One of the principals of the Narconon Program is that a person uses substances to try and solve a problem or problems. A direct quote from the “Narconon First Step Program Manual, An Effective Method for Drug-Free Withdrawal” is:
“When a person is depressed or in pain, and where he finds no relief from treatment, he will eventually discover for himself that drugs remove his symptoms.” “This is also true for pains which are “psychosomatic.” The term ”psychosomatic” means the mind making the body ill or illnesses caused through the mind. “Psycho” refers to “mind” and “soma” refers to “body.”" “In almost all cases of psychosomatic pain, illness or discomfort the person has sought some cure for the upset.” “When he at last finds that only drugs give him relief, he will surrender to them and become dependent upon them, often to the point of addiction.” “Years before, had there been any other way out, most people would have taken it. But when they are told there is no cure, that their pains are “imaginary,” life tends to become insupportable. They then can become chronic drug-takers and are in danger of addiction.”In my case, it wasn’t physical pain, in fact it wasn’t even ‘pain’ but there were some areas of my life that were not comfortable and without another solution, drugs became it.
I would say that my problems started when I went to school. We grew up in Sea Point, which is an area of Cape Town next to the Sea. I remember pre-school being a huge upset. I hated it and cried and screamed on the way, and for the first half an hour and then calmed down just to repeat it the next day. I don’t know how long I performed like this but do clearly remember hating it and wondering why I couldn’t just be at home like before. I didn’t get on with the teacher too well and don’t think she found me too endearing either.
My first day of Primary school wasn’t such a performance, but only because there were older children there and I didn’t want to seem like a baby cause it was my first day of big school, but I was nervous and felt very out of place and wanted to cry but didn’t. Standing in line to go into the school a bird plopped on my head, this according to my teacher was good luck, I thought she was just saying this as I couldn’t imagine how it could be.
Hallo 
My name is Robert van der Feyst, I am the Executive Director of Narconon Drug Education Cape Town. This might give you the picture of some guy in a suit in a boardroom. That is however not me. I started Narconon Cape Town and thus have to hold this position. I am to be found in schools running the program with the students, not Executive Directoring (whatever that would entail).
I would like to take you through my journey into addiction and out of it again for a couple of reasons; firstly, to give you an understanding of what creates an addict and then to illustrate the principals that the Narconon Drug Rehabilitation Program bases it’s program on.
I am going to write this in several chapters so keep an eye out.
Thank you for this opportunity to scan through this carefully as it helps me too and will give me good ideas for future drug education programs to be able to do a more effective job.
See you in chapter one
