Posted by Phil on December 28, 2002, at 11:29:06
In reply to Re: Court-ordered discussion, posted by Mitchell on December 28, 2002, at 8:24:07
"In drug treatment, private firms operated mostly by former substance abusers attempt behavioral modification procedures that require clients to accept unqualified diagnoses of addiction or acoholism, to embrace disproven notions about addictive personalities, and about the existence of a hypothyesized "higher power." Meta-reviews have shown most of the work attempted in these behavioral modification groups to be inneffective."
____Ineffective? What are your numbers? Nobody gets better, 20% get better? Which institutions are unqualified, Betty Ford? Hazeldon?
To embrace disproven 'notions' about a higher power? So you're saying that someone's belief system has been disproven? By whom? How can you prove to an individual that, despite his belief in a higher power, that a higher power doesn't exist. God exists when you believe and accept that he exists and live your life accordingly.
Let me fill you in on some personal experience and observations. How difficult is it to diagnose alcoholism when, after 24 hours, a patient goes into DT's. Or by the time they arrived, they have blown through millions of dollars doing coke? Your diagnosis is bs. Your job is to get the person straight long enough so someone can stop them before they kill themselves. There's no disproven addiction theory; there may not be an 'addictive personality' but does that matter when a person has used a substance to the extent they are almost dead? You don't have to prove to a recovered drunk that they had an addiction problem and that they need people who have been there to help them.
Not all recovery centers are legit, nor are all churches, doctors, etc. I'll give you that.
You could argue that AA is a behavior modification group and many, if not most, of these places base recovery on the 12 steps. Now, you can take all of your meta-reviews and trash them because they are worthless.
People close to death get well because of many of these programs. Not everyone there will believe in a higher power-just like they would swear to you they have everything under control.
Programs fail when people think they are smarter than those treating them. Did you know that doctors and lawyers are some of the hardest people to treat. Many believe they are smarter than the disease. Many read meta-analysis. God doesn't.
________"The question will probably remain on the table until people of western nations stand up to abusive authority."
We don't stand up to abusive authority?
_______The process demonstrated in this research project typifies a group process enforced across the nation under the guise of substance-abuse treatment.
Wrong. How do you weave those two together?
Gotta go, the margaritas are ready.
Phil
poster:Phil
thread:8516
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20021128/msgs/8624.html