Leaving the Guilt and Shame Behind
As part of the Narconon program the students write down all of the past transgressions and secrets connected to these, to their relief. This is referred to as writing Overts and Withholds and concerns any and all sectors of the student’s life. This is what Jessica had to say a few day ago about this practical part of the Life Skills course Personal Values.
“In writing my Overts and Withholds I have become more aware of how badly I have damaged other people’s property. I realize that I have gotten really lucky to have not been caught or got in trouble for some pretty major mistakes. I was clumsy and accident prone while I was drinking and I regret mistreating my belongings and other people’s belongings.
“I have become aware of the living things that I have harmed while I was drinking. I know that I have especially felt guilty about not taking care of other people’s animals while they had trusted them with me. I feel the worst about being too lazy and drunk to pay attention to my own dog and it really breaks my heart that she would be so happy to see me and I would just get annoyed with her. Writing it all out has really helped me get past it and I’m excited to spend time with her and spoil her when I get back home.
“I think that writing about my Overts and Withholds against groups made me feel a lot better. It definitely made me remember how much I drank at work and how awful I felt some of those times. I want to be able to find a job that doesn’t make me feel like I need to drink every day and also be at a workplace where it isn’t acceptable or common to drink on the job.”
Similarly, Ryann is now ready to move on in life.
“I didn’t think this course would affect me much, but it was more intense than I expected. The family part made me sad and I realized how many times I stole and lied to my parents. I put my family through a lot and they’re still there for me. The sexual partners part made me realize I never took sex very seriously in the past and I could have saved myself some embarrassing memories. I feel like it’s all behind me now and I can move on and try to do better.”
(To preserve privacy, the photos do not show an actual Narconon student or graduate.)
