Evaluating Methods of Treating Addictions

[cvor]

A debate thread to discuss the various methods and to warn people of the pitfalls to avoid.

[princeofdarkness]

Twelve-Step Snake Oil




For every complicated problem there is a simple and wrong solution.
== H. L. Mencken




The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Twelve Steps of Al-Anon
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over our food compulsion, that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other overeaters, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Twelve Steps of Nicotine Anonymous
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over nicotine, that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other nicotine users, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Twelve Steps of Dual Recovery Anonymous
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over our dual illness of chemical dependency and emotional or psychiatric illness — that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to others who experience dual disorders and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Twelve Steps of HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) Anonymous
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over the fact that we acquired HCV — that our lives had the potential to become unmanageable.
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we prepare ourselves through faith. We will try to carry this message to others and demonstrate these principles in all areas of our lives.

(We prepare ourselves for what, death? Well, yes. You don't really imagine that the 12 steps actually cure or treat Hep C, do you?)

The Twelve Steps of Diabetes Anonymous
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over diabetes — that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to other diabetics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Twelve Steps of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over sex and love addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to sex and love addicts, and to practice these principles in all areas of our lives.

(Note that SLAA people don't get to practice "these principles" in all of their "affairs".)





Because the Twelve Steps are not a program for quitting drinking, it is easy to change them into something else that is not a program for getting off of drugs, or not a program for avoiding over-eating, or not a program for fixing whatever else you don't like. Just edit Step One, and change the words "powerless over alcohol" to "powerless over our addiction", or "powerless over our food compulsion", or whatever else you want to be powerless over, and then edit Step Twelve, and change the word "alcoholics" to "addicts", or "overeaters", or whatever, and Hey Presto! you have a new "spiritual" program for unsuccessfully treating some other problem or "spiritual disease." I hear that there are now over two hundred of these clone twelve-step programs, intended to cure (or not cure, but "treat") just about everything imaginable. Some of them sound pretty wild, like Artists in Recovery, or Partners of Sexaholics.

(I just can't help but wonder, is that last group complaining or bragging?)
(And in my wild imagination, I can see an Artists in Recovery meeting where a dozen crazy paint-stained guys with berets and only one ear talk about how they really have to stop drinking that absinthe...)


The last time we had a universal medicine that would cure so many different ailments, it was the snake oil sold by the traveling medicine shows.

The rest of the program, besides those words in Steps One and Twelve, is always the same. In fact, in most all of the 12-Step programs, Steps Two through Eleven are word-for-word identical to the Alcoholics Anonymous steps.

[cvor]

Once again......if a child is addicted to something and happens to have an imaginary friend....shall we have him surrender to his imaginary friend and proclaim he is powerless....and go with other children that also have surrendered to their imaginary friend? Only the imaginary friend can help them.


And this is a solution?

[cvor]

Here's something someone said on the 12 Step thread that should make for great discussion. It was the first sentence I saw and it caught my eye.

God is the piece of the puzzle that most active addicts are missing. Good for him!

I don't quite understand how a being that doesn't exist is a requirement to fix something in your life. What kind of psychological state are people in that they need an imaginary friend to plop their problems onto? This is exactly what children with imaginary friends do and there is a reason why this isn't a recommended solution to fix a problem. This is completely BACKWARDS and OUTRAGEOUS. Should we have psychologists and counselors set up imaginary friend workshops to help children with their problems? Maybe that is the one "piece of the puzzle" missing in their "development".



So I suppose that Atheists are behind the 8 ball and worse off because they don't believe in god. I mean what kind of medical treatment is this where imaginary beings make you better off and if you don't believe them you are behind the 8 ball...and not eligible to work through the bulk of the program?



AA is mind control plain and simple. Maybe the real problem is that these people are so desperate that they actually believe this stuff instead of standing on their own 2 feet without the help of an imaginary father figure in he sky. That is not how you deal with your weaknesses!!!! AA is simply exploiting and catering to that weakness. And alas.....a 5% effective rate borders being statistically INEFFECTIVE so aside from it not making much sense, it doesn't work. Maybe there is a direct correlation? Point is...even though the end does not justify the means....the end isn't there..it's a 95% failure. AA results are so poor that there is no evidence that standing on one leg and spinning around in circles while singing a Lady Gaga song is statistically more or less effective than utilizing imaginary gods.


BEWARE

[Deleted]

I founded a place where peeps who had just stopped their junk habit could make a start with the rest of the project,ie find other things to fill the hole in their lives with.We had a better than national average success rate(how do u judge success here?), but even so, I found myself becoming cynical about junkies.
Quite simply,those that made it, arrived with thier own momentum,and all we did was provide a nice environment for them to make their own effort..there were no gimmicks or 12 step plans at all(they did have to work the land we had, though, as we were skint and anyone who didnt work, didnt eat!)

[beags]

Here is what I have observed over the years. Addicts are that way for a reason. there is some void in their life that they have to fill. (I don't the reason .. never been there) So they fill that void with drugs or alcohol. Or perhaps it's anger that causes it.

Mostly it is self esteem. Yes, I'm saying they have a low value of themselves and already feel powerless. (again that's just my observation) IF you ask an addict why they started it usually will come down to money problems or more likely abuse. (physical or mental, sometimes both)

Now that being said, these people need something to cling to. I would rather have them cling to God or some motivational saying than watch them kill themselves with alcohol or drugs. For some God isn't the answer, I get that. For some it works. Either way, the entire way to fix them is to get to the root of the problem and go from there. Why are they there? What got them to this point? Answer that, and helping them to help themselves won't be so hard anymore.

[beags]

I could be wrong which is why it would help if the people who were once addicts weren't chased away from this board.

[beags]

So I'm not allowed to mention it when it seems they would be good a source to get the "why's" from?

Who else can say for sure if I'm wrong?

[princeofdarkness]

I would rather have them cling to God or some motivational saying than watch them kill themselves with alcohol or drugs

how about clinging to reality and logic or even science... hmmmm?.....since ultimately it will take medical science to save them, not imaginary beings....don't remember the last time zeus or osiris saved anybody..

[beags]

Perhaps you should have read the rest of my post, POD, rather than just focussing on the part you put in bold. You would not have looked so ignorant, or perhaps intolerant, with your current statement.

Here's the part you missed. (I don't know how you missed it, it was right after the sentence you put in bold and commented on. Basically we were in agreement, I just said it different. . .)


For some God isn't the answer, I get that. For some it works. Either way, the entire way to fix them is to get to the root of the problem and go from there. Why are they there? What got them to this point? Answer that, and helping them to help themselves won't be so hard anymore.

[beags]

All of a sudden the daily/hourly interest in the 12 step program dies off . . . imagine that. Who would have thunk it.

hmmm I wonder why that is? Nevermind, I know.

[beags]

I not only know, I predicted it.

Good job guys, you proved me right.

[beags]

btw, too late to prove your "sudden interest" now.

[princeofdarkness]

For some God isn't the answer, I get that. For some it works

for some it works?.. so what you are saying imaginary beings sometimes work...ok... and you called me ignorant??.. bwhahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

trading one addiction for another is a solution to you... wow...excellent logic there beags...

[beags]

LOL POD, your hatred is so cute.

Yes, trading one addiction for another makes perfectly good sense. Perhaps you don't understand the meaning of the word addict?

[beags]

You are still ignoring the one part of my statement where I said get to the root of the problem. When you find that, you can fix the person. It's that simple.

Perhaps you don't understand that, but it's true. You have to find out what got them to that place to start with. From there, you can help them to help themselves. But that's where it starts.

I don't care what method they use after that, as long as that method works for the individual person with the addiction.

Unlike you, POD, I actually care, I'm not here to ridicule and cause problems. That's your thing.

[princeofdarkness]

Yes, trading one addiction for another makes perfectly good sense.


try an addiction for reality and truth, instead of imaginary beings and addictions with 95% failure rates...but I forgot.. you care.... bwhahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa....yeah sure thing...

[beags]

Keep talking POD your ignorance is showing.

btw did you notice my title is back? Know what that means?

[beags]

Another note POD, I'm not as nice as Forever when it comes to you.

[beags]

Yes, abuse of power, go ahead whine about it, make my day.