The Nazis slaughtered people by the millions in concentration camps and yet most who were told of this didn’t believe it, or thought the claims were exaggerated, or thought the speaker was ignorant, insane, in denial, lying, crazy and/or stupid. In the terms of modern times they might have been called ‘delusional paranoid schizo’. (Or ‘cray cray’ in the technical lingo of NIAAA Chief Dr. George Koob.)
However our collective denial was shattered when pictures of the atrocities appeared in national publications like Life and Time showing vast heaps of emaciated bodies rotting in long wide trenches and towering piles. These pictures were taken by war correspondent George Rodger, who never fully recovered from the experience. (George Rodger is the father of Peter Rodger and grandfather of Santa Barbara serial killer Elliot Rodger and ABC’s Recovery Road star Sebastian DeSouza.)
Modern Day Holocaust
Experts have long known that the risk of death is greatly increased after rehab. Science journalist Maia Svalavitz claims that Dr Drew’s Celebrity Rehab mortality topped 13%. Ken Anderson recently posted some statistics showing a shocking increase in death rate within 4 months of leaving 28-day rehab programs:
Well first of all, someone needs to get on the horn with the CDC because I’m no epidemiologist but I can tell a public health crisis when I see it.
Anyhoo…..
What’s going on here? Addiction experts would say there’s a ‘drug addiction epidemic’ and it’s a disease and most would have died anyway so ‘early intervention’ is critical. But this is easily refuted by the data, which shows a much lower mortality if left untreated. (In fact, most experts don’t think addiction is a disease and most drug users moderate naturally over time.)
Anderson claims the mortality is caused by ‘lost tolerance’: “Tolerance for opioids can easily increase ten-fold with regular opioid use”. However this claim is completely unsubstantiated and ridiculous. It is also moot, because as Anderson himself points out, most deaths are due to poly-drug poisoning and massive overdoses that would kill a horse let alone a die-hard addict. So most of these deaths appear to be intentional suicides (or murders) and yet he’s playing into the ‘addiction’ narrative: “I just wanted to get high but I took a little too much — and what with my lowered tolerance I was done in by my own cravings caused by my disease.”
Anderson is an outspoken critic of AA and openly admits to being ‘buttraped‘ by AA and brainwashed into excessive binge drinking. In fact, he now promotes his own ‘harm reduction’ program “#trackin”, which is keeping track of your binge drinking via tweets, and he binges on 17 drinks (a fifth) once a week. Of course, this is dangerously unhealthy nor should it be promoted as a treatment for ‘alcoholism’ by a state-sanctioned ‘expert’ and yet when this was pointed out to him he responded, “The lesson is that planning leads to great happiness! Sorry you feel the need to put people down for their successes! You are worse than AA! I’m blocking you!”
So yes I am baffled, because he himself admits to being insulted and bullied into excessive drinking by AA and yet ignores the possibility that the exorbitant death rate from 28-day rehab is caused by the exact same dynamic (and then hurls an insult at his critic).
To confuse matters further, he recently proposed ‘public health policy’ that would legalize drugs while teaching people that mixing can cause death. Of course, this would create a public health disaster, making it even easier for the 12 Step cults to kill people in massive industrial sized quantities, though it seems he has backed down from such insanity. (His latest proposals seem more reasonable.)
I admit I actually thought he was a good guy a few months ago. Now I wonder if he’s a Manchurian Candidate, programmed by Keith Humphreys, the mastermind behind rehabs.com, to promote a flawed ‘harm reduction’ agenda and then self-destruct. I hope his friends see this and intervene. Not with ‘treatment’ of course because that’s only likely to kill him. Maybe take him out to lunch or the movies – set up a regular schedule, he seems to like that.
And yet at the same time he’s the one pointing out the crisis! Which is of course certain to lead investigators to 12 Step indoctrination, brainwashing, and bullying as the cause of death. And he must know that. He does know that. He’s admitted it did exactly that to him in Monica Richardson’s recent documentary The 13th Step (now at Cannes – good luck Monica!).
Interestingly, Maia Svalavitz exhibits a similar schizophrenia: she claims to be an addict but used drugs longer than she wanted only because she was tricked by her boyfriend that stopping would require a ‘tough love’ program. And she exposed the abusive ‘troubled teen’ drug treatment industry and revealed that many of the children in the programs had never even touched drugs or alcohol so couldn’t possibly be addicts. And yet she still insists that drug addiction is a ‘learning disorder’. Now remember, this is the country’s leading neuroscience journalist.
(And Stanton Peele is similarly schizo, another outspoken AA critic who attests to treating many people who were abused and bullied and nearly killed in the cult. But if you point that out to him he cries, “No more! Go away!” meanwhile ignoring the blatant suicide bullying of other commenters going on right in front of his face. And yes your tax dollars paid for his license.)
Well if you can figure all this out please let me know. Yes I know I am psycho paranoid delusional and brain damaged and yada yada. And ‘the still suffering alcoholic’ and ‘opiate addiction crisis and we must do something’ and ‘the problem of the jews’ and yada yada. I mean, other than that.
But oh yeah, please call the CDC first, we might have a bit of a public health crisis on our hands.
“The number of overdose fatalities in Erie County this year could end up doubling last year’s total of 119, including 10 overdoses in a 24-hour span in mid-July.”
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2015/07/27/first-30-billboards-to-go-up-next-week-in-drug.html
The CDC responded!!
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/p0707-heroin-epidemic.html
“Heroin use is increasing at an alarming rate in many parts of society, driven by both the prescription opioid epidemic and cheaper, more available heroin,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “To reverse this trend we need an all-of-society response – to improve opioid prescribing practices to prevent addiction, expand access to effective treatment for those who are addicted, increase use of naloxone to reverse overdoses, and work with law enforcement partners like DEA to reduce the supply of heroin.”
So yeah, the CDC is run by a stepper drug warrior. LOL
You don’t have a clue about opiates do you? You should ask the experts or even the amateurs . For your education try posting what you claim above on a drugs info forum and see what real users say.
You will find out that the vast majority of opiate users think you are a dangerous idiot
Fortunately I don’t care what you think the vast majority of opiate users think. This reminds me of how to determine the size of the emperor’s nose. (Look it up.)
You live your life based on what you think drug addicts think. Good for you and I hope that works out great. As for me, no thank you.
But you say ‘addiction is a myth’, so how can there be drug addicts?
It’s becoming obvious that you have no compassion for addicts. Do you write what you write hoping to kill addicts?
How is that relevant? Opiate addicts know very well the size of their habit, they can see their own ’emperor’s nose’ clearly most days. When they miscalculate the size of their tolerance/nose is when they run the risk of overdose.
You are comparing something people guess with something people know. How is that a valid comparison?
I write what I write to prevent drug users from being indoctrinated into your psycho suicide cult and overdosing because you made them confess they were powerless to their cravings and they believed it in a moment of weakness. I am saving lives, you are killing people with your nonsense.
Addiction is a religion not a disease. How many times will you ask me what addiction is?
OK, you call yourself an addict, by definition someone who has an addiction (i’ll spare you a dictionary quote) , so by your logic you are a follower of this Addiction religion?
I’ll keep asking until you provide solid references for your peculiar claims, get off the hysteria bus and consider writing balanced, responsible, reflective articles rather than disingenuous, distorted and dangerous monologues.
Also because it’s fascinating how much an alcoholic addict (as you call yourself) can redefine the meaning of words like ‘suicide’ and ‘addiction’ to fit their strange world views. You are an intriguing psychological study.
Please illustrate this nonsense you are talking about. and please, try and refer to the ‘nonsense’ I have written rather than nonsense you imagine I have written or believe.
I know that’s hard for you, you come from one of the most extremist countries on the planet, a place where a huge portion of the population demands the right to have the ability to shoot people in churches, cinemas and schools of their choosing , a frighteningly large proportion of the population is in jail and people consider their right to freedom of speech to be greater than other people’s right to safe and responsible information.
I have illustrated , by quoting you directly, what I consider to be your dangerous nonsense that can kill people.
I come from a country that always does the right thing, at least after trying everything else. I’m not worried about us, nor am I worried what you think. Your country will be following our lead eventually, as it always does.
You’ve admitted that addiction isn’t a disease, which is a large part of what I’m trying to say, so I don’t see what there is to discuss. If you decide that addiction is a disease after all, then please come back I’ll be glad to point out a few articles you might find interesting. (E.g. “Welcome to the Club“.)
You seem a bit obsessed with what I think, which is a bit strange seeing as I’m just another extremist in a world in which there’s a lot of nonsense to go around, according to you. I’m just pointing out the addiction-disease religious nonsense, and saving lives in the mean time. Don’t like it? Sorry. Take what you need and leave the rest and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Always? Another extremist claim, no nuance, consideration or exception. Unsurprisingly similar to your anti-anonymous viewpoint.
You claim I hold 2 directly opposing viewpoints, neither of which you can evidence? Can you see the contradiction in what you say?
Here’s an interesting definition of addiction. For a self confessed addict it seems especially pertinent to your behaviours –
Enough now, I’ve shown where you are factually wrong, where you exaggerate or distort evidence and the numerous contradictions and inconsistencies in your arguments.
Shame that you appear incapable of understanding, accepting or reasonable response to any crticism. If you did that your claims would be treated with more consideration and you might actually help rather then hinder the recovery movement.
As it is, someone else’s description of the ease of disputing your ‘opinion’ is rather apt –
You say many things but they are empty, disjointed, logically incoherent and rambling. You say that addiction is a disease and then you say it isn’t. Then when I point this out you accuse me of twisting your words. Then you ape my argument by telling me that I am contradicting myself, but you can’t post any specific examples other than your own self-contradictions. You keep saying I am killing people, but you have proven yourself to be a nasty vile liar and bully while claiming such an approach is necessary ‘tough love’ for the newcomer at treatment programs. You say I am not helping people in the recovery movement, while ignoring all the people who’ve thanked me for warning them of how you operate. No, you are killing people with your religious nonsense. The more you fight it the more you demonstrate it for all to see. So thank you and please continue to prove that I am ‘ignorant, insane, infidel, in denial, lying, crazy and stupid’ without providing any specific examples other than saying ‘this is what others say’ and ‘look it up’:
Perhaps you’d like to quote where i say that? Yet again you ignore what is actually said, by me, by scientists, by anyone who doesn’t 100% agree with your anti-disease claims. You decide on your argument and then cherry pick or misconstrue evidence to make a case for it. That approach is extremist, dangerous and deluded.
If your opinion is valid why do you need to distort evidence to support it?
Just repeating your claim that I am “extremist, dangerous, deluded, and blasphemous” does not make a compelling case, even if that works great for you at meetings you claim not to go to, even if fortunately your ‘friends’ there watch you as you self-immolate here in fervent defense of your sacred ideology. You’ve repeatedly agreed that addiction isn’t a disease, a view held, by the way, by most experts in the field and most doctors. Only the extremist factions of AA and NIDA believe it’s a disease. And you, sometimes, as it suits you to nitpick my arguments (such as claiming that most users on bluelight insist it’s a disease so therefore I should too, lol). Nor have you provided any specific evidence that contradicts my opinion, other than an article in portuguese that actually confirmed my point and various wikipedia articles whose footnotes reference each other. And then of course you keep reciting new definitions of addiction hoping one will stick, but it only serves to show that it’s a meaningless concept lacking consensus. Other than those vain attempts it seems we agree, and I am starting to suspect that you are obsessed with me for reasons other than my scientific prowess. Perhaps you have gotten tired of AA and need a new addiction? Perhaps you need to admit you have a problem?
I get how people can read these articles and think you are insane. At this point in the blog, the snark, sarcasm, and incredulous rage at the stupidity of the addiction treatment industry has folded in on itself thousands of times like a mythical Japanese sword to become a paranoiac, indestructible weapon against bullshit. Too sharp for most people to comprehend or understand.
But it all makes sense, looking at the earliest blog entries. You weren’t always a monster. You started out with the best intentions, genuinely concerned and baffled by the state of affairs. Saddened, hurt by the ludicrous levels of bullshit that actual people with degrees who are supposed to be in fucking charge of our lives are swallowing whole with an alarming lack of irony. You think, if people knew the truth we could be free of this crazy nightmare, and when you shout it as loudly and clearly as you can (great move buying Google search page ads)…nothing. No one understands. No one can see it, not even close. You rail harder, redoubling your effort. Your sense of humor turns strange and starts eating itself because the joke is good, you *know* it is good and yet how is no one laughing?! You get weird. The laughter begins to eat your mind and soon the pleas for reason become insane tirades. To hell with it, the people who really need to hear this are deaf and dumb as rocks. Eventually, the insanity wears itself out and you become sane again, and then you go crazy again. And again. And again. And still, no one can hear the truth.
But I can hear you. This is one of my favorite blogs. In a sane world, this would be great comedy. I understand how you got this way. You got this way because people are insane, and the world is batshit. Please, don’t stop. I have been legally coerced into treatment for the past year and a half, and if people like you didn’t have the balls to be out of their ever-loving minds about this, I would have cracked long ago. You’re a true warrior, and I thank you.
Wow you sound just like my shrink. Which I would ask if you are but you’ll just say I’m being paranoid and up my dose again.
Heh, no I’m not your shrink. Actually this blog is hilarious and I love it. I just…see all of these comments on the articles calling you crazy, and you’re not. You’re not wrong about any of this. 12-step and the whole concept of addiction really is a huge brainfuck that most people can’t even see, and you know why. It’s just the approach you take, most of these commenters don’t know what to think. But you’re amusing yourself at their expense because this war against ignorance and bullshit is wearing you out. I know for a fact that I am worn out as fuck fighting it.
What sucks is that there is no organization that has coalesced yet around the people who know what they are talking about, like Carl Hart or Steven Slate. At least, Slate is the kind of guy you can bring home to meet your parents. Orange Paper dude is way too tinfoil hat for that sort of thing, but his footnotes are simply outstanding and include many informative sources that most anti 12-step sites miss entirely. Monica Richardson made the 13th step movie, which is doing well at the film festivals, but judging from the commentary, it seems to lack a punch because it focuses on the predation and criminal activity in the Rooms and most people are not going to believe that it is *that* extreme in there. Also, as you know, that’s like not even the tip of the iceberg. Not even.
That’s sad, is what I am getting at. You, you can see all of the subtle social manipulations, and how society had bought right into it without even knowing, and the sheer absurdity of making public policy and scientific fact out of it, the psychological damage on a massive scale…but you’re too burned out and bitter to have appeal. I love it, but that’s because I’m burned out and bitter myself. Regular people can’t get behind it, which is too bad because you’re smart as fuck. You actually remind me a lot of me, only you had the balls to make this blog and fight and I was too fucking lazy or cowardly to put myself out here like this.
No, the only solution is to team up like the Avengers, a band of superheroes fighting for Truth and Freedom against Evil. You should definitely be a part of it. But everyone will have to unite on this because strength in numbers and monolithic ignorance is what they have on their side. Bill Wilson may have been insane, but he knew how to promote the shit out of something even if it was a sick cult, and that’s the real problem. So if the warriors of truth are going to do anything about it, this thing will have to get organized. Anyway, keep writing, I get the joke even if no one else does and like I said, thank you for writing it.
You’re pretty smart yourself. But you’re too “burned out and bitter” to see what’s happening. That’s ok. You will soon enough. 🙂
If the CDC won’t take your call, try your local health dept. Give them the names of the rehab, home group and sponsors associated with the deaths, if known.
Where’s the stats on people who never go to AA and continue using and drinking in excess?
I’m quite certain they die at an alarming rate as well. I’m not at all defending AA, your blog in fact does bring up valid and frightening real issues involving 12 step programs. That said I don’t necessarily understand your intentions here. Are they to help others or just to spew random statistics and opinions?
Either way it is an interesting blog. Always question everything and heed Mark Twain quotes.
Most people who don’t seek help moderate over time. This is indicated in the “Untreated” column. If you had actually read the article you would have seen: “But this is easily refuted by the data, which shows a much lower mortality if left untreated.” Here’s the thing to understand about ‘treatment’ – it simply DOESN’T work and people end up doing the same amount as if untreated. Except that many more die due to the abstinence/binge cycle.
I don’t understand the intention of your question. Are you genuinely concerned about the overdose epidemic or are you just spouting random quibbles to make you seem smart (or to straddle the fence so people don’t think you’re crazy)?
I couldn’t care less if people think I’m crazy or of your assessment of my intelligence.
I am however smart enough to know you’re a kook.
LOL thank you for revealing your intentions.
Addiction is NOT the primary cause of overdose/suicide epidemic. According to Victor Schwartz (Jed Foundation): “most students who OD on opioids are not addicted”
Ken Anderson is a Vivitroll you idiot.
Wow. I would NEVER have guessed that. Thank you.
You’re welcome, idiot.