Narconon Dangers and Health Risks - Part One

Oct. 15, 2010 - PRLog -- PART ONE of a Two Part Story

Narconon Patients have become extremely ill, rushed to hospital emergency in Trois-Rivieres, and may have died without the professional, medical attention from the emergency care physicians.

After searching for addiction help on misleading Narconon websites, which promise a 70% success rate to those who pay their $23,000.00 fee, the vulnerable patient speaks to a well-trained Registrar. A Commissioned sales person of convincing attributes, luring the unsuspecting victim into the evil clutches of Narconon-Scientology. A handsome ten percent commission to the Registrar for each new Patient.

I was employed at Narconon Trois-Rivieres, as a Registrar.

The Patient arrives at Narconon, usually disoriented and many times drunk or still high on their drug of choice. They are taken up to the Registrar’s   office where several pages of contract documents are presented for the Patient’s signature. Even though they have no mental capacity to form intent, their wobbly signature seals the contract agreement and the Patient is then taken to the Narconon Withdrawal Unit.

The Scientology Indoctrination Begins:

Following a strip search, luggage-go through, and urine test, the disoriented and many times frightened Patient, is assigned their room. There are usually several other patients already there and can be seen going through the “Drills.” Scientology Doctrine drills which seem strange and foreign indeed to the unaccustomed.

Some are seen on massage tables receiving what the term in Scientology is called “Assists.” It is not a massage, but rather a science fiction writer’s quackery, written by L. Ron Hubbard, the creator of Scientology. As the person lays there on the table, a staff member touches various points on their body, saying, “Feel my finger”, and the Patient responds, “Yes.” And this process of “Feel my finger – Yes”, goes on and on, non-stop, until the staff member is finished the “assist.” Sometimes a tired Patient simply falls asleep. There are variations to these assist techniques.

In another room, two people can be seen staring at each other; not moving a muscle. Sometimes with their eyes open or they may be closed.

Then there is the “Locational Drills.” The Patient is commanded to “Look around the room and find something that is red, (or green or blue, etc) This drill can go on for hours and frustrates the Patient to no end.

The Health Risks and Dangers:

When the Patient arrives at Narconon, they are not examined by a physician or seen by a nurse or any other government certified medical professional or councillor. Treating drug addicts or alcoholics without a medical examination, is dangerous and a high health risk concern.

Seizures may occur in up to 25 percent of alcoholics in withdrawal and they generally do so in the first 24 hours after alcohol use stops, but they can occur up to 5 days later. Alcohol withdrawal can be a dangerous process without the appropriate medication, such as Phenobarbital or other ant-seizure medication.

Drug addiction withdrawal also presents dangers of seizures; especially in Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates, and Methadone withdrawal. There is a danger of death in withdrawing from these substances when not under appropriate medical care. “Feeling someone else’s finger touching your body will not save you”, as when Assists are given.
I have witnessed Patients being rushed by ambulance to hospital emergency in Trois-Rivieres, after having a seizure at Narconon. Some remained under professional medical care for several days before being discharged from hospital.

The Narconon Trois-Rivieres staff members in this Withdrawal Unit, have absolutely no government medical qualifications or licence whatsoever to care for vulnerable and very ill Patients. The only training course they take is at Narconon Trois-Rivieres, which they receive a certificate for. The main theme in their training is vitamin regimes and Scientology Doctrine “Drills” and “Assists.” This is an “In-House” training, with a Certificate designed and printed off their computer.

Some of the “Feel my Finger” Assists became far too close and abusive for some female Patients receiving Assists from male staff. These poor, vulnerable people, after placing their trust in staff, were touched inappropriately and abused. Two male staff members were fired, but nevertheless, the damage was done and no professional counselling provided for these abused victims. In one case, photos were taken of a very ill young lady, under 90 pounds, and she was abused.

The emails and stories these Patients and witnesses have submitted are very disturbing and it has affected them psychologically.

These incidents were not reported to police or any other government authority by Narconon Trois-Rivieres; just hushed-up and not spoken about.

Toxic Doses of Vitamin Regimes:

A staff member hands the Patient a small cup full of pills called “Drug-Bombs.” No other substance for withdrawal at Narconon is used; only the drug bombs and other vitamin concoctions. These vitamin regimes cause diarrhea and the dehydration begins. They do not administer any medicine which would prevent this and some Patients suffer through several weeks of this dehydrating diarrhea to the detriment of their health.

This toxic vitamin does not end in the Withdrawal Unit; it continues and increases when the Patient enters the Sauna Program in Narconon.

After being in the Withdrawal Unit for about 4 to 12 days or so, and on occasion longer, the Patient is driven an hour and a half to see their Scientology doctor in Montreal. Dr. Pierre Labonte sees the Patient and performs a quick examination. Then off for blood tests in a Trois-Rivieres Clinic.

After Dr. Pierre Labonte reviews the blood test results, he qualifies the Patient to enter the Sauna Program. When high liver enzyme counts are evident, entering the Sauna Program may be delayed until further tests are done. But this is not always the case and Patients have entered the Sauna with high liver enzyme counts and other medical health risk complications.

Narconon is a health risk concern to many non-scientologist physicians, who know all too well, the dangers that await these vulnerable Patients.

David Edgar Love