Recovering from addiction at The Chopra Center, I told Deepak Chopra the ways men had exploited me. Then, he did the same.

A woman's MeToo story, brought to you by Lioness.

In the late 1990s, a young woman in distress was sent to The Chopra Center and began to have weekly meetings with Dr. Deepak Chopra as she worked through the pain of addiction. What transpired compounded her difficulties and jeopardized her recovery--perhaps even her life. Her story, in her own words, is published in the essay below. 

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Recovering from addiction at The Chopra Center, I told Deepak Chopra the ways men had exploited me. Then, he did the same.

Author’s name withheld at her request

In my mid-twenties I became addicted to drugs and alcohol. This took me by surprise, because I had previously been deeply committed to a spiritual path. I went to a rehab program, but it was fruitless—I continued to use. I didn’t understand the disease yet, and I had not hit rock bottom. When I finally turned to my mother for help, I was in a downward spiral. Afraid for my life, she tried everything she could think of to help me, and then a family friend suggested The Chopra Center. The medical, nutritional, and holistic approach at the Center seemed promising, and we were hopeful it would be the key to my recovery. My mother put me on a plane to La Jolla, California.  

At the end of my first week at the center, I met with the Center’s founder, Dr. Deepak Chopra, in his office. He had a very welcoming presence, and as he listened sympathetically through my flood of tears, I remember feeling as if I were finally safe—that someone understood my pain and I could have a chance at recovery. He seemed to understand how lost I was, and the shame I felt for having gone down this destructive path despite my deep devotion to God and Spirit. He assured me that I was on the right road now, and that by doing daily meditation and completing the program at the Center I would find my way again. I left his office reassured, and hopeful that this man could help me rebuild my life. I was excited to be immersed in Dr. Chopra’s method, and willing to do anything that was suggested…

(Read the rest of this story on the Lioness website here).