Life Skills for Long Term Sobriety

The goal of the Narconon program is long term success for the student. After the physical addiction has been handled, the students report feeling remarkably better and now they are ready for the final program steps.

Return of personal values, stability and self-respect–thesea are (re)learned on the
Life Skills Courses:

• Overcoming Ups & Downs in Life
• Personal Values
• Changing Conditions in Life

These courses give the individual the tools he needs to keep leading a drug-free life after graduating the program.

As witnessed by the student success stories while on the Life Skills Courses, these are key abilities commonly regained: (a) the ability to choose who to associate with and (b) the experience of relief from past harmful acts, transgressions and secrets connected to these.

Writing down the harmful acts and the transgressions of one’s life is referred to as Overts and Withholds.

What I’ve gained and accomplished and learned in Overcoming Ups and Downs in Life is the ability to choose what friends are good for my recovery and what people I don’t need in my life. Also, the ability to pick out personalities in new people, which I find to be very important to live a sober and healthy life.

N.W.—Narconon Colorado Student

Overcoming Ups and Downs in life has taught me a lot about the people that I let be involved in my life. I’ve learned characteristics of anti-social and social personalities and how to determine the difference between them. This has helped me come to decisions about who I should keep in my life as good influences or who I should either disconnect with or know how to handle specifically. This was a really helpful part of the program to learn about.

J.J.—Narconon Colorado Student

What I got out of this part of the Personal Values course is I was able to see that I played the main role in making my life situations the way they were. Also, that I blamed everyone around me for the things that were happening. I also think that my anger is what drives these situations out of control.

N.W.—Narconon Colorado Student

In writing Overts and Withholds on my personal life, I’ve had to remember a lot of things that at first I wish I didn’t. I also had to relive a lot of happy times while I was drinking. It was really hard to push through and write about things that have such a triggering effect. Getting through it makes me feel stronger because of it. In the end, it felt good to get a lot of thoughts out onto paper. A lot of these things I have been repressing or keeping held inside for a long time. It is refreshing to know that I have let it all out and I feel less ashamed of myself.

J.J.—Narconon Colorado Student

What I got out of Overts and Withholds on groups was that the lies that I told were very wrong and I see how they weighed heavy on my conscience. I also see how I put people at work in danger and how I ruined peoples trust in me.

N.W.—Narconon Colorado Student

The wins and gains I get out of Overts and Withholds on Society are that I was an unproductive member of society. I was a danger to society and to myself. By writing these things down on paper, it has shown me and helped me to realize the bad decisions I have made. I believe that by recognizing these things and by completing this part of the program, I will be able to correct what I have done in the past and be able to be a productive and responsible member of society.

N.W.—Narconon Colorado Student

What I have gained from Overts and Withholds on physical objectives is that I have lost all of my most valuable things because of my addiction. That my addiction ran my life taking everything I loved and cherished the most. Although I can replace these things that I have sold and lost, I can never get back the memories that came with some of the items I inherited. By writing these things down, I realize that I need to take care of the things I have left. Also, as I replace and regain new things, I need to take responsibility in taking care of and maintaining those items. I need to hold everything in a high value so I never sell or lose anything ever again.

N.W.—Narconon Colorado Student