Flaws In The 12 Step Programs

I don’t want to be a downer folks, but 95% of the programs out there are 12 step, and 95% of the clients who use the 12 step approach, relapse, because the system is flawed. This is nothing new.

What’s wrong with 12 step?

• Admitting you are powerless- What happened to empowering yourself? (what a contradiction)

• The 30 day treatment set up- How can an addict be released from treatment in 21 to 28 days? That is barely enough time to properly detox much less apply enough meaningful treatment. The client is bound to relapse (and there is a lot of money to be made by the facilities with this syndrome, too).

•  Affirming you are an addict- As it was explained to me once; If you get up every day and say you are an addict, you will become one (even if you were not one before). The power of the word can not be underestimated.

• Denying treatment and other dyer consequences if relapse occurs, with being kicked out of the residential program, sober living, or your home, the most common.

• Complete and total abstinence for your life time. Only a small handful can ever achieve this tall order.

Now that I have been introduced to harm reduction, I see the way.

• Teach moderation or replacement medication, and less risky behavior. We always say it’s the behavior, not the drugs.

• Attempt to reduce the negative consequences related to the drug use. Do not concentrate solely on the amount of use.

• If relapse occurs you are not dismissed from treatment but instead the focus is on how to re-initiate and re-commit to treatment. Treatment should not be denied to any addict who agrees to go, simply for displaying the vary symptoms of the ‘disease.’

• Make only positive affirmations.  If some kind of an affirmation must be made, how about something like “Hi I’m Madeleine, and I am striving toward unity and cosmic conscientiousness- will you join me in my endeavors?”

If you lean toward harm reduction, do your homework before you engage in, or send someone to treatment.  There are many seemingly compassionate and hip therapists out there who might still engage in old punitive thinking, and either;

1.believe that after several relapses,  the addict should be cut off from treatment and family, or

2.when reflecting on the ensuing legal complications addicts face, suggest  ‘maybe they should go to jail’.

When you hear either of these 2 things, RUN. No treatment should ever be denied someone who is willing to go, and nothing good happens in jail- only bad things.  The ‘scared straight’ approach does not work, and very rarely is a person transformed in jail.  That is the empirical evidence, like it or not. and if I must, when you breakdown the word therapist, you get ‘ the rapist’.

Let us not forget to support any treatment program with Sai Sanjeevini prayer patterns for addiction, homeopathy, Bach flower remedies, and wholesome daily health practices such as  oil pulling, juicing, and exercise.