-r I Humanist. Nov. – Dec.’ 1992 I E Albert Ellis

Rolionol Recovery ond lhe Addiction to l2’Slep Theropies ( everal alternative self,help organiza. vent testimonials that innumerable peo, sands-and quite possibly millions-of I tions to Alcohoiics Anonymous have ple keep giving for cults, superstitions, potential adherents who might profita, sprung up during the last several years. and hoaxes like astrology, shamadism, bly join a self,help group to combat their This article will discuss one of them: psychic surgery fortune telling, chan, harmful addictions. Almost every Rational Recovery Systems, which was neling, witchcraft, communications from psychotherapist and physician encoun, started in 1976 by Jack Tiimpey, a li, ghosts, satanism, and demonism. ters many alcoholics who attended AA censed social worker. Rational Recovery We have considerable testimonial groups for a few sessions, only to be now has groups in over 360 cities evidence, therefore, that AA and other turned offby their religious and spiritual throughout the United States and l2.step programs heip a good number of approach, and who fought vigorously abroad; its headquarters is in Lotus, people. But we do not know whether against attending more meetings even California (Box 800, Lotus, CA 95651; the content of these programs leads to though some court or medicai authority 916.62r.2667). their presumed benefits or whether insists that they do so. Whiie there are few data other than those benefits stem from thenewbelief Jb make matters worse, AA sub, testimonials availabie, attendance at syslem their adherents adopt. Further, scribes to many rules and canons about AA meetings and belief in ll.step pro. more, we do not know whether greater alcohofism that are controversial, ques, grams have probably helped great num, benefits would be derived from alternate tionable, and sometimes iatrogenic. The bers of people to overcome their harm, self,help programs. Just as soon as we ll.step programs strongly state or rnply ful addictions to alcohol and other sub. acknowledge the possible effectiveness these dubious points: stances and to lead happier and emo, of IZ.step programs, we had better also tionally healthier lives. But, alas, the recognize their serious failings and o Alcoholism is unquestionably a dis, same thing can be said when disturbed lapses. ease and takes a single, invariant people devoutly foliow various dubious First of all, AA is clearly a religious course which ends either in total ab, groups and cults, such as those pro, organftation, in spite of its allegations stinence or death. moted by the Christian flagellants, the that its group members need only pray o Addicts can never stop their addic, Moslem dervishes, the Hebrew cabal, and meditate “to improve our conscious tions outside of l2,step programs. ists, and the Catholic lnquisition. Lit, contact with God as we understand . Once “alcoholics” stop drinking, a erally millions of people have made Himl’ Steps 2,3, 5, 6,7, 11, and 12 of single drink will lead to total relapse themselves sigmficantly less anxious and its l2,step program explicitly endorse and send them to skid row. depressed by swearing allegiance to ex, God with a capital G, advocate alle, o Problem drinkers need a higher power tremist religious and political gurus- giance to a Higher Power (capitalized co quit drinking; ifthey are not the, ranging from Rasputin and Adoif Hitler again!), or call for a “spiritual awaken, ists, they can use anything (beauty, to Jim Jones and Jim and Tlmmy Bak, ingJ’ And the other five steps, though justice, an ashtray, a tree, etc.) as the ker-who dogmatically believed that they include some sensible advice to power to which to turn over their they could save the world for their fer, help addicts, strongly hint that oniy lives. vent followers. dependency on some supernatural en, . Addicts can only properly be treated The point is that none of these tities and on Christian,like salvation, by other recovering addicts. prophets had magical curative powers; atonement, and redemption will enable r Children of “alcoho1ics,” even as nor did the sacred views that they pas, one to stop and continue to desist from adults, are invariably disturbed and sionately promulgated to hordes of gulli, drinking. have to go through l2,step programs ble followers. But the fairh of rheir ad, Clearly, then, AA groups are no themselves in order to lead sensible, herents obviously helped these troubled haven for millions of secular humanists, happy lives. people to change themselves and to give agnostics, atheists, feminists, and other o Spouses and close relatives of alco’ up all kinds of harmful addictions. Simi, nonreligiomsts-nor for many reiigionists holics are “codependents” who must larly, people’s intense belief in a wide who see that humans can help them, be indoctrinated with L}.step pro. variety of implausible creeds and nos, selves without relying on any higher grams and materiais. trums frequently heip them change ther powers. Because AA often zealously c AA members, to stay offbooze, must dysfunctional thoughts, feelings, and proselltizes for its endorsement of attend regular AA meetings prac, actions. Witness, for example, the fer, divine intervention, it turns off thou, ticaliy forever.

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o A11 effective programs for addicts a prayeq AA uses it as an appeal to thinking of ‘alcoholics” follows the must have strong reLigious or spiritual God. famous ABCs of RET and CBT. Ac, elements. Faith-not reason-must o It believes that most conventional, cording to RET theory many (not all) prevail in these programs. “past,oriented” therapies do not help problem drinkers first tend to bring r ‘Alcoholics” who refuse to keep com, people to stop drinking and maintain about dysfunctional consequences (Cs), ing to AA meetings or who disagree abstinence and that new thnking and such as anxiety and depression, when with the 12-step program are seri’ changed behavior can aid these goa1s. unfortunate activating events or ad, ously disturbed deniers. versities (As) occur in their lives. They r Addicts can overcome their emotional As can be seen, AA has many good do this mainly by constructing irrational disturbances with AA meetings in’ (we could even say rational)philosophies or self,defeating beliefs (Bs). Second, stead of with ps.vchotherapy. and procedures. It never meant to they then tend to construct additional o ‘Alcoholics” never really recover from coerce members and participants. Many irrational beliefs (iBs) about their feel, their addiction; they remain “recover’ of its limitations follow what humans do ings of depression and anxiety-espe, ing” addicts for the rest oftheir iives. when their ideology is founded on reli, cially “I must not be anxious! I carit e ‘Alcoholics” who no longer drink but gious faith-not on reality and experi, stand this anxiety!”-and consequently are still anxious, depressed, or manic mentation-and is taken to devout ex, take to drinking in order to allay their are “drydrunks” who need still more tremes. pain. Third, problem drinkers often take l2,step treatment rather than psycho, On both religious and nonreligious their secondary consequence-“alcohol, therapy. grounds, AA and other ,12,step pro, ism’-and create more inational beliefs o The use of psychotropic medication grams have limited ralue and sometimes, about that, such as “I must not be an by addicts is wrong and almost cer, because oftheir devout orientations, can alcoholic. What a worm I am for drink, tainly leads to readdiction. be said to lead to addiction to the ing too much!” This creates a tertiary o Endless cathartic confession at AA lz,step process itself. so, despite its consequence-self,damnation-that fre, meetings rs the best form of treatment distinct advantages (and despite the quently drives them to drink even more. for alcoholism. likelihood that some substance abusers AIso, because of their self,castigation for would not have stopped their addictions being addicted, problem drinkers fre, While AA subscribes to a number without its help), AA has its distinct quently minimize their serious drinking of questionable ideas, it has many good limitations. Consequently, several non, problems and resort to many rationaliaa, points and has served hundreds ofthou’ higher,power groups have been estab, tions and deniais about their drinking. sands of problem drinkers very well lished during the 1980s which serve as In the course of RR meetings, the since it was founded in 1935. Many of alternatives to AA. These include, in ABCs of alcoholsm and its related emo, its tenel.s and practices are quite sertsr’ addition to Rational Recovery, the tional and behavioral disturbances are ble and practical and overlap with the Secular Organiqations for Sobriety, discussed and the RET techniques of rational,emotive therapy concepts that Methods of Moderation, and Men and actively, forcefully disputing (D) the are used by Rational Recovery. Thus, Women for Sobriety. members’ dysfunctional beliefs are like REI AA includes the following As might be expected, I favor Ra, taught and practiced. Jack Tiimpeys Ra, rational ideas: tional Recovery because it is the only tional Recovery from Alcoholism: The self,help group that not only has no Smail Boo( and other REToriented self, o It sometimes looks for and tries to religious or spiritual orientation but also help books, pamphlets, cassettes, and combat compulsive drinkers’ dysfunc’ solidly links its program to rational, materials are steadily used, examined, tional beliefs. emotive therapy and cognitive,behavior and applied to the members’ addiction o It uses many educational and biblio’ therapy. RR groups are educational and to their other problems. A number therapy procedures. rather than therapy groups and, al, of cognitive, emotive, and behavioral . It advocates some nondisturbing be’ though members pay no fees, each group techniques of RET are practiced, with liefs, such as “Make plans but don t tries to be closely connected with a pro, the goalof showing the participants how think that you have to plan the results fessional consultant who is trained in to think, feel, and act more appropri, and have to achieve theml’ RET. The consultant or adviser need ately and to achieve their personal goais. o It uses many coping statements, such not have a history ofaddiction or attend Members are thereby helped preferably as “Live and 1et livel’ every single RR meeting. He or she tries to make a profound philosophic change r It follows many self,help procedures to help the group members learn the that will promc,te their continued sobri, and urges active homework. basic principles and practices of RET ety and minimize their general dis, o Ic emphasizes the serenity prayer of and to apply them to disputing the ir, turbance. Ideally, they will become sig, Reinhold Niebuhr: “Give me the rationai beliefs that were instrumental nificantly less disturbable and, after’ courage to change what I can change, in driving them to drink and in block, being in RR for a while-though hardly the serenity to accept what I cannot ing their achievement of sobriety. forever! -will often prevent themselves change, and the wisdom to know the RR holds that, although probiem from emotionally upsetting themselves drfferencel’ Whereas REt however, drinking and substance abuse have many in the future. uses this as a philosoPhY and not as biological and socialorigins, much of the Rational Recovery, as can be.seen,

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is more o{ a self,help than a suppot group and the emotional disturbances that seif,help procedures specific rarional, and in this respect is much closer to frequently accompany it often have emotive and cognitive,behavioral thera, Recovery, Inc., than it is to AA. It dif, biochemical and biological, as well as peutic methods. fers from AA in several other important psychological and soc,il, aspects, and Here’s a selection of material that aspects: it therefore often encourages the com, you might find helpful: bined use ofpsychotherapy and medi, o ]t doesn’t endorse the disease concept cation to help addicted persons. . The Essential Albert Ellis by Windy of “alcohoiisml’ Dryden (New York: Springer Publish. o It sees its members’participation in Rational Recovery is opposed to the ing Company, 1990). RR as time,hmited and discourages one,party system for helping problem t The Practice of Rationol,Emotiue their perpetual dependence on RR drinkers-meaning AA and iti higher, Therapy by Albert E1lis and Windy meetings. power indoctrination-and strongly Dryden (New York: Springer Publish, o It recommends lifetime abstinence favors a democratic multiparty system ing Company, 1987). when there have been repeated fail. that may well include AA plus other o Rational.Emotiue Therapy .with Al, ures to exercise moderation but recog, anti,addiction groups which aim to pro, coholics and Substance Abusers by nizes that some problem drinkers can vide a meeting ground for people who Albert Ellis, John Mclnernery er al. and do learn to drink moderately and want nothing to do with any kind of (New York: Pergamon, 1988). responsibly. higher power and who want to rely on o “Divine Intervention and the Tieat, r It accepts the treatment ofaddicts by themselves and other humans to achieve ment of Chemical Dependency,” by counselors and therapists who have and maintain sobriety. RR parriculariy Albert Ellis and Eugene Schoenfeld, never themselves been addicted. opposes the unconstitutional stand of o It doesn’t see all children of alcohoiics Journal of Substance Abuse (1990) many courls and public agencies that 2:459-468. as emotionally disturbed, nor all their now force alcoholics to.lbin religiously o \’Mhen AA Doesn’t Wor\For You: A close relatives as disturbed codepend, oriented lz,step programs and dicta, Rntional Guide for S,itring Alcolnlby ents. lnstead of Codependents Anon, torially give them no nonreligious Alberr Ellis and Emmem Velten ymous groups, it soon will sponsor choice. (New York: Barricade Books). generic self,help groups where mem, RR, unlike AA, welcomes research o The Truth ,\bout Addiction and Re. bers learn how to stop being too on the effectiveness ofself,help groups, couery by Scanton Peele ar-rcl Archie dependent upon anyone or anything, including RR itself, in helping addiits Brodsky (New York; Simon and including RR meetings. stop their substance abuse and stay Schuster, 1991). o It has no objection to its members us, stopped and is therefore cooperating in o Rntional Recouery from Addictioning a religious or spiritual orientation studies to erraluate its therapeutic The 9mall Boo( byJack liimpey (New to help themselves with their addic, results-studies such as are now in prog, York: Dell Books, 1992). tion and other problems, but it takes ress at the Harvard University Medical o Rttional Rscouery frwn Fatness-The a completely pro,choice attitude and School and the New York University Smoll Boo\by Jack and Lois Tiimpey holds that problem drinkers do nor need any support from a higher power Medical School. (Lotus, CA: 1990). I Following the theory of REI RR and that they clearly haue the ability teaches its participants unconditional Albert Ellis is president of the Institute for to change themselves without any acceptance of themselves and others Rational,Emotive Therapy, 45 East 65th spiritual support. It encourages them to rely on their oun capacities to and shows them how to evaluate their Strea,?'{ew f-h ryf fi021,6593.Heis thoughts, feelings, and actions but not the founder of RET ond is considered the make meaningful, existential, and to measure or devalue their self or ” g7 altfmher” of cognitiue,behavior thuapy. philosophic alterations in their lives- personhood. and if they want to invoke gods or Rational Recovery-and the other spirituai forces in the process, that is addiction recovery groups that are with, their prerogative rather than their out any religious or spiritual tenetsnecessitude., are by no means the only answer to the o It recommends some form of intensive problem of helping people to overcome Now you can retrt or buy videos by mail of over individual or group psychotherapy- their serious addictions. The 12,step – 1.800 hard-to-find quality films, incluiing Beny especially RET or some other mode programs obviously have some excellent Blue, Red Sorghun, The Double Life if of cognitive,behavior therapy-as a results and are not likely, in the near Veronique, Batter, Poison, and Macho Dancen 0ur collection includes foreign lilms, limited highly important parr of the anti, future, to go out of business. But as RR releases. indies, docs and classics. addictive process and encourages its continues to grow and to serve large It’s simple and inexpensive. Recommended by Roger Ebert as “… an idea whose time has come.members to explore and change the numbers of participants, it wil 6e Phone or write lor free information and list of films feelings and behaviors that led to valuable to discover just how effective their addiction and that keep them at an antiaddictional program is that r-800-258-3456 risk for relapses. places no emphasis on a higher power Home film Festi o It recogni2es that problem drinking and that attempts to incorporat” in itt P.0. Box 2032, Scranton, pA 18501

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