I believe in treatment and I know that it works. However, my thought is that it does not work real well, and most of what I explore on this website are ideas for improving recovery and treatment in general. My intent is not to bash the substance abuse community, but only in trying to explore alternatives, new approaches, and improve overall success rates.
Existing addiction treatment programs fall short of what I see as being an ideal path in recovery. I do not doubt that the current substance abuse community is doing their best to help treat addicts and alcoholics, but no one can really debate that the results we are getting are anything better than mediocre to downright awful. This is not an industry that can brag about impressive numbers. Those few treatment centers that have boasted about impressive results have generally been exposed as having made fraudulent claims. This is not to say that the substance abuse treatment industry is a sham, but only that it is very difficult to produce good results. They are trying to solve a particularly tough problem, and we may never see outstanding success rates.
But that does not mean that we should not try. I think it is our responsibility in recovery to push ourselves to uncover deeper truths about how we actually stay clean and sober.
Look at your own recovery program–is it working for you? Great. Does it work for everyone else? No, it probably does not. We already know this because our mainstream, traditional recovery programs have lousy rates of success. Our one-size-fits-all approach does not necessarily work all that great for keeping people clean and sober.
Are there alternatives? What can we do differently to design the ultimate addiction treatment program as we move forward?
To increase success rates, focus on exclusion
This may be a ridiculous idea, but it helps point out one of the major problems in the substance abuse field: if you ruthlessly cut unqualified prospects from a recovery program, you can boost the success rate substantially. What does this mean? It means that you can post better success rates in recovery if you weed out the people who are not going to succeed anyway. A pretty harsh idea, but it shows just how much of our success in recovery depends on our initial state of surrender and willingness.
Take 100 addicts who say they want to get clean and sober. Now screen them and figure out which ones are only doing it at the request of their spouse. Now screen them again and find out which ones are being motivated due to legal problems or to try and sway a custody battle. Screen them further to find those still stuck in denial, as well as those who are still trying to manipulate everything and design their own recovery program. Get rid of all of these people and you might be left with just a handful of addicts. Put these remaining people into rehab and then you will see some decent success rates.
The problem is that our current approach is to simply try to help the entire lot of 100 addicts, even though many of them do not really have a chance at sobriety just yet. It is a clunky process but it might be a necessary evil, as evidenced by the fact that many who have found success in recovery had to go through treatment several times before they “got it.”
The experts tell us that it is no longer necessary to “hit bottom” in order to recover. Those in AA probably disagree. Regardless of who is correct, the treatment industry wastes a lot of time and energy on addicts and alcoholics who are nowhere near total surrender.
The question is: are these failures necessary in our path to recovery? Is it necessary for people to fail in rehab several times before they “get it?” Or can they take their lumps on the outside, so to speak, before they develop the necessary level of surrender in order to achieve success in recovery?
What do you think?
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Great topic Patrick.
The first time I went to treatment was to save my job, lost it. Second time was to save my marriage, lost it. Third time was to save my life. Saved it.
Had I not known I could return to a treatment center, I might not have tried. Meaning, I might not have made it out alive. I don’t know that for a fact, as it also sounds dramatic, but that’s the way I see it.
A friend of a friend who knew somebody that was a prosecuting attorney (had some land for sale… kidding) shared some interesting information. That statistically speaking, the success rate for alcoholics/addicts coming out of treatment has no direct relation to how many times they’ve been through a treatment facility previously. ( No idea if it is true, but from what I’ve seen it sounds reasonable) Meaning, whether they’ve been through rehab once or fifty times, the success rates are the same. Now I’m wondering what exactly that information tell us… OK, not sure but it’s interesting.
I would agree wholeheartedly that qualifying those who have best chance of success (void of denial, doing it for the wrong reasons) would increase success rates. If that’s what we’re measuring.
When sharing with others about drugs and alcohol from a recovered alcoholics perspective, it’s important for them to know there’s a place to go, that they’re not alone in how they feel, and that someone can help; whether that place is AA/NA/CA etc. or rehab. I sort of view treatment centers that way. It’s not like I’m going to say or do something that strikes them sober and completely changes their life, but maybe some day when they’re lying in an alley somewhere they’ll remember… hey, there’s some place I can go where maybe I can get some help.
Hell, 80% of the guys I sponsor don’t stay sober… but I do tell them all the same thing; ” don’t worry about it, just freaking STAY ALIVE! When you think you’re ready to try it again, I (we’ll) still be here.” It’s sort of like I can hear their hearts whispering “I’m done” or “I’m not quite sure if I’m done yet.” But then some who you wouldn’t think have a chance in hell, surprise you!
I guess it’s sort of like Internet Marketing. I’ve got to throw a bunch of stuff out there to see what sticks. I don’t know what’s going to work, and when it comes to human’s who don’t even know themselves, who knows who’s going to get it or not. I do agree about the whole qualification thing though… that there are a lot of people sitting in AA meetings who probably aren’t real alcoholics. People who don’t need a spiritual experience to get sober. God knows I couldn’t.
One thing I do find extremely interesting is; the people who struggle in recovery, who always seem to have drama or pain and suffering going on in their lives no matter how long they’ve been sober, are the ones who resist the spiritual aspects of the program. The ones who still claim to be atheist or refuse to use the word God, speak out against the God undertones in meetings, etc. I see it time and time again. NOW, that’s not to say people who embrace the spiritual aspects don’t do their own whining, because we do! I just look around those in recovery and there’s the ones who still continue to use their intellect and try to define the universe, they always seem to be the ones who have an anxiousness to them. But that’s OK, they deserve to find their own path just as I did. I resisted until I realized it didn’t matter what I believed in, I just didn’t want to die.
Amen Jared. I think you sort of nailed it there. We all have to become desperate in our own way in order to be teachable.
I was not ready to get sober for a long, long time. I was stubborn and did not want to do it your way, or anyone else’s way. I could only see my own struggle, constantly trying to manipulate things.
Finally had to let go. And, I had to fail a few times before I could let go completely.
Thanks so much for your insight, Jared. Peace….
I never went to rehab but I got a DWI in the 20’s and was mandated to go to AA via court. At that time, there was no follow-up with signed slips. I never went to AA. I continued to drink and had stupid things happen until 20 years later, I got another DWI. This time I was mandated to get court slips signed go to AA education and have a breathalyzer for 1 year. I stayed sober for approximately 16 months. I started to drink it was uneventful and that gave me the red light to continue. I experienced several jackpots became more and more skeptical about my drinking but would continue. Finally, in 2009, I got another DWI at 55. I have been sober for 6 months. I go to AA approximately 4 -5 times a week. I do not want to go back to drinking so, yes I believe that everyone experiences some type of pain. Until you get “enough” and “get sick and tired of being sick and tired” you will not get sober. I am sadden that I made bad choices while drinking. I could have killed someone. I don’t remember getting in the car. I started out the night thinking I would have two drinks and go home but I went into a “black out” very quickly. I have flashes of that evening. I remember having a moment of clarity in the police car and thinking “Oh Dear God!” How did I do this, again!!!! This is going to be a “big” problem. I am not proud of what I did and I stay close to the AA program if I do not I will drink again.
Hi there Mary
Sounds like you know what you have to do, and what will work for you. If so then that is great. Follow through this time and do it!
I met a person in rehab once who had run over someone while they were drunk driving just a few weeks before. He had killed the guy, it was an old man.
Could have been me driving that car. And, it could be you.
Time to make a change…..
To answer the question, Is it Necessary to Fail at First? Absolutely, I have found, in general, the people who have always struggled, can not overcome their issues until they have bounced off the bottom. The ones who have hit the hardest are the ones who usually come back and set an example. Like they say, “Only the strong survive”. Well you’ll find your true strength at the bottom. Hitting bottom is a test, and those who teeter totter and never really hit the bottom are the ones usually stuck in that rut forever, never really accomplishing much for themselves.
That is a good point that you have discussed. It is a common talk that the treatment they take for addiction was not effective. It happens because, addiction can be of different types for different people. Addiction disorder is not the same for every victims. Taking an addiction treatment that suits their problem, is the only key to get relieved from the disorder and lead a healthy life.
I agree with Watson’s view on this. The treatments fails for some people because, they may not suit the addiction problem of the afflicted addict. It is important to take the right treatment option from the right centre.
Nice sharing and keep posting.