Narconon Drug Treatment… Does it Work?
There are currently more than 180 Narconon drug treatment facilities operating throughout the world, and the Narconon program of drug treatment has been providing recovery services to addicts since 1966. The method of recovery is based entirely on the works of L. Ron Hubbard, the writer and philosopher, and also the father of the very controversial Church of Scientology.
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Claimed Success Rates
Narconon drug treatment graduates are considered re socialized, and are not required to continue attending weekly meetings or any other form of aftercare. -
Criticisms of Narconon
Narconon, partially due to its affiliation with the Church of Scientology, has been subject to substantial and sustained criticisms of its methodologies for years. -
Caution
Although the claimed success rates are high, and the organization presents a convincing front of testimonial and "scientific" evidence; the reality of Narconon seems questionable.
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Claimed Success Rates
Synopsis
Because of Narconon's links to Scientology, and as well because many of the techniques used within a Narconon drug treatment program are dramatically different from other conventional rehabilitation and recovery methods, there is some serious debate about the legitimacy of the program, and questions about the reported success statistics.
How does Narconon drug treatment work?
As in any drug treatment program, the first stage in recovery is detoxification; and during this initially painful process the addict breaks their dependence on the abuse of drugs through complete abstinence. Unlike most medically supervised and conventional drug detoxifications, Narconon's subscription to abstinence includes any pharmaceutical interventions; and medications such as pain killers, anti seizure medications, anxiolitics or anti depressant drugs are never used.
The second stage involves both education and further detoxification. Using somewhat bizarre methods, participants are asked to learn to communicate within the physical environment, and this is said to better the addict's ability to resist temptation. Additionally, the recovering addicts are encouraged to proceed through a period of intense detoxifying sweating, using exercise and long periods in saunas to induce vigorous perspiration.
Narconon believes that metabolites of ingested drugs remain trapped in fat cells, and that only through intense sweating can these metabolites be excreted from the body. These metabolites, if allowed to remain in the body, are said to influence negative emotions and trigger drug cravings. To further induce recovery, participants are concurrently treated with massive doses of certain vitamins, particularly niacin, to accelerate toxin removal.
The third stage in recovery is a comprehensive social education course, which teaches students to better interact within the world, and to live an ethical and moral life without the use of drugs or alcohol.
In the Narconon philosophy, addiction is not considered a medical disease, and participants in a Narconon rehab are not considered patients, but rather students needing life skills to stay away from drug abuse. There is no aftercare in Narconon, and at graduation students are said to have learned what they need to live drug and alcohol free lives. Students are not considered to remain in recovery indefinitely as is more commonly assumed within the disease framework of addiction.
A Narconon program will last from 3 to 6 months in duration, and can cost anywhere from $10 000 to $30 000 to complete.
Claimed Success Rates
Narconon drug treatment graduates are considered re socialized, and are not required to continue attending weekly meetings or any other form of aftercare.
Average success rates as claimed range from 75% to 85% complete abstinence after completion of the program, and if students ever do relapse back to drug or alcohol abuse, they are encouraged to re take some of the courses to consolidate lessons that must have been missed for abuse to have reoccurred.
Although advertised success rates are incredibly high, there has been no outside verification of success rates as advertised, and attempts to review details of these statistics are normally denied by Narconon leaders. Independent clinical studies of the treatment have revealed success rates that are much lower than those claimed, and a major Swedish study of Narconon and relapse reported that just under 7% of graduates remained abstinent from drug and alcohol abuse…which is a fair bit lower than the 75-85% as advertised.
Criticisms of Narconon
Narconon, partially due to its affiliation with the Church of Scientology, has been subject to substantial and sustained criticisms of its methodologies for years.
Medical professionals claim that not only are the drug treatment methods employed by Narconon not effective, they can also be dangerous.
The Narconon philosophy is based upon the quasi scientific teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, and his teachings are taken as doctrine within the program; however independent scientific examination of much of his teachings find that they are based on half truths and incomplete scientific knowledge. Some of the programs are based upon science that has been discredited as completely false.
Vitamin therapy (some say vitamin overdose) particularly the use of niacin is used to accelerate metabolite detoxification. The belief of Narconon is that niacin breaks down fat, which is a claim that medical science disputes. Additionally, medical professionals warn that the Narconon philosophy that does not allow for the administration of pharmaceuticals during detoxification is very dangerous, and both increases the experienced discomfort as well as the likelihood of seizures, suicides and heart failures.
Narconon is also persistently criticized for its ties to Scientology. Although in an effort to gain access to certain governmental programs, Narconon has minimized its ties to the Church of Scientology, critics say that all of the teachings and methodology of Narconon are essentially the pure religious teachings of Scientology; and that Narconon operates as an effective recruitment ground for the church. Because of its association with the religious sect, Narconon is rarely granted admission to public facilities or public school programming, although it tries persistently to gain access.
Narconon has even been accused of harassing critics of its methodologies. It remains extremely secretive about recovery data, and all studies that have been released supporting the methods have in fact been performed by people with affiliations to Scientology or Narconon. So determined to maintain secrecy, Narconon has been repeatedly accused of harassing journalists who attempt to uncover truths about the organization.
Caution
Although the claimed success rates are high, and the organization presents a convincing front of testimonial and "scientific" evidence; the reality of Narconon seems questionable.
Based on unproven and wrong science, the treatments have little correct philosophical justification, and when independent studies greatly counter reported success rates, it would be prudent to approach drug treatment within Narconon very cautiously.
Narconon may not be (or may very well be) a recruiting ground for a cult like organization as some people will claim, but its methods are questionable, possibly dangerous, and its success rates grossly exaggerated.
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