in some way to the drugs or alcohol
at the time they were consumed.
The body will metabolize and burn fat any time a person
undergoes a life experience that causes the heart rate
to speed up. Stress can do this, as can strenuous
exercise or intense emotion. We all experience these
things on a fairly regular basis.
When an addict experiences these life situations and
their heart rate speeds up the body begins to mobilize
and burn fat. The fat contains toxins or metabolites
from past alcohol and drug use. As the fat cell burns,
it releases the metabolite back into the person's blood
stream.
The metabolite is a byproduct of the drug. That
metabolite is connected to the memory of the life
experience in which the drug or alcohol was taken. The
toxin finds its way back into the blood stream and acts
as both a physical and mental reminder of the drug or
alcohol consumption. It also acts as a reminder of the
emotional effect the person experienced after
consumption.
In short, the toxin re-enters the blood and triggers or
stimulates a physical reminder of the drug or alcohol
and the memory of feelings, thoughts, sensations and
emotions connected to that experience. The person
remembers feeling and thinking like they did in the past
when they were under the influence and so are prone to
relapse at these times.
The reactive compulsion to continue to use drugs or
alcohol is, in part, caused by the drug's interaction
with the body's natural chemistry. Some of the body's
natural chemicals act as a built-in reward system that
encourages us to eat exercise and procreate. Other
natural body chemicals act as natural painkillers that
activate when we physically injure ourselves. In short
the natural chemicals are directly related to our
physical survival and or well-being.
As a person's addiction develops the brain and body
identify the drug as an aid that either enhance the
release of or replace these natural chemicals. As the
person starts to use chemicals on a regular basis, the
body becomes depleted of key nutrients and amino acids.
Amino acids are the building blocks for natural
chemicals called neurotransmitters. These nutritional
deficiencies prevent the body from receiving the
nutritional energy necessary to produce the natural
chemicals. The brain gets fooled as it has identified
the drug or drink as an aid to releasing or replacing
the natural chemicals. This is what causes the
uncontrolled compulsion an addict feels to continue to
use. This compulsion is so strong within the individual
that the desire to use more drugs or drink overrides the
negative and often times life-threatening consequences
an addict is faced with on a day to day basis. The drug
or alcohol gets misidentified as an aide to the
production and release of the natural chemicals when in
fact it is suppressing the body's ability to manufacture
neurotransmitters.
Part III
Guilt is another component in the life cycle of
addiction. Most addicts are basically good people before
they become addicts and have some sense of right and
wrong with no intention of hurting others. As they
become dependent on the chemical, they begin
experiencing situations where they are doing and saying
things they know deep down aren't right. They begin to
lose their ability to control themselves. They become
trapped in a vicious circle of using drugs, lying about
it, stealing to support more drug use and at each turn
the addict is accumulating memories of each these
negative incidents.
The addict commits a negative action; he records a
memory of that moment, which includes whoever he was
involved with at the time. The addict knows these
negative actions are wrong and so feels bad about them
after the fact.
These memories of guilt can then get triggered in the
present or future when he sees the people and places
that were involved when the transgressions were
committed in and they feel bad about it. In time these
transgressions are committed more and more often and the
people in the addict's life where these transgressions
have occurred become "triggers" of the dishonest act or
deed. The people, family members, loved ones and
friend's appearance to the addict triggers the guilt.
Family or friends don't necessarily have to say a word
to the addict; just the sight of them can trigger the
guilt. To avoid these unpleasant guilt feelings, the
addict will use more drugs to insulate himself from the
guilt.
The addict will also begin to withdraw more and more
from friends and family as the transgressions committed
by the addict increase in number. They will eventually
pull away from the family, seclude themselves and/or
become antagonistic towards those they love.
Part IV
Cravings, depression and guilt make up the harness that
keeps an addict in the downward spiral of drug
addiction. In almost all cases these symptoms are
generated after a long term of substance abuse.
So then what is the best approach to tear down these
barriers to successful recovery? Remember cravings are
the first barrier to recovery. These are caused by drug
or alcohol residues that store primarily in body fat in
the form of metabolites. And as mentioned in an earlier
article, metabolites are the byproduct of the body
trying to digest and breakdown the toxin once ingested
into the system. These metabolites are connected to
memories the addict has of the time and experience
associated with ingestion of the chemical. These
metabolites will activate at times when the addict's
metabolism increases. Once the metabolite activates, an
uncontrollable urge to use more drugs overcomes the
addict. The active metabolite triggers or reminds the
addict at a physical and mental level of drug use.
There are a number of methods that are being used today
to address the fat storage aspect of drugs. Some include
intravenous ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) treatments another
is fasting. More and more we are seeing the emphasis
being shifted to holistic treatments as a significant
component of substance abuse treatment planning. One of
the most effective means of ridding the body of drug
metabolites has proven to be the use of aerobic exercise
combined with a nutritional program that utilizes
Vitamin B3 (niacin) and extended periods of sweating in
a dry sauna. This detoxification method was researched
and developed by L. Ron Hubbard in 1978 and has helped
increase the rate of recovery by eliminating the
physical triggers that create drug cravings. It is this
process called The New Life Detoxification Program that
is utilized at the Narconon drug and alcohol
rehabilitation program.
Depression is another one of the barriers to recovery.
The depression an addict experiences is two fold. There
is a chemical imbalance that drug and alcohol abuse
creates in the body. Drug and alcohol abuse inhibits the
production of natural body chemicals and in some cases
replaces them. This impacts the natural reward system
that encourages our physical well-being or eliminates
pain after an injury. This biophysical aspect of the
chemical imbalance present in drug abusers is driven by
nutritional efficiencies that occur when someone uses
drugs or alcohol on a regular basis. In most cases the
emotional depression that an addict experiences follows
after a person comes off drugs or alcohol not before.
This is because of the declining quality of life an
addict experiences and a decayed state of health. In
most cases an addict has alienated themselves from
family members and loved ones. There is often criminal
behavior that comes about from the need for money to
purchase drugs. Depending on the degree and type of drug
abuse an addict frequently finds himself in trouble with
the law. Addicts don't want these situations to occur
but cannot control the circumstances in their lives. As
broken relationships or legal problems develop, the
addict feels down or bad about these situations and will
display characteristics of depression or lethargy.
Remember that all addicts are basically good people
before the addiction begins. They start encountering
problems brought on by their addiction. Then they get
involved in the arduous task of trying to hide or cover
up the deeds that led to these problems. At this point
they begin to feel guilty. This guilt then causes the
addict to withdraw from family, loved ones and friends
or they will become antagonistic towards those close to
them who do not abuse drugs or alcohol. This anti-social
behavior is a direct result of his or her wrong doings
and dishonest life style.
In order to remove these barriers to successfully
recovery, addicts must experience a positive change in
moral values. They must get honest-which is probably the
toughest part of recovery. As a general rule people do
not enjoy admitting their wrongs. This process is
particularly difficult for the person who is addicted.
However, the age-old basic premise of effective
counseling still holds true - "confession is good for
the soul." This is certainly true in remedying drug or
alcohol addiction. If an addicted person can confess
honestly their sins and can make up the damage that was
done by committing these sins, he will experience
tremendous relief. They will not feel guilty any longer
and will be able to better calculate how to improve
their quality of life.
Part V
There are different methods utilized in substance abuse
counseling to bring about positive moral change in an
addict. Probably one of the most commonly used is the 12
Step approach practiced by the Alcoholics or Narcotics
Anonymous groups. In this method steps 4 and 5 and steps
8 and 9 deal with life inventory of the wrong deeds done
and who was effected by them. In addition to this the
addict then makes up the damage done as a result of
these negative actions. This method is effective in
recovery so long as the person's addiction has not
progressed to the point where the individual has lost
his or her ability to confront and communicate or to
identify and solve problems. If an addiction persists
long enough, an addict will lose even the basic social
skills needed to perform in group therapy and to admit
their wrong doing. In cases where drug addiction began
in the adolescent years, individuals have not had the
opportunity to develop these life skills. As a result,
they do not perform as well in a 12 step program or
other traditional treatment settings. In these cases the
addict needs to be educated or reeducated in these basic
life skills before there can be any real hope of success
in raising moral standards and permanent sobriety.
When conventional approaches are not working with a drug
addicted person there are effective alternatives to
pursue in recovery before one gives up. What has not
proven effective is substitute drug treatment e.g.
methadone, anti-depressants
or other prescribed medications designed to mask the
symptoms of addiction mentioned in this article. This in
effect just trades one addiction for another. It does
not aid the addicted person in developing the life
skills necessary to raise their moral values or their
quality of life. Nor does it provide them with the
necessary tools to remain sober and so relapse becomes
immanent.
One effective alternative method to recovery is the life
skills training and moral inventory used by the Narconon
program. This program provides a specific course of
treatment which includes training in communication, a
full body detoxification process, counseling in problem
identification and solving, as well as counseling in
personal values and integrity. These programs help
individuals to accomplish heightened moral standards and
sobriety with an improved quality of life.
Over 30 years ago author and researcher L. Ron Hubbard
identified the basic barriers to successful recovery
which have been discussed throughout this series of
articles on addiction . Through his research he
developed a means of treating them successfully. When
the Narconon program was founded in 1969 by William
Benitez it was based on Mr. Hubbard's research and
developments in the field of drug and alcohol
rehabilitation. Benitez developed a working relationship
with Hubbard and together they established the first
Narconon program in Arizona.
Narconon centers have been using this treatment method
successfully for over 30 years. It has only been within
the last 5 or 6 years that the scientific and medical
research have caught up with these methods of treating
addiction. It is now acknowledged by the medical
community that drugs do store in the body in the form of
metabolites and that the chemical imbalances created by
drug addiction are nutritionally driven. Further
nutritional program components have been added to just
about every type of treatment method and is recognized
as a valid form of therapy in chemical dependency
treatment.
If you know someone in need of help, I recommend that
you research all of your treatment options. Take the
time to thoroughly inspect the treatment program
available. Determine how these programs address the
mechanics of addiction. Find out what their long term
recovery rate is. Drug rehabilitation does not have to
be a revolving door if you take the time and effort to
pick the right recovery program.
Toll Free: 888-9NO-DRUGS or 888-966-3784
© 2004 Narconon of Oklahoma, Inc. All rights reserved.
For more information, please contact:
Narconon®
Drug Prevention & Education
4442 York
Blvd. Suite 18
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(888)
9NO-DRUGS
(323) 257-8009
Fax (323)
257-8005
moreinfo@drug-prevention.org
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