I’m writing a persuasive essay for one of my English classes about rehab and why it should be free to all-while doing my research I came across this article and found it to be rather interesting…just seeing what others thought?
From the initial paragraphs…“The predominantly AA-based culture of rehab in America has become one of imposition and tautology: If the program doesn’t work for you, then you didn’t work the program.”
I don’t know…I sort of agree with this…but not at the same time. I do fully believe that “AA works if you work it”. But that isn’t to say that you have to word for word follow what other say. I think the point is, if you REALLY want to quit you will put in the effort. If that program is AA, then great. If it is a non 12-step program, then great. If it is private one on one therapy, great. But you have to really want to put in the effort to achieve sobriety. It isn’t the program that does it for you.
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I’ve only been to a few rehabs myself and to speak at a few others but some of the stuff she is saying seems rather sensational and made up. In NY any rehab receiving state funds can’t indoctrinate with AA (they consider it religion lol). Pretty much every rehab I’ve ever looked in to uses a combination of medicine, one on one therapy, group sessions and life skills sessions. And I also always remember that the author of any piece has an agenda they want to push. There’s a reason rehabs and AA exist, it’s because we haven’t found a better way. There’s probably one out there, but it’s not here yet.
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In the end it boils down to this. Addiction is tough to overcome because there’s no really defined way to treat it. In the end if someone doesn’t want to put in the work they will never recover. Most addicts and alcoholics will never get clean and that’s a sad fact
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This right here.
Everyone I know who went to rehab was because they were forced by law or by family. Everyone I know who was forced to go to AA by law are still active alcoholics.
I feel substance abuse and addiction requires 2 things, the addiction gene and trauma which is the catalyst for addiction. You can have one or the other and not be an addict. Ultimately, I think it’s a choice to stop abusing substances, and no amount of rehab, AA, or therapy can make that choice for you.
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I myself was in rehab for the first time a couple of months ago for the first time… And there were people there who have (still are) been going there since the early 70s…and we’re still determined that ‘this time is the time it will work’ While the resilience is there… “the tool kit” is empty.
#sobrietyrocks🙏
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NA is a part of my recovery plan, but only a small part. The residential treatment facility I went to did not preach 12 steps. Yes we went to meetings of both AA and NA, but that was more so you could gain a support system once you got out of treatment. Though i don’t prefer to narrow my location down to a close proximity of where i live, i feel that by researching the approach of the rehab i went to will give you many aspects if recovery used at a modern day treatment facility.