This is a small, family operated Narconon facility. Narconon is sponsored by The Church of Scientology.
They use the basic principals of Scientology to teach their clients how to cope with life, without substances. It's an effective program for some people, especially younger people, who do not relate well to a 12 step program.
Like any recovery program, some people take to it and some do not. Some choose stick with a 12 Step Program or Scientology Principals and some do not.
The basic principals are sound and are all about coping with "life's ups and downs" and strategies for a better life, without substances. The method of delivery is rather unorthadox but then again, there is nothing orthadox about addiction to opiates. Like 12 Steps if you work the program, the program works. If you don't, it won't.
No doubt that right now, he is spending most of his time in the showers and saunas, detoxing. Then the fun really begins. It's at that point that most addicts want to be anywhere other than rehab, regardless of which rehab. Many will start to manipulate their families to rescue them with variations of the following:
The program does not work.
They are nuts.
I can't relate.
They make me do chores.
People stare at me.
They are mean.
They abuse people.
People are doing drugs.
If it's a 12 Step program, they are apt to say they are not religious.
If it's Narcanon, they will use the Scientology thing.
The objective is to get you to rescue them so that they can go out and use again.
Narcanon has an established protocol for students who refuse to participate. They drop them off at a cheap motel and let the addict figure it out. Many parents are horrified by this. Many parents do not understand addiction.
Most rehabs are for profit businesses. Never lose sight of this.
Most private- pay or insurance sponsored treatment programs run 28-30 days and average about $1000 a day. Narcanon Programs are open-ended and run as long as it takes. Three-four months is typical. Therefore Narcanon is substantially more cost effective than many similar 12 Step Programs.
Many rehabs programs require upfront payment and are nonrefundable, no matter what the outcome, including early termination. Narcanon is no different. No doubt, you executed a contract, as sponsor for your son. That contract most likely has a grace period of X days, meaning that if you quickly withdraw your son you will get a partial refund. Read the contract.
There are no rehabs that guarantee that your son will choose to remain substance free, forever. Rehabs do not cure addiction. They teach the tools necessary to support a life without substances. When you get right down to it, the coping tools taught by Naracanon and a 12 Step Program are similar, albeit the delivery is different. It's up to the addict to choose to use those tools or not.
Scientology is viewed as a cult by many people. AA/NA and the whole 12 Step thing is viewed as a cult by many, too. Both require surrender, not a bad thing as it relates to addiction.
I am not a Scientologist nor a walking/talking billboard for Narconon. I do however have an appreciation for life without mood altering substances and acknowledge that any program works if you work it. People get sober at the Salvation Army and people get sober at Betty Ford. People also get and stay sober without any program, albeit not many. The long term recovery rate from addiction, regardless of which rehab/program, is rather dismal. Having said this, there are miracles, every day.
At the end of the day, no one dies of Scientology. The flip side is that the only outcomes related to opitate addiction are prison or death. There is no one right way to sobriety.
My daughter was in a Narcanon Program in another state. I responded to her manipulation and rescued her at the 5 day mark and paid for 5 days of detox. The cost was compariable to detox, anywhere.
I transfered her to a world class 12 step based program, in Minnesota. Almost immediately, she began to call me constantly making the same claims as she did at Narcanon. It was obvious, she did not want to be in a rehab, anywhere. Six days later, I got the call from this facility that they were going to discharge her at the local airport, in 24 hours because she needed more care than they were able to provide. We went onto rehab #3 in a matter of days.
I was absolutely insane during that period and believed that if I threw enough of my retirement savings at the problem, I could find a cure for addiction. I thought I had the power, energy and love to fix her. I was delusional.
My daughter is sober today, just for today, because she wants to be.
I am forever grateful to the people on this forum for helping me to understand that the only thing I control is me and my own reactions.
Feel free to shoot me a PM if you want more information about Narcanon.
My bottomline is that any program works, if you work the program.