Joe after graduating the Narconon drug rehab program.
Hello!! My name is Joe Brown. I am writing this letter from prison. I am currently serving a five-year sentence. I did not land here overnight, and this is the end of a long battle with drugs and alcohol. I started using for the first time at the age of 12. It was at a overnight function among friends, and it started something that has nearly killed me, and hurt the ones around me time and time again. I had no idea a marijuana joint and a few beers could lead to becoming a full-fledged junkie! But, it did. And don’t be mistaken – I am, and was very blessed with a family that loves me and cares for me. I was very active in athletics, school functions, and the community. I had everything going for me – the all American boy. Captain of the baseball team, pretty girlfriend, nice car; I thought I had it all.
Actually, what I had was my hands, and arms full. Instead of dealing with my everyday problems, I was slowly starting to hide in a bottle and or drugs. I began trying pain pills, LSD, and eventually cocaine. Before I knew it I had a good grasp on drugs, and had lost complete control of everything remotely close to a normal life. I began using pain pills and alcohol everyday by the time I was 18. I would deny any sort of problem to everyone, and my loved ones did the same. They had no idea how to deal with me, and neither did I. Ignoring it seemed logical at the time, but it only fed the beast!
I was offered a number of college scholarships to play baseball, and tried to follow through with them – no luck. I dropped out of two colleges within months, making excuses to everyone, my self included; why it was ok to throw my life away. My family finally decided to address my addiction – it was too late. I was in deep, and was not ready to face the addiction my self. To appease them, or get them off my back, I would enter detox centers, or go to a doctor with a miracle cure for addiction. All that happened was deeper addiction. Treating an addiction with more drugs, only substitutes the problem, and in all honesty gives the user another opportunity to use, and manipulate. Never facing the problem, or problems. Not only was I digging myself into an enormous hole, but also I was pulling in my family and loved ones with me. I was bringing down the whole family.
My family believes in family, and eventually they began tough love, and slowly I started realizing I needed help. I started giving getting clean an honest run, but couldn’t do it on just will power, or by just saying no. Every time I would just slip right back into drugs and alcohol. I needed to address my past head on, and clean my body out completely of years of hard using. I needed tools, but nothing worked. I would do anything to get the money for that next high, including breaking the law. While I was using I felt invincible, and thought nothing could stop me, and I was immune to the law and rules. Boy was I wrong! Everything was about to change for me, and I was finally going to get the footing needed to start this long journey back.
A friend of the family had been through a program called Narconon, and gave me the contact number. By the time I called, I was desperate for help – for anything. I knew bad things were coming, but wanted to desperately to get my life back. From the second someone said hello, and I said, I needed help; Narconon fought relentlessly to help me. I boarded a plane within hours of making the initial contact with a representative (an angel named Cheryl) and sitting in Montreal in customs. I had no identification, only some clothes, an addiction, and most importantly Narconon! No I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to cross the border without identification but it’s nothing sort of a miracle if you do. I sat 12 hours while Narconon worked every outlet possible to get me into Canada, and their program. Finally I was granted entry, and I knew everything was finally going to be different for me. Nobody at Narconon had ever met me, only a short phone call was the only contact, and already Narconon was doing amazing things to help me. These people had been in my shoes and found a way out. Now they were helping me, and little did I know, they were practicing what they preach to help me. I wanted what they had!
During my time at Narconon, I learned the tools to get off drugs, stay off drugs, and face my problems of the past and future. I cleansed my body of past drug abuse naturally, and started to exercise again regularly. During this time I repaired relationships with family and loved ones, and began preparing for my legal ballets awaiting me at home. Narconon helped me through all this, and encouraged me to deal with my problems, and not run from them.
Upon re-entry in the USA, i was picked up and charged for past that had finally caught up with me. The judge sentenced me to five years. This seems harsh, but I was guilty, and this is my debt to society. I am currently two and half years into my sentence, and it will be another two years before I’m released. There are no words to express the pain I’ve caused my loved ones, but they see the change in me, and are proud of me for dealing with my problems personally, and not hiding or running.
Throughout this time Narconon has stayed in touch regularly with my family and myself. All the old friends are gone – only family and Narconon remain. I use the tools I learned at Narconon daily, and couldn’t get by without it. Drugs, and violence are rampant inside, as they are out, but I’ve stayed completely drug free! Not only did I learn how to stay clean, but how to be a better person, and contribute positively to any group. I am so grateful.
Upon release I’m planning to get on staff at a Narconon in the states, and return the same lifesaving time and skills that were given to me. I want to be a contributing factor in my family, community, country and world. Everyone makes mistakes; it’s how we handle that mistake that defines our lives, and also the lives around us. I want to give back what has been given to me – a happy drug free life; no matter what life throws my way.
Nick Hayes is a graduate of the Narconon drug rehab program in 2005. Nick takes much enjoyment in writing, and feels there needs to be more information about drugs and alcohol provided to the people of the world. He believes nobody should have to go through an addiction.