Why Can't We All Work Together?

WHY CAN’T WE ALL WORK TOGETHER FOR SUCCESS?

In the quest to help the 35,000,000 suffering from the abuse or dependency on alcohol, illegal and prescription drugs, it seems to me that we should willing to pool as many of our resources as is possible. Quite frankly, it isn’t as if any one of us is making a considerable dent in the number of persons suffering from this disease. Each year the number of addicts and alcoholics continues to rise in percentage greater than the growth of the general population.

On the Topic of Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical manufacturers want us to believe that they have the “cure” in a pill coming soon, in fact in some forms already available. They interpret the “cure” as no longer having constant cravings for your drug of choice. It has always been the quest of pharmacology to give us a pill and we feel better! Heck! We already knew that – that’s why we self-medicate!

Yes, a pill to help reduce the cravings while we work on the more deep-seated problems that lead to addictive behavior is great. In my treatment program I have described buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subatex) as “God’s gift to opiate addicts.” I see the medication as a bridge. It allow my patient to focus on the process of recovery and the issues that lie at the root of their addiction rather than focusing constantly on the cravings that detract them from the purpose at hand. Certainly Campral is helpful for alcoholics trying to focus on recovery rather than drinking. But it never has and it never will “cure” addiction unless it can metamorphoses into the form of a counselor and sit down for hours on end and work therapeutically with a patient deciphering the life-issues they have dealt with and have secreted away in the dark recesses of their heart.

I applaud this effort and hope that the pharmaceutical industry continues to work on this problem. But never have I heard an ad that says, “in addition to taking this medicine, your chances of a successful recovery (not a word they use) will be greatly increased by participation in a structured treatment program, participation in a 12-Step Program and improvement in your spiritual life by participating in the programs of your local church or synagogue of your choice.”

On the Topic of AA

This brings me to 12-Step Programs. I am confident that I have referred more people to AA and NA in my community than anyone else. Every patient that I work with (8,000 in the last 9 years) is required to participate in AA and NA meetings. I don’t work the steps with my patients, I introduce them to the Steps, explain their value, identify the benefits of going, the value of a sponsor, benefits of getting to know other people in recovery, etc.

However, most who go and find a sponsor are told by their sponsor that treatment is not necessary, that all they need can be found in the Big Book, going to meetings and working with their sponsor. I guess I missed something, but I thought we got something from all the different things we participate in.

Let’s look at the heart of the Steps – Step 1-3, all of which deal with developing our conscious contact with God. Rarely, however, do I find a sponsor trying to get someone to attend church, to participate in the community of believers. Some of my NA friends do and I am filled with joy at the direction they are going.

If AA believes that before we can ever move on with the Steps, we must not only believe there is a God, but we must believe there is a God that loves us, and that furthermore there is a God who will DIRECTLY intervene in our lives by placing people there who will help us learn to deal with the root issues of our addiction, face the problems of life, and learn to live life with a dependency on ourselves and our own self-confidence rather than a dependency on chemicals, then you would think they would be running busses from AA meetings on Sunday morning to all the churches in the neighborhood!

If I were sponsoring someone, I can’t imagine a more wonderful activity for them than becoming involved in the life-blood of a church, engaging in activities with other believers. Not only for themselves but for their spouse and their family as well. If the fellowship of AA is successful because we derive value from being around those who are recovering, then isn’t it just as likely that we will become spiritually successful by communing with that fellowship of believers in a house of Worship?

On the Topic of Celebrate Recovery

This brings me to the churches and in particular those who host Celebrate Recovery. I was excited when the first CR program came to our city. I ordered the material from Saddleback and began studying the material. Some I disagreed with, but in general I thought a 12-Step program from a Christian perspective was a good thing for many people. I promoted it and sent dozens of patients to the programs. Now the same churches I sent patients to reject treatment programs, suggesting to me that CR is all they need.

This leads me to my thought for the day:

It is so Wrong for us to assume that any of our efforts are single-handedly solving the problem. The number of those suffering continues to grow while amongst us there is a co-opting of beliefs that we have the Answer.

In the film “Finding Hope,” I described recovery as a table with four legs: one leg was the tool’s, coping strategies and search for the root causes of addiction that one can learn in a treatment program.

The second is participation in the non-judgmental fellowship of a 12-Step Program where we can openly discuss the struggles we are going through and our feelings about being sober.

The third is our spiritual centeredness that we find by communing with those who love God the way we do and want to do his will.

And fourthly is the nurture and care of our bodies. This may include medication to help us through the recovery process; diet and exercise to keep the one “vessel” we have in good working order; eliminating other addictive and destructive behaviors such as smoking, dipping and pornography.

A table with four legs is the table I want my life to rest upon. Take out one leg and Your life will rest on a precarious platform, one that most likely will fall over and fail.

Success comes with grabbing ahold of all you can get. Go to meetings, go to treatment, go to church, and go to your Doctor for help, diet and exercise. There is no downside to doing it all and you will statistically have a far superior chance for success. Leave one out and your chances drop dramatically.

Please post your thoughts!

Dr. Fred

Treatment Vs. 12-Step Programs

It seems to be a constant source of discussion - should those suffering from a dependency on alcohol or drugs go to 12-Step Meetings, or should they go to a treatment program?  I don't know why we seem to think this is an either/or situation.  It's not as if either produces 100% success.  Statistically, the best chance for success is to complete a treatment program (rehab) and simultaneously participate in a 12-Step program.

I know in my treatment program, I begin "preaching" the virtues of 12-Step programs on the first night.  I encourage my patients to seek a group they feel comfortable with and start going. I encourage them to seek a temporary sponsor as soon as possible.  Before they graduate, I insist on knowing where they are going and how they are doing on step work.

What frustrates me are sponsors who get hold of patients and tell them they don't need a program.  Why?  I believe the answer is that that takes some of the power out of the hands of sponsors. Now they are not the only source of knowledge, support, guidance, etc. for the patient.  Of course, that is contrary to the words of the Big Book, which suggest the purpose is to share our stories with others, not tell them how to lead their life.

In treatment programs, we utilize counselors who are expert in anger management, stress management, relationship experts, those well versed in codependency, setting boundaries, developing relapse prevention plans and many other skills.  We teach patients how to learn to "relive" their lives once they stop using or drinking.  This is the task ahead of them - without the shield of their drug of choice, what keeps them healthy when the pain of the past haunts them, when the difficulties of life confront them?  The answer is to learn new skills to cope with those events, leaning on our own self-confidence and our own ability, to step up to the plate and confront life with renewed confidence!  

Being thankful for where we are, we can go to a meeting and share our good fortune and our new skills with others - hopefully raising the statistical probability of success even higher for all.  

Blessings,

Dr. Fred