McKenzie Evans

HLTH 1050- Roberts

Research Paper
December 8, 2014
Drug Treatment
Can You Buy Recovery?

As a teenager I had a picture painted in my mind of what a drug addict looked like. I had
a stereotype made up of who that person was, and how they could turn out that way. There is
no longer a quintessential addict or predictable alcoholic. The grips of addiction do not
discriminate, it happens to doctors, homemakers, students, even police officers and judges.
Alcoholism effects such a diverse group of people that it is virtually impossible to make
generalizations about the typical alcoholic or addict.
Never did I believe this could happen to someone I loved, and it would absolutely never
happen to me. No one grows up hoping to become a felon or a heroin addict. No person who
uses for the very first time believes that they will overdose or end up homeless. These are only
a few of the side effects of the disease of alcoholism and addiction. Families are torn apart,
hopes are lost, and hearts are broken. Parents often plead with their children to stop. They
may enable their child by giving them money or a place to live, knowing that the money could
be used for the final drug that kills them. They may show tough love, refusing their child a
place to live and believing that ultimately it is up their child to figure it out. They live in constant
fear not knowing where their child is, panicking when the phone rings late at night, wondering
if this is the call telling them of their childs death. Either way the gravity of the consequences,

depending on the decision the parent makes, must lay heavily on their conscience. The
question they face is always this How do I best help my child?
There are usually three ways a chronic drug or alcohol user can stop using,
incarceration, inpatient drug treatment centers, or death. In my personal case, it took several
in-patient drug treatment stays, time in jail, and many drug overdoses before I was willing to do
the work involved in staying sober. I had hurt enough people, lost enough material
possessions, and crippled my life in a way that there was really no other option than to fight for
my life. My parents had spent upwards of $35,000 on therapists and treatment, not to mention
the thousands of dollars spent on hospital and insurance bills. They searched tirelessly for the
right treatment center, and trusted that I would come out and my life would be changed.
Unfortunately they were disappointed several times, and eventually gave up hope to protect
themselves from more devastation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2010 more people died due to drug
overdoses than by car accidents or guns. Drug overdoses were responsible for 38,329 deaths in
2010, 30,006 of which were unintentional. That's a rate of 105 every day, and that number
doesn't take into account the 6,748 people treated every day for the misuse or abuse of drugs.
In comparison, traffic accidents were responsible for 33,687 deaths in 2010. Firearms killed
31,672 people, and 26,852 died as a result of falling. These statistics are very brutal facts that
plague the United States as a nation. Children and young adults are getting hooked to drugs
every day in our country. The question remains what do you do once this happens to you or
your loved one? How do you know what length and type of treatment will be most beneficial
to recovery?

When diagnosing drug related problems health professionals in the United States use
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (referred to as the DSM), issued
under the auspices of the American Psychiatric Association, as the official standard for defining
and diagnosing a wide range of psychological problems. In the case of problems associated
with drug taking behavior, some criteria may be that a person has been observed to have failed
to fulfill major role obligations at work, school or home within a 12 month period. A specific
example would be the neglect of children or ones household. These example would
determine that the person is exhibiting substance abuse, which is a term clinical psychologists
and other health professionals use to identify an individual who continues to take a drug
despite the fact that the drug taking behavior creates specific problems for that individual.
These patients may be successful with minimal therapy or out-patient treatment.
A more severe condition, called substance dependence, is term used by health
professionals to identify and individual with significant signs of a dependent relationship with a
drug. These individuals show both physical and psychological dependence and fear the
consequences of withdrawl. They can face many health related problems, criminal charges,
and even loss of their homes and possessions, yet they have a psychological phenomenon
where they are unable to stop using on their own despite the serious problems drugs are
creating in their lives. These are the addicts that ultimately face death or recovery and long
term in-patient treatment is often sought after as the solution.
Long-term residential treatment provides care 24 hours a day, generally in non-hospital
settings. There are many different types of in-patient therapy available and most of these
programs advertise themselves as being the best form of treatment, or show statistics of their

highly successful roster of former clients, that have gone on to lead happy, normal, drug free
lives.
Promises Malibu is a private luxury treatment center in California that runs ads on
national television with the CEO and CO- FOUNDER, Pax Prentiss, stating, I was an addict for
ten years and now Im not. This is not a 12-step program; IT WORKS!
The problem with marketing and advertising like this is that it offers false hope. Parents
believe they will send their child to be cured from their drug problem, with a pretty price tag
attached. These private treatment centers charge anywhere from $5,000 to $45,000 for a 28
day stay for inpatient treatment. Desperate parents who buy into these ads suggesting their
child will be cured are willing to pay almost anything. Are these treatment centers taking
advantage of a helpless person in desperate need? Are these prices justified because they have
luxury accommodations? It all comes down to what they are selling. Are they truthful about
what the road of recovery consists of, or are they over promising and under delivering?
Alcoholism and addiction are progressive illnesses, which means there has been no
scientific evidence of any type of cure. If you compare the alcoholism to other chronic illnesses
such as diabetes and ask yourself, can diabetes be cured? The answer is no, it cannot. It can be
managed successfully with proper treatment, but treatment is lifelong. It's chronic, it's
progressive, it's characterized by relapses and if untreated or mistreated, it can and will result
in death. Yet, alcoholism, a similar disease, is supposed to be cured in a 30-90 day stay in
treatment? It doesn't make sense. There is no cure for any of these chronic, progressive
diseases. They all require lifelong treatment. Addiction is no different.

Each treatment center has individuals trained to sell these parents when they call in
seeking comfort and help dealing with their child. I was one of these trained employees as a
Public Relations Director for MATR Behavioral Health, (MATR is an acronym which stands for
Measures of Affect Theoretically Relative) and inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center. My
job was to explain my personal experience as a client who had successfully cleaned up my life
and to create hope for the person now seeking treatment. Each treatment center may sell to
their prospective clients differently but they all highlight the dire need of the addict while
minimizing the cost of the program. They are essentially asking parents to decide, What is your
childs life worth to you? This puts the parent in a less than desirable position, either they can
afford to help their child or they are crushed when they are unable to come up with the funds
that may save their childs life.
Luckily there are options, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous that
are free of charge and have been highly successful in helping recovering alcoholics and drug
addicts alike since it I was formed in 1935. AA has grown to more than 114,000 groups and
more than 2 million members worldwide, although it is difficult to get a precise count because
the organization is deliberately structure loosely and has high regard for anonymity. The 12
step model of AA has been used to help not only those that struggle with alcoholism but many
compulsive behaviors as well. Groups such as Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous,
even Nicotine Anonymous have been formed all based on the AA model. Addicts that are in
desperate need of a sense of belonging and understanding, who can listen to success stories of
those that have substantial clean time can benefit greatly from these meetings. However these

are open meetings, and people can come and go as they please, unlike a treatment center
where the addict is forced to attend and participate.
What I have learned from my own experience is that no matter what the cost of
treatment, no matter where treatment is located, and no matter how amazing the clinicians
and therapists may be, the addict has to be willing to accept the help before they will be
successful with recovery. Addicts are compulsive by nature. They are often self-centered and
egotistical, they are entitled and become lackadaisical when it comes to pushing themselves to
change. Pain can be a wonderful motivator for self-reflection and change. Enabling an addicts
behaviors hoping they will change their lives is counterproductive at best. A well-known
behavioral modification program called the therapeutic community model is a way to hold
addicts accountable for behavior by group therapy and group processing. This reinforces
addicts to act their way into right thinking, and by having them deal with the negative
consequences of their actions appropriately rather than trying to escape. It is very
uncomfortable for the addict but long term is extremely rewarding.
Cognitive therapy takes a different approach. This model could be explained as thinking
your way into right acting. The problem that I had with this particular model, as it was the
model used at my first attempt at treatment, is that addicts have behaved poorly for years, and
are extremely good a manipulating. I could tell my therapists anything I thought they needed
to hear, I coasted through the program without being called out for the problematic behaviors I
was exhibiting even during treatment.

For me, the confrontational, truthful approach, no matter how unpleasant it was to
hear, it was refreshing. The painful truth catapulted me in the right direction on the road of
recovery. As an entitled person with horrible behaviors attached to my alcoholism, I needed
serious behavioral adjustment. The treatment center that finally taught me how to progress in
life was only a fraction of the price of a luxury treatment center at $3,100 a month, and more
importantly it introduced me to Alcoholics Anonymous. It was a confrontational setting, in fact
you had to be voted in by the other residents, and the residents can vote you out based on your
behavior. It keeps the residents in a safe community and allows them find their voice and
strength in making hard decisions. I dont feel like going to Promises Malibu and having the
alcoholism massaged out of me in their luxury spas, would have been the solution to my
problems. I am a firm believer that it is up to the addict to face hard truths about themselves,
learn how to comminute openly and effectively with their peers and family, and be honest and
upfront about their feelings. Recovery can be painful and it is a long road, but it is filled with
such beautiful achievements and milestones. It is worth every tear and every moment of
discomfort as an addict leaves the dark and miserable life they once led. Treatment is a
wonderful way to give the addict support and counseling for their deep seeded emotional
issues, however, the price you pay does not guarantee a higher success rate. It is up to the
addict to change. The price does not have be in the luxury range for an addict to receive the
help that they need.
The question that is up for debate is can you force someone into treatment? Will they
decide to stay sober once admitted? This is a question that haunts loved ones struggling with
those caught up in addiction. Last year the state of Ohio passed a law that allows families to

force loved ones into treatment. In passing this law, Ohio joined dozens of other states that
have seldom used statutes that allow temporary detainment, involuntary hospitalization or
commitment to treatment for addicts on the basis of grave disability or a threat to oneself or
others. To date, the Ohio law has been used only once, but a nationwide debate has ensued
about whether or not forcing an addict to get help could actually produce a positive outcome.
Treatment does not have to be voluntary to be effective. The reality is most addicts feel
conflicted about getting better. Many are court ordered or urged by family, friends or
employers to get help, yet they stay in treatment and have positive outcomes. Studies show
that what brings an addict into treatment matters less than the fact that they find their way
there. Unfortunately sometimes it takes an addict time to do their own personal research
and experiencing just how miserable life will get if they continue using drugs. It may take
several attempts at treatment, they may have different reasons for going, but removing an
addict from their current lifestyle and separating them from the drugs may actually save their
life long enough for them to listen and realize that life is worth living sober

Works Cited:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-basedguide-third-edition/drug-addiction-treatment-in-united-states/types-treatment-programs

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/overdose/facts.html
Drugs, Behavior and Modern Society (Eighth Edition), Charles F Levinthal
http://www.addictiontreatmentmagazine.com/addiction-treatment/forcing-addicts-intotreatment-work/