My Journey Towards Recovery Was a Long One and Finally
I’ve Reached My Goal

“Today I look at Narconon
as a speck of light in my life 
and I see the program as
the breaking point between
my past, lost life and
a new one with a future.”

My name is Stas. I started drinking and doing drugs when I was just 14. At 28 I was a hardcore addict hooked on desomorphine (“Krokodil”). Having seen my friends pass away one after another, I accepted the idea that I wouldn’t last long either and simply carried on with my numbered days. It became a vicious cycle: pharmacies, drug ghettos, the “brewing” – every day was the same. I thought I was as good as dead and just didn’t care anymore. One day I came home “high” from another “brewing,” my mother told me about a center called Narconon where they help people get rid of addiction. Deep down inside I knew that I was sick of my druggie friends and my now established habit of getting “high” every day. But then I told my mother, “Will you get off my back with this Narconon-it’s nothing but a textbook scam.” I really meant this because I’m one of those people who simply refuse to believe things and are difficult to persuade. I was convinced that addiction is impossible to overcome, and unless the person himself decides to quit, nobody can help him. I have, of course, made numerous attempts of quitting drugs and suffered through the withdrawal only to pick the habit up again in time. I’ve been trying to quit for a good few months, but to no avail.

Eventually I agreed to go to Narconon thinking that I could go home at any time if I didn’t like it. Right now, I’m on the final stage of the program and I can finally see just how badly I’ve been mistaken. From the very first days at Narconon I’ve realized that the program actually works and I saw a glimmer of hope that it will work for me too. I’ve talked to the guys and they’ve confirmed it. But still I didn’t fully believe this. It was something I had to experience. I began to work on my self-improvement and with every step, I felt better and better. I was changing and my environment changed with me. Even the lives of my relatives were getting better each day. I became more confident in myself and then suddenly realized that drugs really weren’t my thing, and I couldn’t even believe that I could have lived this past destructive life. Now I’ve managed to get back to a drug-free life and I am loving every minute of being the sober, happy and healthy man that I am.

I never would have thought that I could start a new life at 29! At Narconon my hope became a reality. My journey towards recovery was a long one and finally I’ve reached my goal. The Narconon program gave me a lot. I have fully recovered from addiction, I am re-united with my family, I found a lot of new, genuine friends and I am very happy! Today I look at Narconon as a speck of light in my life and I see the program as the breaking point between my past, lost life and a new one with a future. I am prepared to use all of my energy and potential to help other people achieve what I have. A huge thanks to Narconon and its caring, committed staff. I am forever in debt to Narconon.

S.T.