The Business of Recovery

First, I want to make it clear many people do receive help from the twelve steps. That said scientific studies prove it is no more effective than Congitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and less effective than the two combined and much less effective than simply quitting. I am all for multiple options being available to a person seeking help from an addiction.

When I first saw this title I declined to view it as the subject can be upsetting. Having had a parent who was one of the majority that was not successful in concurring her addiction (although she later naturally aged out and had several years of sobriety before her unrelated early death.) Another close friend I lost after two stays at Betty Ford didn't notice he was a manic depressive. So with trepidation I sat down expecting a lot of 12 step cheerleading. How wrong I was.

This factual documentary interviews addicts who have and have not been helped in their addictions along with caring family, professionals with vested interests in rehabs, the President of an alternative non-profit recovery method SMART Recovery founded by the psychologist and founder of CBT Albert Ellis.

I was shocked at what I saw the "help" these rehabs offer for their expensive price tags. I firmly believe this documentary would help many families as they struggle to find help for their or a family member receive the help they need for addiction.

This documentary takes a critical look at the snake oil peddlers that are today's treatment centers and how they profit off of vulnerable and desperate individuals' willingness to do anything to help their loved ones, while simultaneously doing practically nothing. Believe me. This is true. As someone who experienced rehab at one of the nation's best rehab facilities I can attest that my entire 30 day stay (which ran upwards of $30,000) was basically just one long AA meeting. Looking back, I cannot believe I was suckered into that. I just hope this film enlightens others to more cost-effective and just generally effective methods of recovery. The rehab industry in America needs a massive overhauling, as does the public perception of the efficacy of AA. Neither hold much water. Well done filmmakers!!

This is one of the best documentaries I have seen recently, after a great number of duds. Before I saw it, I used to think that checking into a rehab was the natural thing to do for somebody having a serious addiction. Apparently many rehabs in the United States, including the famous Betty Ford Center, are glorified (but very expensive) care homes which do little more in terms of therapy than taking you to an AA meeting in the evening. In other words, you could get the same therapy for free, while Alcoholics Anonymous and their 12 step program are a lot less effective than is widely believed.

By the way, at one point a woman claims that defibrillators (which she pronounces somewhat like "defibulator") cost a mere US$200. Just for the record, they cost upwards of US$1400.

I had a close relative with addiction, and I can confirm that, even when profit is not an issue, it's the dark ages. It really is faith- based rather than "what works". So many people will throw their little spiel at you, whether it's something they're doing for a business or whether it's a show they've seen on TV. A shocking number of people will put the blame on you for not being willing to set up a "hot chair" type of "intervention". You sort of have to become an instant wizard.

Other than what this documentary propagates, I think it is of little consequence whether addiction is seen as a disease or not.