EXPERTS ON SCIENTOLOGY DRUG TREATMENT
Tom Cruise
Scientology is facing several crises including flagging membership, internal riffs, ruthless Internet exposure, and whole new levels of mainstream awareness and ridicule because of the Cruise / Holmes divorce coupled with the release of the upcoming movie about the church that is receiving Oscar buzz.
Yet these problems pale in comparison to the latest controversy that the church is facing. Scientology’s drug treatment program, Narconon is now under heavy fire for four recent deaths at its flagship facility in Oklahoma and is under investigation. Additionally the program is mired in legal woes in Michigan and Georgia.
Last night, a report by Rock Center's Harry Smith on NBC blew the lid on the goings on at the bizarre drug rehab, where patients are schooled in the Scientology way combined with unconventional detox methods rather than getting counseling for their actual drug problems.
EXPERT COMMENTARY BY BEN LEVENSON
“The field must move towards standardized treatment protocols that are founded in the medical, clinical and spiritual sciences. Any program that does not offer all three is myopic and failing to competently treat,” responds Ben Levenson, the founder of Origins Recovery Centers.
Levenson adds, “Detoxing can be fatal and patients must be medically managed. We have excellent, evidence-based medical protocols to not only make detox safe but also as comfortable as possible.”
“Addicted patients and their families are VERY vulnerable and easily taken advantage of. Facilities that avoid regulatory oversight by remaining unlicensed are a threat to ensuring that patient care is consistent with best practices and that treatment decisions are patient-centric. Non-regulated programs may misrepresent their service capabilities and mislead vulnerable consumers,” concludes Levenson.
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