Former Narconon Patient Talks About Treatment Practices

As the investigation into a Scientology-run drug treatment center continues more people who attended the center are coming forward.

Three people have died at the facility in the past nine months, the most recent last week.

The OSBI has now turned the results of its investigation into the recent death over to the District attorney in Pittsburg County. This, as News 9 is learning more about exactly what happens inside the facility.

"It was a way to get you kind of weak and vulnerable and trust whatever they're telling you," said a former patient who asked not to be identified.

She checked into the Narconon drug rehab facility about a year ago and was there at the same time as Gabriel Graves, who died in October after she left. The medical examiner could not determine a cause of his death.

"He was very excited about getting home to his family. When I heard that he died it shocked me," said the woman.

The woman says patients at the center would first go through detox, then a course written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

7/22/2012 Related Story: Father Calls Daughter's Death McAlister At Rehab Facility Preventable

"One thing I had to do was talk to an ash tray, you had to tell it to stand up and then you have to tell it to sit down."

After patients pass the course, the next step is called "sauna" where they are given high doses of vitamins and told to sit on a sauna for 5 hours a day: 20 minutes in, 5 minutes out, to "sweat out" the drugs.

"People got sick, people had serious diarrhea, things like that," she recalls. "Basically I was told that was because of the vitamins."

The woman says most of those working at the facility were not medical personnel, but former patients.

"They're kind of just people like me that have been through the program and decided to stay and work,"

And many patients would stay. This woman says she wanted to leave her husband and kids, after those at the facility convinced her that her family was the reason for her addiction.

"I need to detach myself from them in order to remain sober and live a happy life."

News 9 has talked to other people who have worked in other treatment facilities and they tell us this method of treatment is not typical.   Administrators at Narconon say they are cooperating with investigators.

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse is also investigating the facility.