Are There Alcoholic Anonymous Treatment Facilities That Will Let You Work to Pay for Your Treatment?
Question by Mizzy Hunt: Are there Alcoholic Anonymous treatment facilities that will let you work to pay for your treatment?
A friend of mine is an Alcoholic and has just about reached her rock bottom. The disease has cost her 3 jobs in the last 6 months. Her family is not interested in learning how to help her with her disease but they are falling apart dealing with her problems. I think she needs to find a facility away from her family so she can focus on her recovery, very similar to the show Intervention.
Are there Recovery facilities in the US that have programs where the person can work to pay for their stay and treatment? My friend has no money and will be homeless if her family didn’t intervene and help? Does anyone have advice?
Best answer:
Answer by raysny
The reason that rehabs don’t offer payment plans is that they really don’t work very well.
Most rehabs in the US, over 90%, are 12step-based, AA/NA. The majority of the rest are Narconon (Scientology-based) or heavily religious. Rehabs are basically indoctrination centers for the method. AA members like to joke that people spend thousands of dollars to find out they need free AA meetings.
What works? A summary of alcohol treatment research (ranked by effectiveness):
http://www.behaviortherapy.com/whatworks.htm
“About 75 percent of persons who recover from alcohol dependence do so without seeking any kind of help, including specialty alcohol (rehab) programs and AA. Only 13 percent of people with alcohol dependence ever receive specialty alcohol treatment.”
http://www.spectrum.niaaa.nih.gov/features/alcoholism.aspx
“According to one estimate, heroin addicts break the habit in an average of 11 years. Another estimate is that at least 50% of alcoholics eventually free themselves although only 10% are ever treated. One recent study found that 80% of all alcoholics who recover for a year or more do so on their own, some after being unsuccessfully treated. When a group of these self-treated alcoholics was interviewed, 57% said they simply decided that alcohol was bad for them. Twenty-nine percent said health problems, frightening experiences, accidents, or blackouts persuaded them to quit. Others used such phrases as “Things were building up” or “I was sick and tired of it.” Support from a husband or wife was important in sustaining the resolution.”
Treatment of Drug Abuse and Addiction — Part III, The Harvard Mental Health Letter, October 1995.
The two most important things are motivation and determination, if a person has those, they don’t need programs or treatment. Rehabs supply neither.