I Can Control and Live My Life

The Narconon program helped me believe in myself again. I know that whatever I go through in life, whether it’s good or bad, at the end of the day I know I’m making something of myself and no one can take away my happiness but me.

When I came to Narconon Ojai I was having trouble with a lot of things in my life—excessively using ecstasy, pain pills, marijuana, and cocaine, but life was not always like that for me.

I was born and raised in San Diego, California. My childhood was spent playing sports and traveling with my family—I was just a regular kid.

One of the happiest memories I remember growing up was when my grandpa and I took a picture together in front of the home-run leader board in my little league at school, and I was on the leader board.

When I was around 13 or 14 years old, I started using drugs by smoking weed. My cousin was smoking weed in front of me, and that turned me onto it. My drug use progressed from there to pain pills, ecstasy, and cocaine. Drugs affected me by stripping me of my life, my happiness, and my ability to experience and enjoy new things. My family started to not recognize their son anymore. I was too young to have experienced all that I have.

Drugs caused me to lose friends and became a way of living. I would do whatever I had to do to whomever I had to do it, just to keep myself “satisfied.” It didn’t matter if it was family, friends, or strangers. My addiction led me down a dark path including witnessing a shooting that took the life of one of my friends. Basically, I lost the ability to control and live my life.

I decided to come to Narconon Ojai when I started to not recognize who I was, and I didn’t know that person that was looking back at me in the mirror. This once honest, loving, and kind kid became a dark, emotionless and angry person. Someone who would screw over his own family to get what he wanted. A person who forgot what it was like to have a smile on his face and joy in his heart. Once I recognized and saw what I had become, I knew I had to get help.

At that time in my life, I was looking for more of whatever was available to me at whatever the cost no matter the consequences. Coming to Narconon Ojai allowed me to work on myself by cutting off a lot of people that didn’t mean me well. At first, I didn’t want to do that. However, I learned that most of the people I liked to talk to and be around weren’t helping me with my survival (drug dealers or people who were using). Talking to these people didn’t make me proud to be who I was. Talking to these people actually made me feel like I was alone, which made me start to have cravings. I wanted to use again because I wasn’t ready to start achieving my goals by myself.

Going through the program helped me understand that if I want to achieve greatness in my life I would need to cut these negative influences out of my life. I realized that these people were holding me back and not building me up. The cravings I was having had been from my old self wanting to quit and give up.

I’m proud to say that’s not me anymore. The Narconon program helped me believe in myself again. I know that whatever I go through in life, whether it’s good or bad, at the end of the day I know I’m making something of myself and no one can take away my happiness but me.

After becoming sober, I was able to regain the trust of my family. I was able to be around them and laugh and joke and live life again. I felt like I was finally reunited with my family again after the drugs took me away.

As the old adage says a picture is worth 1,000 words. Here’s a picture of me before and after the Narconon Program.

I started eating right and working out and lost over 100 pounds. Narconon gave me the chance to get my energy back. I felt the change and with the new energy, I could start working out again and I was able to learn new routines.

I’ve recovered my sobriety through the Narconon program at Narconon Ojai in 2019. I made the decision to help others find their own paths to sobriety and well-being, and I’ve had the privilege to join the Narconon Ojai team. Today, I am someone who lives and dreams big! I’m working today to stay sober and to help others experience the program that saved my life. My transformation has given me a new life.