One Size Fits All

The article about Lifespan Recovery Management was ok however their are a few critiques. If professionals are not pushing after care as far as 12 step programs and addiction therapists then they aren't sufficiently doing their job. "A person can be discharged from the residential level of care when the objectives for that level have been met. This is likely to mean that the patient can now function at a lower level of care with a minimum risk of recurrence. Recommendations are based upon symptoms and risk." Peoples risk of relapse or in Dr Weiner's parlance "recurrence" since this word elicits less shame is directly based upon what one does once they leave the treatment facility. Alcoholism and or Substance Use disorder's chances of recovery are contingent upon ones spiritual condition that we must maintain on a daily basis. This disease is not like cancer as far as having various stages. One either has it or they don't. One size fits all which means that the quart a day vodka drinker can recover just as quickly as a binge alcoholic who only goes out 3 or 4 times a year. This premise holds true for the heroin addict that shoots up on a daily basis compared to the so called innocuous heavy weed smoker. If one has a shortage of dopamine d2 receptors then weed is definitely not innocuous. It took me down a deep dark and ugly path. One has to initiate the recovery process with the steps otherwise chances are very low that one will ever recover. Lifetime Recovery Management is analyzing the majority of people who don't jump into a recovery program right away and then proceed to have episodic recurrences throughout their life but this doesn't necessarily have to be the case. Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. What that means is that the people who don't recover don't thoroughly follow the path and that is why they keep having recurrences. In my particular case after recovering I took my will back and stopped practicing the spiritual principles on a daily basis and completely stopped going to meetings. What these various treatment facilities should do is have sponsors and holistic therapists lined up for the client as soon as they get out. Within 72 hours they should have a home group, spiritual advisor/sponsor and or holistic therapist. There is no need to put any doubt in somebody's mind that they cant get sober and stay sober throughout their lifetime. That is why when one goes to meetings people get to witness people that celebrate 30, 40 and 50 years of sobriety on a daily basis. Lifetime Recovery Management is basically stating that when you have a recurrence you don't need to start the rigorous process all over from scratch. The problem is that when people have had relapses or recurrences they never got sober to begin with and that is why their chronic disorder keeps rearing its ugly head. The symptoms are not pleasant that is why they need to be managed on a daily basis however many people do recover. Once we recover the only reason we will ever have a relapse/ recurrence is if we stop practicing the spiritual principles on a daily basis and in most cases when we stop going to meetings. People should be conditioned during treatment that they can and will get sober one day at a time for life.. Lifespan Recovery Management is taking a more realistic approach to this disease based on overall results so it makes a lot of sense. Overall actual recovery statistics are quite grim but only because most people don't thoroughly follow the path. It has nothing to do with intelligence, will power or character, once we turn our will over to a power greater then ourselves recurrences are not very likely. That should be the number one goal of these facilities, indoctrinating clients  into the spiritual way of life with a higher power as opposed to a science, intellectually curious evolution survival of the fittest mindset. Some places act like a war zone where its all about survival of the fittest. "Look around most of you will not get sober and some will actually die from this affliction." That is true but people need their hand held in the beginning and they need to be indoctrinated into the easier softer way. Getting sober by going to meetings and attempting to practice the principles on a daily basis is definitely the easier and softer way. Take it from me I have been to Dantes Inferno and back many times over. These treatment facilities should attempt to build people up for success rather then failure. Its important to note that there are different stages of alcoholism however that doesn't necessarily have any bearing on the different stages of recovery. For example somebody can be in the last stage of chronic alcoholism with a liver that is ceasing to function but this individual can turn their entire life around in less then 6 months by thoroughly following the path. One can be only as willing as the dying can be or they can come in to the rooms with what is considered to be a relatively high bottom and still recover at the same pace or more importantly (at their own pace).It all comes down to daily spiritual maintenance and  the willingness to change and surrender to a higher power.