Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog

“Disease Model” Faulty for Drug and Alcohol Addiction

July 30, 2007 on 4:23 pm | In Uncategorized |

In the wake of recent celebrity news regarding drug and alcohol rehab failures, one could begin to wonder about the effectiveness of treatment facilities.  Lindsey Lohan recently completed her second stay in a well-known Malibu facility, only to be arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and cocaine possession a few days later.  This example made the news due to the high profile lifestyle of the person involved, but is a repeat story for many other less than famous individuals who complete more traditional types of drug rehab programs.

Dr. Marc F. Kern, a Beverly Hills addiction expert, chalks the problem up to an outdated model and outdated treatment.  Many current rehab facilities treat alcohol addiction as a lifetime problem – either you will drink yourself to the point of death or you will attend meetings for the rest of your life.  This outmoded style, according to Dr. Kern, scares people off and stops them from getting real help.

In an interview with CBS News KCAL9 in Los Angeles, Dr. Kern alludes to the fact that it could be monetary gain that drives the unchanging treatment model.  He wondered why anyone would put themselves in the hands of a facility with only a 15% success rate.  Indeed, when looking over the statistics of 12-Step programs and other treatment facilities, one can begin to wonder if there are any workable programs.  This author suggests researching the success rate of any potential program in order to attain real help for drug addiction. Of course, you can also call or write to us and we can help.