Fear, The Motivation Of Addiction?
By David R Carroll
When, as a Counselor, I speak about Addiction, I can't help but include the fact that I am an Addict. There's no doubt about the fact that I'm an Addict in Recovery, but none-the-less, I am an Addict! I've been clean and sober for over twelve years, and I am working on 13 years, One-Day-at-a-Time! I am a CAADAC Certified Counselor, in California. I am a member of both the California and National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors. More importantly, I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. I've served as a treatment program Director, and have been a part of the Startup of two new, successful treatment programs. Again, all of this does not change the fact that I am an Addict. Once an Addict, always an Addict... This is a good thing, though some may not want to acknowledge what I'm saying. In my mind there is no such word as "Recovered".

I believe that Addiction is very much initially, and later on becomes chronic and progressive, as a result of "FEAR"! There are all kinds of fears that can integrate into personality development. An insecure child can develop many fears. One thing in particular stands out as a cause of this insecurity, and that is poor parenting. I heard someone say one time that 96% of all American families can be classified as dysfunctional! This was based on the definition of dysfunctional as being; When one or more persons needs are not being met, in the family structure. An example would be; if dad has made up his mind that his son is going to be what dad never had the opportunity to be, when the son is inclined and possibly destined to be something else. In this situation, the son will likely never be able to please dad. This conflict then often puts mom in the middle, feeling like she should be able to "fix this" issue. If there are siblings, out of proportion sibling rivalry may grow from the conflict that can become constantly present. As a result of one family member's distorted expectations, directed at only one family member, the entire family structure has become unstable. What's worst in this particular situation is that dad is absolutely convinced that he is doing what's best for his son, and is so blinded by his own belief and desire that he has no clue that he is the source of most of the problems that develop in this family! Two of the options that the son has, are neither healthy for him or the family. He can just, suck-it-up and try to please dad, or he can absolutely reject the pressure, which will in either case, most likely, have negative results for him and the rest of the family. This is just one relatively common case of what seems to be trivial, turning out to be disastrous. This also very often brings "Drugs" into the equation. Every single family member, except "maybe" the instigator, will be living with unacceptable fear in their lives.

Examples like the one above are commonly overlooked and well hidden problems in very many families. Fears of one kind or another are generally the cause of anxiety. In turn, anxiety usually can be temporarily quelled by the use of mood altering substances or psychoactive drugs. Psychoactive is the category that all, commonly abused drugs, fall in to. Anxiety is most often related to fear in some way or another. Just being inherently shy generates numerous fears that most abused drugs can temporarily overcome. That is, they can, until the drug begins generating new problems. Stop, and reflect on how many fears human beings can develop. Some dysfunctional personalities develop as a result of a fear as simple as being very uncomfortable around a lot of people. Many children that only have one gender of role model in their life can develop very unnecessary fear, that is hard to identify until it's already done the damage.

I've learned a lot through formal education, but I am still most familiar with my own case, and use it to understand those that I serve. I have always been fearful in many ways. I have always had a general fear of life itself. What I mean to say is that regardless

SHOCKING REPORT!
Below are excerpts from a recent CASA (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse) report. The facts speak for themselves. NEW CASA REPORT FINDS HALF OF COLLEGE STUDENTS BINGE DRINK, ABUSE PRESCRIPTION AND ILLEGAL DRUGS NEARLY ONE IN FOUR MEET MEDICAL CRITERIA FOR ALCOHOL, DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE WASHINGTON, D. C., March 15, 2007 – Forty-nine percent (3.8 million) of full time college students binge drink and/or abuse prescription and illegal drugs, according to Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America’s Colleges and Universities, a new report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. “It’s time to get the ‘high’ out of higher education,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s chairman and president and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. “Under any circumstances acceptance by administrators, trustees, professors and parents of this college culture of alcohol and other drug abuse is inexcusable. In this world of fierce global competition, we are losing thousands of our nation’s best and brightest to alcohol and drugs, and in the process robbing them and our nation of their promising futures.” Between 1993 and 2005 the proportion of students abusing prescription drugs increased: 343 percent for opioids like Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin 93 percent for abuse of stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall 450 percent for tranquilizers like Xanax and Valium 225 percent for sedatives like Nembutal and Seconal Between 1993 and 2005, the proportion of students who: Use marijuana daily more than doubled to 310,000 Use cocaine, heroin, and other illegal drugs (except marijuana) is up 52 percent to 636,000. In this age where popping a pill is seen as the solution to so many problems, both physical and mental, what will it take to get college students to say no to drug abuse--all drug abuse?We at Narconon International know that the best solution for the problem is effective drug education done early and done well! And that's why Narconon® drug education--booklets, videos, live presenters--continues in heavy demand worldwide. Want to help? Do the Drug Prevention Specialist Course at the International Training Center in McAlester, Oklahoma!
The First Step Program
• The person tries to escape some physical or emotional pain by taking drugs.• The person finds that drugs offer temporary relief so continues to use them.• Cells in the body become accustomed to large amounts of drug metabolites (a broken down form of the drug).• When one tries to quit, cells in the body that have become accustomed to such large amounts of metabolites are now forced to deal with much decreased amounts.• The body perceives that it needs the drug to function and demands the drug through physical cravings.• With continued use of the drug, the body's inability to completely eliminate all traces of the drug metabolites diminishes. The metabolites that remain are stored in the fatty tissues and these, released, cause cravings.• Cravings become so severe that the addict will do almost anything (in many cases abandoning all previous moral teachings) to get more of the drug.• The addict commits misdeeds against family, friends and self to satisfy these unrelenting cravings.• Because of these misdeeds, the addicts cannot face themselves and dive deeper into drugs.• They are now entrapped in full blown addiction, with two aspects of the condition. The biophysical condition and the biochemical personality. NARCONON addresses The Biochemical Side and the reasons why a person became addicted in the first place.Handling The Biochemical Side Of Addiction
The First Step Program Book
For a person addicted to drugs, be it alcohol, street drugs or prescription medications of some sort, the pains and discomforts of withdrawal are often too much to bear and prevent the person from quitting the drug. The NARCONON® First Step program has the only technology that can help to ease the withdrawal symptoms and pain experienced in coming off drugs without the use of drugs themselves. The Narconon First Step Program Book entitled An Effective Method for Drug Free Withdrawal is intended for use in real life and is being offered at the low price of $19.95. Order your copy of The First Step Program from Narconon Arrowhead, Call 800-468-6933 or e-mail info@stopaddiction.com (mailto:info@stopaddiction.com).$19.95 US (104pp.) ©2006 Narconon of Oklahoma, Inc. All Rights Reserved. NARCONON and the Narconon logo are registered trademarks and service marks owned by Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission.©1990 BRIDGE PUBLICATIONS INCORPORATEDALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Printed in USA.
A New Life to be Thankful for
Just over six years ago a young man, whose family had high hopes for him and confidence in his abilities, returned from rehab in an attempt to clean up his act. Stan, as we'll call him, was just about to turn 21 and entered the treatment facility to escape charges of drunk driving. The problem was that he was doing it for reasons other than for himself.It didn't take long at all for his addiction to kick back in, in fact the flight attendant on the way home offered him a beer despite telling her that he had no money, was underage and just got out of rehab. Then, back at home his friends threw him a welcome back party where he proceeded to get drunk. I just thought I was doing what college-aged guys were supposed to do, recalled Stan of his rocky past, I didn't realize at the time how destructive my behavior was to myself and others. The next month or so Stan struggled with a meager attempt to stay clean, justifying the times he went out drinking and continuing the lie to himself that he didn't have a problem.When Thanksgiving arrived, Stan was working his first week at yet another job. Two nights before, he had taken ecstasy for the first time and was still reeling from the effects of the highly dangerous drug. He sat quietly at the table full of guilt as he made up one lie after the other to his family about how he was doing. I felt horrible, says Stan, I couldn't even look my parents in the eye and told them that I thought somebody slipped something in my drink the other night. After Thanksgiving, I drifted even further away from my family and slipped into full-blown drug and alcohol use again. This type of behavior and the consequences are typical around the Holiday Season, but it doesn't have to be. There are effective solutions available to ensure that loved ones are safe during the Holidays, getting the help they need.
I was convinced I was doomed...
I was convinced I was doomed... Before coming to Narconon Arrowhead I was convinced I was doomed to a life stuck in the vicious cycle of relapse. I couldn't accept the fact that not only could I not stop using drugs but also that other treatments just didn't work. After a short stint in in-patient treatment (approximately 21 days), followed by outpatient group counseling and the usual meetings I was still stuck in a terrible place. I was somehow able to stop for awhile but each relapse was worse than the time before. It became apparent I was either going to live or DIE. I was in a place I never thought I'd be and I was engaging in the immoral and unethical behavior consistent with addiction. I was a liar and a thief and on my way to dying.We found the Narconon Arrowhead website and after reading about the sauna program I felt something for the first time in a long time-HOPE. I knew my body was working against me, I just didn't know how to fix it. My best friend was desperate to save my life and shared the details of this program with my parents.
I'm starting to give back
I began seriously using drugs in my early to mid thirties. At this time I had a successful business and two beautiful children. By the time I was 35 the business was closed and I was using equipment to buy drugs and alcohol. I lost my two children. Luckily, they were able to be raised by their grandparents.The cycle began again in my early forties. Again I had a successful business a beautiful wife, a great new son, and another on the way. I couldn't let what happened before occur all over again.I found Narconon® and after graduating in November 2004, I am a father, husband, friend, son, and leader. I can walk tall for my family.I am starting to give back now with my first $500.00 donation to Narconon. I plan on giving a lot more.I use the technology everyday and my life couldn't be better.Best of luck to Narconon with your expansion project. You can count on me anytime!C.B.November 2004 Narconon Arrowhead Graduate
I'm Happy To Be Alive
When I came to Narconon Arrowhead I was a broken man who didn't care about life or whether I lived anymore. This program has changed my way of thinking and my life today. Today I am so happy about the way I feel and have a very positive outlook on life. I am happy to be alive and look forward to spreading this to others. J.S. – Narconon Arrowhead
Started using drugs and alcohol at 13 years of age
I started using drugs and alcohol at 13 years of age. I can clearly remember the first time that I drank alcohol. I had run away from home with a good friend of mine thinking that my home life was horrible and that running away would be a quick solution to my problems. On the way out the door my friend and I grabbed several bottles of liquor from my parents liquor cabinet and out the door we went. We stayed the night in some woods near the house in my little pop up two man tent and proceeded to think that we were grown man drinking it up and making it on our own. Well quickly within two days we decided that the home life wasn't really as bad as we thought, it sure did beat living in a tent and eating cold canned soup all day, and we quickly returned home to our parents. That night began a ten-year struggle of finding myself and drug addiction. You see I always wanted to be the popular guy in school, the captain of the football team, king of the prom and dating the head cheerleader. You know the picture perfect teen life that we all see on TV on a daily basis. I started using drugs and alcohol on a regular basis because it gave me a COOL group to be a part of and I truly thought that I had the popularity that I was looking for.
David's Story
The Narconon program helped me in many ways. The most important being that I got my life back!!! I now have respect and trust back from my family. I have things now that I never had before. I am so happy to be sober and I didn't think that I would ever be able to go with out drugs or alcohol. I now have the confidence in myself and for once in my life I can live happily without the constant use of drugs or alcohol to make me feel good. I am now working to become a counselor for Narconon Arrowhead and I truly enjoy what I am doing. I am so happy to be able to help other people who are suffering like I did. The Narconon program has given me my life back. D.S. – Narconon Graduate
Don't let another holiday be ruined by a drugs or alcohol
Family holidays can be especially difficult when a member of the family is battling with an all consuming addiction. Many of you have been through this.Chances are, a drug abuser won't even show up for Thanksgiving dinner and if they do, the visit will be uncomfortable. Students who have completed the Narconon program have told me that one of the things they feel the worst about is all the times they ruined the holidays for their families. A survey of Narconon graduates (now clean and sober) reveals the following about past holiday experiences: If they did make it to the family holiday gathering they were so much under the influence of drugs or alcohol that they were really not present and could not remember all that had happened. Other graduates have reported that if they were not high, they were uncomfortable and spent time trying to figure out how to make the visit short to get that next fix. Some describe being embarrassingly drunk and ruining the event for everyone. THIS YEAR ENJOY THE HOLIDAYSGet your family member into the Narconon program and celebrate another year of life for that person and years of happy holidays to come.The future is bright for Narconon graduates because the Narconon program works!

of accomplishments I've made or how other people see me, I privately am insecure about myself and have to constantly use the skills I've gained as a Counselor, to address my own self-esteem issues. This gives me a substantially valuable quality of "Empathy" when serving as a care-giver to other Addicts. When working at treatment programs, in individual session with parolees who have just finished a prison term, I've had many admit to being afraid. They often are scared by the setting which is new to them. Very often they are afraid of failure in treatment and many repercussions that it might present. They are afraid they'll let someone down. They are afraid that no one will ever trust them again. They're afraid of life without the drug that they have often been using for most of their life. They are afraid that their wife will not love the person that they must become and may have never seen before. They're afraid that they'll never get a job that will be "gainful employment" because of their criminal record. They're afraid that they are going to have to be competitive in society without a Driver's License. The list just never stops, and I completely understand that many of these legitimate fears can cause a failed treatment episode. Thus, it becomes essential that addressing fear becomes a root component of treatment of drug Addiction.

The thing is, that it is usually not possible to overcome all of the fear. My experience has taught me that many "normal" people have developed the coping skill of living with their fear. I believe that this is what I have done, myself, and it's not easy for me, by any means! After 12 years of Sobriety I still have to go to AA and NA meetings kind of like one has to take vaccinations to prevent diseases other than Addiction, from returning. This brings up the subject of the nature of Addiction Recovery in that it is really a life-long process. Everyone has fears. But, not everyone knows, that somewhere in the back of their mind, they may be able to relieve this anxiety with a drug-of-choice. I'm telling you, first hand, that this is a fact for the Addict.

Group therapy has become a standard for addressing this confrontation of fear. It does not always work for every participant, though. Many people can only face this, often very personal, problem in individual session with a Therapist, Counselor or 12-Step Sponsor. This is also where the importance of knowledge of "self help" concepts is crucial. This is the truest strength of the 12-Step concept that originated with Alcoholics Anonymous. The Alcoholic or Addict draws strength from the group, in meetings, to hold him over one-day-at-a-time until the next meeting, while he is a "newcomer"! For some this goes on for months and even years. There are even some who have to use this method for the remainder of their life, if they are to remain in remission from this disease of Addiction! This amazing "program of life", AA, has been adapted to address most of the Addictions that people fall prey to. The 12-Step Program is more prevalent than most people could ever imagine. It has spread over the entire globe. I live in a town that has a population of over 250,000. It's not a big city or a small town. It is, I believe, representative of "Average America", and with just AA and NA there are over 350 meetings every week.

Somehow I always come back to the 12-Step Program when I speak about Recovery! Though I am a trained Counselor, I realize that when ever I am able to help an Addict, it is because they have decided that they are going to "help him or her self". We who suffer from the disease of Addiction, are so complicated that to remain truly "in Recovery" we must never forget the consequences of drug use. We, in my opinion, never stop having to address fear. Whether it looks like it from the outside, or not, some neurological characteristics that all Addicts have developed are always just below the surface and capable of causing relapse into the disease. Through the 12-Step Program we can never have to face this alone!