Why does rehab fail?

[crenfro]

Hello.

Not all healthcare professionals are corrupt - too many laws & protocols in place. Besides, they are not the ones who are using the addictive substance.

I understand about the addict losing their power of choice after a habit is established, but blaming others for their addiction is not the solution.

My two cents.

Healthcare is a broken, corrupt system where money is funneled to inept medical ‘professionals’ and facilities that neither cure or fix people.

Rehab is a revolving door, you leave, you come back. Doctors keep you (addicted) on medication that neither cures or fixes you, only alleviates symptoms that never fully resolve.

 

[PaladinSword]

I’m still glad it exists… But it is not perfect has dubious origin and honestly I’ve seen a lot of people die.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I think that people with addictions who do not have the grace of the Sacraments are “behind the 8 ball” so to speak. Without grace, I cannot imagine.

 

[Theo520]

Is the system set up to fail? Do rehab centers even offer any aftercare? What can be done to fix this system?

I don’t think it’s set up to fail, it helps but the problem is almost unsolveable.
Aftercare is usually a 12 step program, which helps some.

The real solution will like come through a pharmacy,
a pill that biologically breaks the addiction link.

 

[Casilda]

The real solution will like come through a pharmacy,

a pill that biologically breaks the addiction link.

Yep, big pharma already working on that one probably. Will debut to the rich and famous at $10k a pop.

Sorry for sacasm, have had two many friends and family die at the hands of the ‘medical’ establishmemt, needlessly.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

This is my quick reply to a question about a complex problem but it’s my observation that treatment (we don’t call it rehab) for chemical dependancy is: 1) Too short. Insurance often covers 30 days when a minimum of 90 days is recommended. Minimum. 2) Many/most centers focus on treating the addiction and only touch on deeper issues briefly if at all. There are treatment centers that do address both but addressing any trauma that precipitated the addiction is what takes so long and is very difficult. Many patients fear that and avoid treatment or quit. 3) Treatment is most effective if it’s voluntary and not court ordered or the the better option of jail or treatment.

 

[Irishmom2]

Exactly! I believe you have a complete understanding of the problem!

 

[PaladinSword]

It’s a tool but it’s not the answer.

 

[RCIAGraduate]

Wouldn’t many jump at the chance for quality trauma-informed care, or are such models cost-prohibitive at the moment? Do you guys think a “War on Trauma” akin to a “War on Poverty” could reap great rewards for something as a whole? Trauma seems to be a huge bane in society that seems to be understand but not brought to the discussion outside specific spheres. Could alleviating through systems of care and communities of support truly be transformative for our society?

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I love this question.

Wouldn’t many jump at the chance for quality trauma-informed care,

Two things: How many potential patients know about trauma-informed care and how many treatment centers have trauma-informed care as the foundation of their programs.

I work at a social service type agency and I would say only 2.5 out 14 people are moderately fluent in that approach because the director has not made it a priority. If we lack this foundation I’m not confident that other agencies/organizations, who should have trauma-informed staff, do.

or are such models cost-prohibitive at the moment?

I do not think cost is the problem. True, training is necessary, but even before protocols are in place (and protocols would take time and therefore money) the practice of it is free. It takes effort to change and some people aren’t willing to invest the effort to learn and change.

Do you guys think a “War on Trauma” akin to a “War on Poverty” could reap great rewards for something as a whole?

Have you noted how many people mock being triggered or having safe spaces? Yeah, those people don’t really want to look at another approach. I acknowledge that some people did some really mock-able things but the people who glommed on to mocking it are just as bad; both groups took something good and mangled it so no one recognizes it. The same thing will happen to trauma-informed care and when that happens getting people on board will be difficult.

Trauma seems to be a huge bane in society that seems to be understand but not brought to the discussion outside specific spheres.

So true!

Could alleviating through systems of care and communities of support truly be transformative for our society?

I believe it could. Can we start with Trump?

 

[Jared2914]

Rehab is just one tiny piece of the puzzle. Addictions are not easy to recover from. The addicted person needs a team of people working with them every day until they recover. If they ever get back into it, they need another group of people working with them again. It requires a big sacrifice from a large number of people since the addicted person cannot possibly pay for all that help.

Centuries ago this support would have been provided by the person’s own family. Back then multiple generations would live in the same area their whole lives. The person would have parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and more all there that could help them get past it. Because of how independent our society is these days, people tend to not have a community around them to help. At most they might have their parents, a friend or two, and maybe a spouse. Many times they won’t have any family to help them.

While in the past, all the relatives would share the burden, now it mostly falls to the government and charities. It’s not cheap. I guess the solution would be for a large number of people to selflessly help those with addictions, but that’s not going to happen, so I don’t see this problem going away. It doesn’t help that our society has such an interest in drugs and alcohol. Kids are exposed to it from a young age, and it’s promoted as a good thing. You’re not American if you don’t drink. I agree with everyone else though. There are many things that could be done, but they all cost money or time that few are interested in giving for this purpose.

 

[DarkLight]

Unfortunately, I think a lot of bad attitudes towards addiction don’t help here. Seeing addiction primarily as a moral failing means people then don’t feel like they really need to help. I think it’s often a cheap cop-out to say that the addict doesn’t want to get better; it absolves us of responsibility to examine whether what we’re doing works. (Incidentally I’ve seen this attitude taken towards mental health treatment as well - that therapy doesn’t work because the patient doesn’t want to get better.

I do think environment is a very big thing. A lot of addicts are primarily friends with other addicts. I know many alcoholics reported that when they stopped drinking they found they had no friends - because they’d driven away those who didn’t drink to excess and all those who they had wanted to drink all the time. And few people are good at kicking bad habits all on their own. And again, not treating underlying issues is often going to lead to relapse.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Yes. It’s difficult to make friends as an adult, healthy friendships even more so. I’ve observed people join bible studies or other established groups and the person in recovery often ends up leaving saying they felt judged or looked down on. There is a saying: Water seeks it’s own level. People feel comfortable with their own kind and I think we all want to have someone who just gets it. We might find that person (who gets it, who gets us), but they don’t need a new friend or want any potential “drama”.

 

[jdominic10]

being a recovered alcoholic I can give you first hand information based on my experience as being addicted to alcohol
The term addicted to me means that an individual no longer has the will power to stop whatever it is that they are addicted to
That means that the ability to use the will has been removed in regard to the addictive substance or behaviour
I have seen and met hundreds of people at AA for example that had many problems in life due to their drinking.
But almost all of them were never addicted. They could, if under certain acute conditions, give up of their own free will. The addicted can not. If faced with amputation, divorce or death, the addicted person will simply go on to the bitter end.
Hating my life and myself all the years that I drank, I daily begged God to deliver me from alcoholism.
Eventually my daily prayer could only consist of “God, please dont let me wake up tomorrow”
I was very blessed to be delivered from alcoholism by God; but then the hard work had to start as I knew that I could never go back to drinking and that I could not mess up what God had now given me
To cut a long story short, in my many years of recovery, I have only seen one model work and no other model work for people are truly addicted
And that is the 12 steps of AA done properly.
Almost no rehab is 12 step based or God based at all
The ones that are run by 12 step programs have the greatest success
So many rehabs are run by people that are so unwell in all aspects that you wouldnt want your dog being checked in there
Government run social welfare is atheist at best and agencies that get paid by the government want repeat customers!
Where the impossible needs to happen, God must be there by inclusion. Otherwise no recovery. simple as that
So you need to be able to determine if someone is truly addicted or not.
People that jump from one addictive behaviour to the other simply havent addressed their issues; which the 12 step process if done correctly and repeatedly WILL give the person access to God and the tools to address their shortcomings
Others that are not addicted but haven many of the same behaviours and traits, need appropriate counselling to free them from the emotional baggage that binds them; not rehabs under the guise of being addicted!
Pax

 

[jdominic10]

12 steps lead to rosaries
Rosaries (for the addicted that are just trying to keep their head above water) is like saying to a child “why dont you just go to university”
The only prayer I could muster when I was in active addiction was for my death
I cant beleive so many people feel qaulified to give such ignorant opinions! I thought this was a Catholic page?
Doesnt that then mean honesty is required; instead of ignorant (and therefor) dishonest opinions?
I really think that if someone wants to leave a reply it should be fact based. Catholics should be facts based!

 

[jdominic10]

If you want to help, then prayer and fasting can fix anythhing. But this will COST YOU!
Yes you can help someone that wont help themselves. Prayer and fasting!
Is this a Catholic page or am I lost???

 

[JanSobieskiIII]

I’ll freely admit compassion for addicts is something I severely lack. Particularly my cousin. The decisions these people make and the havoc it wreaks on their children tends to harden my hearts towards the parents and devote my energy to the kids who never asked to be in the position their parents put them in.

 

[PaladinSword]

That is your experience and works for you.

Not everything happens that way.

For me I have realized over the years I cannot depend on anyone but myself.

There is no one size fits all recovery.

I am training to work in the very broken system I despise because it is all there is.

Whether or not one is qualified is not dependent on your opinion.

And the concept of most treatment centers not using 12 steps is also false.

It’s usually a more private club that does away with them.

CBT works for a lot of people too.

But whether or not bill w was a prophet is where I draw the line.

And it may be uncharitable to say this but the Oxford Group was pro Nazi.

Also ignorance assumed does not make one ignorant.

And honesty doesn’t mean one is not entitled to privacy.

 

[DaveBj]

From what I’ve seen the person has to make a choice on their own freewill to choose God above everything else.

I haven’t read all the responses, but this is true, and it reminds me of an old joke:

Q: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Only one, but the light bulb has to really want to change.

D

 

[Tigre]

PaladinSword actually presents one of the most informed opinions on the issue I have seen on this site.

The history of the Oxford Group, purported nazi sympathies, Up With People, Bill W.'s post-sobriety psychedelic use, the medical adoption of the disease model, and questionable membership/success stats are full of problematic issues. Not to mention problems with abuse, sexual or otherwise, that can fester within recovery groups and exploited sponsor/sponsee relationships.

Nevertheless, the 12 steps and the Hazelden model works for some and should not be discounted. An authentic religious experience is the end of the steps, but it can be achieved outside of that path. And, as I have witnessed, a religious experience is not the sole means of genuine recovery.