Narconon-anyone know anything about their facilities?

SONS GONE WILD

Moms goin' crazy
Hi everyone. It's been a while since I've posted. difficult child 18 y/o son has been stable, but still using. He has finally (keeping my fingers crossed) decided he wants to get help. I've come across the Narconon inpatient rehab facilities and am seriously considering this for him. Does anyone have any experience with any of these? They have places all across the world I believe, but the one I'm looking into particularly is in Oklahoma, as it does accept at least partial health insurance. Any information is greatly appreciated! By the way, we're in Louisiana. They do have one facility here, but it's only about 1 hour away (may be too close to home - as, being 18, he can check himself out - he has to want to be there).

Hoping this all works out and he really goes and works the program, in the meantime, I'm stressing big time.
 

dadside

New Member
When in a similar situation - 18 year old son using, but finally asking for help, we did two things. Step one was a good, private (vs. state-funded) psychiatric hospital. [He had previously been in a state-funded psychiatric. hospital. which proved virtually worse than nothing. The lesson for me was to check carefully!] Step two was a choice of two previously-researched wilderness programs - of a particular type. There are many excellent wilderness programs, but two were particularly appropriate for my son.

I'd researched all types of "drug rehab" programs. It appears that long-term success rates overall are under 20% for once-through the program. One place (not of the group you mentioned) that claimed 90% success asserted that only for those who completed every aspect of their program fully and faithfully, and that percentage alone was very small to begin with, so in fact of those entering, less than 20% stayed drug-free after leaving. So ... double check and research any place that claims 80-90% success. In the case you name, you can readily find sites having critiques and outside news stories worth considering.

A person has to be willing to get and stay drug-free. And they have to go through a program that may challenge them mightily. At 18 or older, they can just walk out ... to whatever or wherever. One advantage of a wilderness program such as the one my son went through is that it was 15 - 25 miles from any paved road, so when my son decided to leave, he soon found it not such an easy idea, and decided to finish what he started. I believe the whole experience saved his life, and it unquestionably improved his future.
 

Ephchap

Active Member
I want to say welcome back to you, and to say welcome to Newbie Dadside.

Before I comment though, I want to caution everyone before they post responses to remember that we do not use names of facilities - good or bad - so if you know anything about the facility in question, please PM the poster and do not post comments good or bad about the named facility in your reply.

That being said, I definitely agree wholeheartedly with dadside in that the person has to want to get better (which your son says he does - Hooory !) and that any type of long-term facility is much better.

They usually say that the user needs to stay twice as long as he/she was using. I think that's the ratio they told my husband and I in all the therapy and family counseling sessions we attended.

My son did the outpatient, 3 day inpatient, a few week long stays in psychiatric hospitals and even a 2 week inpatient stay at an adolescent rehab hospital. None of those stuck.

What finally did stick, and like dadside's son, saved my son's life - was a dual-diagnostic (psychiatric and substance abuse) residential program for 10 months. His was a locked facility. He literally couldn't run, as he was locked in - along with the 11 other boys. They lived together, went to school together, cooked together, had therapy together. It was peer pressure in reverse - they held each other accountable and when one slipped, they had to answer to the group.

As they reached certain levels, they were allowed to go to the public school or hold a job outside the facility and were allowed home visits, so were then at risk to run - but by then, my son had been drug free for at least 3 or 4 months and felt accountable not only to himself and his family (which was a first, trust me), but to the group he was with.

I'm not familiar with that program, but hope that if anyone is, that they PM you. If your son is ready to get drug free, a good program can be key in helping him stay on that path.

Good luck to you, and keep us posted!

Hugs,
Deb
 

everywoman

Well-Known Member
I think the key to any program is the desire to be clean. That is the first and most important decision. After that, one has to find the right "fit" Some can do outpatient and stay clean, some can not. Others need a more structured, residential program. There are relgious programs as well. Again, desire to be clean and change one's life is the key to any long term sobriety. There is no one answer. If your son wants to go to a program, have him involved in choosing one that would best fit his needs as an addict.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Even though our difficult children share addiction in common, the personalities really vary considerably and as a result the type of program needs to be varied also. Years ago when I sought a residential program for easy child/difficult child there were two long-time CD family members who suggested I check into the paid escorts to assure he would go AND a locked facility to make sure he would stay. For my addict that would have been a majorly bad choice. He accepted that he was going to a program. He accepted that I had chosen the best one I could find/afford. He politely and nicely met all the staff and followed the rules.

on the other hand, lol, he was not ready to give up his pot and pills after that program, OR the next program OR the last program.

My advise is to explore all the options and think of the choices from his perspective as well as yours. Then pray!! Most of us have difficult children who have at least partially turned their lives around but it is a rollercoaster ride even when they want sobriety. DDD
 

SONS GONE WILD

Moms goin' crazy
Thanks to all of you for your support and words of wisdom. I am going to definitely research all options thoroughly, then give difficult child the information and let him know ahead of time how the facilities work so he can make the decision. Still keeping my fingers crossed - he says he wants to go but is not doing anything on his part to get there yet - but I am still trying.

Thanks again.
 
This is my daughter's 8th day of sobriety and I feel burned out and discouraged. She went to 6 AA Thursday-Sunday. Then did stuff I felt was inappropriate. I so want to keep her out of LTR . Just needed to share this. Compassion
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
This is NOT a road that any of us want to travel. I am sending a BIG hug
to those who are living in fear right now. Sometimes I still feel overwhelmed with fear and am immobilized.

Find "your" higher power and hang in there. Eight days of sobriety is HUGE if you are an addict. I have no comment on "inappropriate" behaviors because I don't know what they are but I do know that our addicted children have lived in an "inappropriate" world for awhile and I am not sure
if any of them can quickly find their way to normalcy.

I live daily with the Serenity Prayer. Even in my old age and with the many years of experience :redface: it is still difficult to accept the things that I can not change. Hugs to all. DDD
 
Thanks DDD . I have beenin 12 step programs since 1976 but this situation with daughter makes me feel I am less tahns step one some days. I am really trying to use Sereity prayer constantly and turnto HP constantly. I went to Al-Anon Sunday and I shared a lto about faith vs. fear. yes, patience is a huge deal. I so much want to keep her out of LTR yet her actions are scary a lot. She is still in acute phase of Borderline (BPD) stabiliztion plus this month first time not been using except when in psychiatric ward this summer. I need to be realsitic. If she is getting some stuff like medications, rest, and eating more and gong to meetngs, that is good. Easy does it. Thanks for listening. Compassion
 
Top