Inside Addiction Treatment
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-02-11/inside-addiction-treatment
More than 20 million teenagers and adults are addicted to alcohol or drugs in this country. Some go to residential treatment programs, while others turn to outpatient programs in their communities. But the vast majority of people who need help don’t get any at all. In a new book, health and medical writer Anne Fletcher describes what goes on inside many different kinds of rehab programs. She joins us to talk about the challenge of finding effective addiction treatment. We’ll also hear from the head of a residential care facility and a director of an outpatient addiction treatment center. Please join us to discuss the challenges of getting help for drug and alcohol addiction.
Guests
Beth Kane-Davidson
director of the Addiction Treatment Center at Suburban Hospital.
Anne Fletcher
author of "Inside Rehab: The Surprising Truth About Addiction Treatment - And How to Get Help That Works."
Dr. Marvin Seppala
chief medical officer at Hazelden Foundation.
Comments
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Very informative show today. As someone part of a recovery program for over 24 years I am blessed to be given this gift we call sobriety. I would like to hear a bit on the fear throughout traditional 12 steps groups when alternatives are mentioned. I think it is interesting that many express fear that only one approach works. This goes for any new groups; Rational Recovery, Moderation Management and S.M.A.R.T to name a few.
Thanks always enjoy your show;
I appreciate you comments regarding the "experts", when they didn't have more exposure regarding the epidemic of oxycontin, heroin, or meth addictions. None of them seemed to understand the depth of the current problem.
pbajelly. Cost of these treatment centers is a huge prohibitive issue. Look at that picture the Rehm show posted with this important topic. That place is for the wealthy or those with super great insurance. Hope the Rehm Team does a program on AA. Maybe they have
The War on Drugs needs to be a War on Addiction. You would think a capitalist nation would understand demand and supply. As long as there is demand someone will supply what is demanded. It seems clear to me that we are working at the wrong end, supply, when it is demand that we need to reduce. Where are the capitalistic economists when you need them?
David Congrats. Full support. Bet your family is so happy. Thanks for being such a great example and great suggestions
Part One:
My mother and father drank large amounts of alchohol, when I was growing up. My dad seeked help, at 'well respected clinic in Indianapolis, when I was 13. It was terribly embarrassing, and the meetings I was made to attend, convinced me I had an inherited disease. I also learned about 'relapses' and all the other 'lingo', used by the rehab business (big business).
We later took my mother to the same facility. When she got out she started drinking heavier than before. Convinced something must be wrong with me too, I accepted that I must also, be an alchoholic. I drank every day until 1999, when I turned 30. I was constsntly depressed an hung-over, then Idiscovered a book at the bookstore n quit coldturkey, no problem. What's more, I was able to get my mom to quit cold turkey. How?
Part Two:
If I had not come across the book 'Rational Recovery' by Jack Trimpey, I'd be dead now. I learned that it is NOT a disease, and the AA philosophy was contributing to my heavy drinking. By learning to hear the addictive voice, using AVT addictive voice recognition therapy, I quit cold turkey and then showed my mom how. We've both been totally sober for 13 years.
The 'addiction model', is FALSE! By learning AVRT , I realized that the rehab lingo, for example about 'relapse' becomes an excuse in the drinker's mind, to ... 'relapse'. Actually, they made a decision to drink again, without knowing how they came to that decision. So there you have it, the rehab industry helped me to become an alchoholic, whereas, 'unlearning' the 'brainwashing' that was inflicted on me by it, saved me from the endless life of rehab and 'relapse'.
I have since helped others to quit, by simply recommending the book.
Part Three:
AA has about a 12 percent lifetime recovery rate, meaning 88 percent will continue having relapses, for the rest of their lives. And, because it's a 'disease', they are told that is part of the 'disease'.
I've known of at least a dozen people who've entered treatment, but not one, who actually was able to quit for good. Of the people I've known who've tried 'rational recovery'... all are sober!
The 'symptoms' of the 'disease' in fact, will disapear when one quits. Learning how to quit is in fact so easy, one wonders why, JHUniversity hasn't done some research to discover how Addictive Voice Recognition Therapy works.. I suspect it's because there's no money in it. If someone quits on their own, rehab companies don't cash in.
When I've shared my story with others I'm always told, I was never an addict, or else, I'm in 'denial' (another industry catch phase). So, now I generally keep my mouth shut. My employer once told me how AA really helped her brother. I asked if he still drinks... she said he has 'relapses'. I said then it really hasn't helped him then. She disagreed, yet I'm the one who is never worried I'll have another drink for my entire life. I'm the new-totaller. Her brother ended up in prison for running over a bicycle rider.
Please talk about this on your show, I want this to save lives!!! :)
https://rational.org/index.php?id=33
Thank you, Diane, I've listened to your show every day for many years, and have the greatest respect for your work!!!!
Your comments are right on. I remember years ago going to my home group on a Friday night, the same day Rational Recovery was on a morning TV show. My home group I thought was a group of pretty smart people being able to see different viewpoints. Fear and discussion of this new group was rampent during and after the meeting. To hear some it was like we were going to be put out of business! I think whatever works, works and for me the program works.
I am a sober alcoholic for the past 7years thanks to the AA program. I was listening to your broadcast and the mention of e word "spiritual" prompted Anne to mention that even Bill Wilson didn't believe in the Dogma of religions. If she had her information correct, then she would know that AA is not a religiously affiliated program. I would not have stayed if it were. Yes it is primarily about a spiritual experience however, it mis up to the individual alcoholic to define what had brought about that experience for themselves. Meaning; a power greater than myself. Some call that power God. Others choose nature, others choose Budda...and so on. There was also talk about how 5-8 out of every 10 people drop out of AA and relapse. It is the same with every recovery treatment program. It is up to the individual to determine whether or not they are ready to truly get and stay sober and to do the work involved to be so.I know that AA is what worked for ME and I am certainly not here to tell anyone else what their path to sobriety should be. I just wanted to clear up and voice my experience since the entire broadcast had been about how AA doesn't work instead of the fact that it has for millions of others. The 12 steps do not say it will help you with depression or mental disorders, so getting help in other places for those concerns is what is recommended in AA. The 12 steps are there to give me a guide on how to stay sober. Trying to sell a few books at the expense of telling others that AA won't work for them is sad to me. Instead, you could mention the benefits of a 12 step program rather than steering people away from it. Any other treat program I have encountered actually end up doing what a 12 step program does, they just don't call it "the 12 steps"...and the principles are relatively the same. I know AA is not the only way to get and stay sober, but it is A way and it works...for many. Including me.
The members of your group reacted in that manner because AA is more about the AA religion than it is about recovery from alcoholism. Sorry to bash AA, but I spent too much time in "the rooms" to very little avail. I was made to feel like something was wrong with me because I didn't "get it". I am not the only person who was made to feel this way in AA.
The Rational Recovery model is good, but I'm not crazy about Trimphey and his politics. SMART follows the same model as RR, without any cult of personality around the founder.
Anyone considering going to AA needs to check out
http://www.orange-papers.org/
before they commit to any AA based treatment programs.
JMO
Addiction treatment in America faces skeptical and discriminatory attitudes of society toward an illness that threatens one out of ten people. Business models for treatment, built in this climate of discrimination, are often expensive, too short for effective results, and produce poor outcomes. The Aquila business model in Washington, DC addresses these business model shortcomings with an affordable 16-week outpatient regimen eligible for most insurance coverage and focusing on people while they still have jobs. After one year, we believe our positive outcomes justify this business model overhaul.
The Aquila Recovery model comes from my 25-years of advocacy for addiction recovery, 50 years of business experience, and (most important) my 31 years of recovery from alcohol and drug dependence.
Johnny Allem, Founder and President
Aquila Recovery, Washington, DC
My daughter is a third generation substance abuser with a dual diagnosis of bipolar disorder. After several stays at hospital detox centers, outpatient behavioral health programs and a 30 day 12 step program I was disillusioned by current treatment options. Through news reports I became aware of a newer medical option of treating her heroin addiction with a Naltrexone implant and later through monthly injections of Vivitrol. She has been sober for over 2 years now. This has allowed her to properly address her mental health issues which I think helps her keep from self medicating with illicit drugs. I am still angry with the 12 step therapist that "fired" her because she thought the injections were "cheating" on her 12 step program. Never mind that a major point the 12 step programs make is that substance abuse is a medical illness on par with other illnesses like diabetes (that are treated with medications). This treatment should be more readily available to substance abusers. If I hadn't read about it in a news report we would still not know about it. we had to drive to another state for the implants for months before we were able to convince our local general practitioner to administer the monthly injections in his office. I get the feeling that 12 step programs are too lucrative with their high failure rates for profit seeking providers to give up.
Thank you for you comments and I wish you and your daughter the very best :)
Mark,
That's wonderful! I'm so happy to hear that AVRT works for you as well. My family has only reaped benefit from the program. Now it's come out that my bother-in-law has been drinking heavily for 20 years, and my sister and family hid it. When he finally got in trouble with the law, he entered a program run by the local sherrif's office, where he's actually been taught that it's caused by his poor diet, so they gave him recipes for stir-fried chicken and veggies, that is their cure?... LOL.
I've tried to get my sister to read the AVRT material, but she hasn't wanted to take the time. It will only work for those who take the time to thoroughly read and reread the material.
As of this time, he has not even tried to quit. I fear he'll end up in prison, before he has a chance to discover AVRT.
After I learned AVRT, and I quit, I realized that when I quit smoking tobacco at age twenty, I used AVRT, to quit without even realizing it. AVRT is an unraveling of the thought processes that occur when one successfully quits drugs/addictions of any kind, and it really works, if you can read, and think for yourself, you can quit for GOOD!
I hope you'll have many healthy and sober years ahead,
Thanks again.
I've never been privy to Trimpy's politics and using AVRT doesn't require any political affiliation. I did not know that Trimpy is a 'cult figure' either. In fact I've never even heard AVRT or Trimpey once mentioned on TV or for any sort of scandal. I think the confusion arises from his, trademarking the name AVRT. But the techniques do work, even if you take the techniques to another forum, and rename them.
Glad to hear alternatives to AA being publicized. AA works for some people, but mostly people that are fallen away christians. Employers and Courts forcing people to got to AA is counterproductive. It is supposed to be voluntary and by attraction, AA says itself.
SMART Recovery, and other CBT based programs are scientific-based and not faith-based like AA. You can call AA spiritual instead of religious but it is faith-based. Very christian centric. Almost every meeting here ends with The Lord's Prayer. And in meetings here, people constantly bring up Jesus. Not exactly spiritual or inclusive to most Hindus, Jews, Muslims, non-theists.
Telling people they are helpless and hopeless isn't exactly very empowering. Actually just the opposite, and makes them feel worthless if they do slip which being human, many people do.
http://www.stopdrinkingalcohol.com/10-steps-to-quit-drinking.html
I'm nevertheless grateful for learning AVRT. As an Asatru, I cannot accept the idea of surrendering to a higher power. And many people are Atheistic in their outlook, and cannot accept it either. AA insists that you aren't 'going with the program', if you won't surrender to a higher power, and if you quit without the 'help' of AA, and so much as mention that, you will be told you're in denial, and that you'll never quit, etc...
To me AA's not much better than any other cult, but in fact worse, because it is being sanctioned by the government. Addicts who have broken the law, are forced into it, or face jail time. AVRT, or other alternatives are gemerally not given the time of day by the government.
Mainstream recovery programs, connected to Twelve Steps, are in my opinion, cultish, and mind-controlling. I'd be dead now, no thanks to 12 step programs, if I hadn't found sound info on how to quit drinking.
Trimpey has claimed in the past that homosexuality can be 'cured' using AVRT. He's a bit too reactionary and conservative for my taste, but I do agree AVRT is a better choice than AA.
I would be curious to know if there are people who did and continued to do the AA program and then decided their life would be better without it and stayed sober for any length of time. AA seems to offer a permanent cure, contingent upon daily maintenance of the spiritual condition.
If spirituality or 'religion' is perceived as an evil worse than drinking, then by all means, folks should choose the easier softer way.
AA was the last house on the block. At last count, Barnes and Noble had almost 100 books on recovery, none of which were AA. AA's philosophy worked for me, went from being homeless to earning a doctorate degree, employed, relationships stabilized, life got easier.
My thinking could not fix it, my will power could not fix it, drive though recovery programs, meds, authority figures, family... could not fix it. Once I realized the addiction was out of control, a higher power fixed it. That simple.
Blessings to anything or program that works for the individual.
If an easier softer way is available and works, let me know and I will buy a copy. If something is discovered which will allow me drink like regular people, I will buy some. :-)
The good news is that the person doesn't have to drink again, the bad news is, that's not the problem.
Husband is an alcoholic and probably has been for most of his life but over the course of 5-7 years he has been getting very out of control. We have no insurance and can not afford Hazelton, even with a "charity" discount they want $21,000 to walk in the door! These programs are so outrageously expensive it seems good quality care is only for the rich. AA is free but at the whim and self-discipline of the addict. I am trying to figure out my role, place, and emotional state in all of this. It is very difficult to deal with AND protect our multiple very young children. How much and how long to you expose children to this disease with out very negative long-term effects?
Al-anon may be worth your time. I am one of the brainwashed, cult followers of the AA program. I too thought it was a group for the losers without the will power to stop. That line of thinking kept me drinking for 14 years.
The miracle for me is, I didn't drink today. I was at a Blackstone retreat in Virginia last year and heard an Al-anon speaker. Those folks are strong people who, I think, love their addicted person to the point of wanting to learn how they live with the addict. Interesting theory. I have seen the spouses come out OK, still with the addicted person. I guess that is their own miracle.
I have been to AA meetings in Arizona, Mississippi, Virginia, South Carolina and Pennsylvania, the cadence and accents differ, but the program was consistent.
Your concern is heart warming.
DrugFreeFor13,
I am a lawyer, years ago, the courts in my state stopped mandating AA as court ordered based on the 'spiritual' nature of the program. Meaning, 1st, 2nd, 3rd offense DUI, no free mandatory AA. The mandated counseling now all has financial costs.
Reminds me of the argument of no prayer in schools. I can only wonder if the client who raised that successful argument ever sobered up?
I have worked in the addiction field since 1976. It used to be that the people who needed help but didn't have much cash or insurance coverage (most people) could go to state/fed funded programs for a nominal cost.
Nowadays the availability of such programs has drastically shrunk, yet the cost of practicing alcoholics/addicts has drastically risen (ie jail, prison, traffic deaths/injuries, crime, etc). Guess it depends on where the public wants the money.
I have known MANY people in desperate condition who have successfully recovered and maintained long-term sobriety. Considering what they were doing before this (mostly crime, burglaries, violence) each one of these successes has reduced their community social costs significantly.
Treatment works. While I don't believe AA is the only way, it is the most successful way that I personally have witnessed. Its free and an amazing community support for the alcoholic and many cross addicted addicts.
Thanks for the show!
Janet A.Hopkins, Editor
In Recovery Magazine
inrecoverymagazine.com
AA is certainly not for everyone, but I have to say it is NOT a religious program. Sorry that your meetings were so close-minded. I know there certainly are meetings/people that want to push whatever their brand of spirituality is. Bill Wilson was much against this and seriously opposed to dogma. I say, start your own AA meeting that doesn't allow religious talk.
I would appreciate clarification about how "using" one mind-altering substance, such as marijuana, to detox off and to help remain abstinent from alcohol is not considered addictive. I personally thank God for the fellowship of AA and Hazelden for helping me to get into recovery and keeping me sober one day at a time! As stated on this program, treatment and continued recovery takes place on so many levels in order to not "pick up." This includes spiritual, physical, emotional, nutritional, psychological...I so appreciate how far the medical community has come in recognizing addiction as being a disease. I feel that I have received a great deal of respect from the majority of health (including mental health) professionals I have encountered during my time in recovery. It's how I perceive myself and my disease as to how I am received in the medical, addiction and social communities. What others think about me is so none of my business. It does take fortitude to remain, every 24 hours, in recovery and work a program...this disease is manageable, though not curable, should I choose to do so! And, for today, I DO!
part 1 of 2 part comment:
I'm a retired addiction counselor (also handled the usual run of mental heath disorders, but I came to that secondary to primary to training treating alcoholics and addicts). I only caught the middle 25 minutes of the show, so I don't know if, along with alcoholism, drug abuse/addiction (including detox) was dealt with, as well as pharmaceutical addiction (i.e., related to abuse/addiction to a medication legally prescribed) That would round out the picture of course. I guess I'll try to download the podcast.
I spent.about 30 years (as a new career which I got initially into as a VISTA volunteer at age 35) in several community mental health settings, doing detox, inpatient, long and short term outpatient, and intensive outpatient. I've worked in some 'seedy' settings, as well as some more pleasant -- never upscale. A lot of probation-related work too. I've worked in rural settings and small-mid size urban settings. Diverse ethnic clientele, mostly very modest socio-economic standing.
part 2 of 2 part comment:
Especially in the latter 20 years of practice I worked with some of the finest clinicians I can imagine (and some good docs too). Agencies scrape together funding to provide services, since most cannot afford full fee, and virtually no clients have insurance covering SA treatment,
But for the palm trees and the luxury surroundings of the upscale treatment programs, dedicated therapists, experienced with extreme cases, are found in good public programs. And they need more funding support.
At one point (or more) I thought 'hey, wouldn't it be cool to work at a really slick treatment center', like in California, or Florida, or, where one colleague eventually went (he wasn't so good at the paperwork, even at the upscale place as I understand ;-) ), Sierra, Tuscon. But, on reflection, you make a lot of compromises at an upscale place because they are profit based, big time. Don't necessarily want to be pressing a client too hard who's forking over big bucks -- it happens occasionally.
Susanh, would be very surprise if anyone said that ""using" one mind-altering substance, such as marijuana, to detox off and to help remain abstinent from alcohol" was an actual strategy -- though individuals sometime freelance on their own. That said there are some chemicals that are sometimes used in medical (vs social) detox, as well as recent trials and use of some meds to defeat craving hence giving a longer window of 'staying clean' off the primary drug of abuse for good recovery practice to set in (note: strict AA's would of course refute that such a individual is clean. Different strokes).
Relatedly, the jury is still out on whether marijuana is technically addictive. But I have seen it lead to syndromes that you might as well call additive in nature, and is especially problematical during the development stage of adolescence.
fireskye, have to agree, AA is not traditionally Christian, though it often has that flavor. In many areas/groups, as you know, it depends on who is influential in the group and what their suasion is regarding 'higher power'. I would add, that in all my years of practice, I haven't encountered too may 12 steppers who related to the notion of spirituality through AA that corresponds, perhaps, to where Bill Wilson was pointing.