Yes, Staffing Matters

Among the problems you would encounter in any traditional, and most “non traditional,” alcohol treatment programs is the age range of the staff as well as the clients.

If you’re in your late 30s through your 60s, as most of our clients are, you’re probably not going to relate to professional staff, no matter how well trained, who are in their 20s and 30s.

The age and “life experience” gap, the ability to relate, is just as real in counseling as it is in trying to find a trainer at the gym who understand the limits and problems of an older body.

Of course this is all made worse by the fact that most “older” staff at treatment centers are simply ex-clients who are still “in recovery” (see following article), and have no skills or training beyond being AA true believers.

Now all of this works out well from a business perspective. Staff is cheap, 12 Step formats are easy, relapse rates are astronomical, and the treatment mills can recycle you forever. What’s not to like?

Unless you’re the client, of course.

In that case you’ll want staff who have actual training and experience. Staff who, in the immortal words of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, “have been there and back again” and can emphatically assist you with the “back again” part.

That’s what we offer.

Mary Ellen was the family member delegated to find help for her brother and discovered there wasn’t any real help available for anyone with brains, who was also over 30.

(See: Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Sent My Brother Off To Rehab)

I could have used some help with my vodka problem 30 years ago. I found none, and muddled my out of my alcohol abuse. 5 days with us would have saved me the 2 to 3 years that took.

I won’t get those years back, but you can avoid wasting your time and scattershot efforts by signing up for programs that have worse outcomes than muddling.

As always – it’s your choice. What ‘ll you have?

Recovered, not “In Recovery”!

AA and 12 Step alcohol treatment programs push the idea that being “in recovery” is what’s needed to maintain an alcohol free life. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“In recovery” is just cult code for “I’m not giving up my alcohol focused life and you can’t make me!”

It’s the ultimate passive-aggressive FU to everyone, but particularly spouses.

Think about it.

A person “in recovery” is refusing to give up alcohol soaked environments (AA meetings instead of bars), bartenders (now called sponsors), and insists on avoiding intimacy and responsibilities at home because they are “working their program” – which is also code for maintaining the same old, same old, but under a guise that’s harder for a spouse to complain about.

Of course if you point this out, or complain, then you’ve just given the drunk a free pass to go on a binge because you interfered with him or her and “working my program.”

I think you can see how all this is going to play out over the next years or decades.

Nothing is going to change and the drunken spouse is never going to recover, grow up, learn to be assertive, or do any of the other things that eliminate alcohol abuse AND enhance life.

So! If you want to passively evade and avoid responsibility, be our guest and hurry off to AA – or Alanon – and all of the cover you will ever need to hide out from getting a life.

The Bucket of Crabs, or Why AA and Alanon are Bad For Your Health,

Or you can come and see us and get a grip and a life.

Always the better choice for real adults, don’t you think?