The Addict’s Trusty Relapse Kit
©2006, Jack Trimpey, all rights reserved
Starting in Miami, FL, about a decade ago, drug courts have spread to every state, following the nationwide network of addiction recovery groups. The drug courts promise lowered costs of addiction treatment versus prison confinement, and point to some statistics suggesting reduced re-arrests among those who complete the addiction treatment exercises. However, they completely ignore that recovery groups do not produce abstinent outcome but actually prevent principled abstinence and require tentative, one-day-at-a-time sobriety. That, of course, is the practical definition of addiction itself, so we have once again witnessed social policy in the service of addiction rather than in the service of recovery. Mass, runaway addiction to alcohol and other drugs ironically appears to be the cause rather than the result of our astronomically expensive addiction treatment industry.
Under California’s Proposition 36 law, persons diverted from prison to addiction treatment may have nine unsuccessful courses of “treatment” before being sent to or returned to prison. Each course of treatment may tolerate an undetermined number of “relapses” during supervised aftercare. The Drug Court is one of many innovative programs exemplifying the total failure of our social service system to help people to abstain from alcohol and other drugs and lead independent lives.
Below is a sample of a Relapse Kit given to a Proposition 36 diversion program participant by his parole officer in Butte County, California. Proposition 36 is California legislation diverting criminals from prison to addiction treatment. The Relapse Kit should dispel any doubt that drug courts are worthless and actually fan the fires of addiction, but from the perspective of addicted people and their supporters, the document may seem like a potentially useful tool in the addict’s valiant struggle against the terrible disease of addiction.
I will briefly comment on some of the questions asked of the probationer, to clarify from an AVRT® perspective:
Name:
Case #
Welcome, Drug Court Member to a journey of the self. Relapse can be a powerful place to learn more about who you are and what you need. After having a relapse, you are at risk of increasing your denial. This kit will work if you are honest, open and willing.
Relapse prevention is a crucial part of protecting your future. Relapses start way before you actually use. The intellectual, emotional, and physical process sets us up for use. In other words, what were you thinking, feeling, and how were you taking care of yourself before you used?
You have at your fingertips an entire team who wants to help you live a clean and sober life. Please reach out, we want to help. Good Luck!
1. What was the best part about using?
There is only one honest answer, “The buzz, the high.”
2. Why?
Why ask why?
3. How could you get the same feeling without using?
Utterly impossible. Only drugs can produce the feelings produced by drugs.
4. Identify where you were before you relapsed — intellectually, emotionally, physically, spiritually.
This is the belief that there are many possible causes of relapses, and that one’s moral standards are related to the circumstances.
5. What would you do differently the next time?
The next time what? The next relapse? What about not having relapses in the first place?
6. List one name from your recovery group list you have called.
Here is the union of bad company, the uncertain relying upon the uncertain, the blind leading the blind.
7. Things to do in case of a relapse.
This is the capper, an explicit expectation that relapses will “happen.”
For anyone unfamiliar with AVRT-based recovery, a “relapse” is just a fix, or a personal drinking party, in private or otherwise, justified by the pretend disease of alcoholism or drug addiction. “Relapse” is part of the clinical mind-set of professional counselors who actually believe the oldest story in the book, “He/she/it drives me to drink.” “Relapse prevention” is a clinical service based on the belief that addicted people don’t really drink/use, but relapses happen unless they are prevented. People who lobby and use political means to secure funding for addiction treatment use “relapse” to explain why the money spent on addiction treatment will result in “zero” abstinent outcome, in the words of California Dept. of Drug and Alcohol Programs research director, Dr. Kuhl.
The Relapse Kit, above, is a disgraceful example of how our social service system has become an active participant in the scheme of substance abusers to collectively continue the use of alcohol and other drugs. Drug courts are the creation of members of Alcoholics Anonymous who use their professional credentials, their positions of authority, their academic credentials, and their self-styled victimhood to protect other addicted people from lawful sentences for crimes committed.I have seen documents similar to the Relapse Kit from well-known treatment centers such as Marworth Treatment Center, Betty Ford Center, and other AA-style rehabs. They, too, contain inverted proclamations such as, “The idea that I will never drink again is a sign of impending relapse.”Drug courts are patterned after many other diversion programs spawned by the 12-step syndicate, most notably the impaired professional protection rackets in all 50 states.Instead of reporting to the proper authorities physicians and nurses who steal drugs intended for their patients, or surgeons who perform surgery under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, hospital administrators now arrange for interventions leading to addiction treatment and long-term monitoring. Why should laws and sentences exist when they will be voided by sentimentalists?
Naturally, the diversion committees, the addiction treatment, and the monitoring are all performed for pay by members of AA/NA in their professional roles. Through diversion-to-AA programs, all of the professions have weeded out persons like myself who have independently quit their addictions. Once detected as substance abusers, professionals either comply with forced participation in AA or they lose their licenses to practice their professions.
Let us hope for a better day when all addicted people will have free access to information on independent recovery through planned, permanent abstinence, and the expectation that their native beliefs and original family values are the appropriate resources for achieving secure abstinence. For now, experts on addiction abound while no one seems to know exactly how to quit drinking or get off drugs. Worse, is that the professional community is incapable of understanding that any addicted person is capabable of abstience, starting right now, and continuing for life. The result is endless accommodation of addiction, such as recovery group participation, addiction treatment, drug courts, impaired professional programs, harm-reduction, and so on.
Drug courts, including California’s Proposition 36, demonstrates expensive, bureaucratic cluelessness, based upon 12-step sentimenatlity. Why should substance abusers be assigned to recovery groups and treatment programs that don’t produce abstinence? Is it too much to expect that offenders abstain from alcohol and other drugs as a condition of their freedom?
In our fight against addiction, it is essential that all addicted people have the option of independent recovery through a commitment to lifetime abstinence, with zero-tolerance for relapses. Those who accept this higher standard should receive leniencies, beginning with exemption from recovery groups and addiction treatment services. The severest penalties should await “relapse.”
We should honor the independently recovered, for they accept a greater burden of responsibility, hold themselves to a standard higher than tentative sobriety, and save the taxpayer the cost of counterproductive services. Certainly, many convicts in our corrections system and traffic courts would gladly exchange their addictions for their freedom. Indeed, they are the ideal examples for all substance abusers to follow, but they are now squelched by recovery doctrines.
AVRT® is the only methodology ever developed for the purpose of ending addictions,.This website is the exclusive source for that information. The DVD, Rational Recovery Defends the Untreatables, is a stunning documentary showing the bureaucratic Beast (12-step syndicate) in action. It is a live recording of a meeting of the San Francisco Drug Abuse Advisory Board at which I proposed that information about independent recovery (AVRT®) be given to clients who have completed more than five addiction treatment programs without success. The resulting fireworks and astounding examples of Addictive Voice make this an entertaining classic for anyone interested in the deplorable state of our substance abuse service system.
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September 25th, 2006 at 10:36 am
I have been through court ordered “treatment” twice, and it is a joke!…I’m so glad I went to your website; I think that RR may be for me.
October 3rd, 2006 at 4:02 am
Wendy,
RR is the way to go. This program works because you want it to work. You are the only one responsible for you. I stopped drinking a year ago, the day I read the entire website and all the information on it.
You can do! Your basic belief in yourself will get you through. My wife has no worries about me drinking when we go out together. It used to be a constant fear of hers, but that is no longer the case.
Read all you can on the site. I believe that RR is the right program for you. Don’t expect a second chance here.
October 7th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
The ultimate insult to common sense, decency and justice in general is just the premise of drug courts: The defendants are ruled to be responsible for the criminal activity in question, but then mandated to say that they have a disease that made them powerless to act otherwise!
Case in point: Audrey Kishline. What a sweet deal! Only three-and-a-half YEARS for double-murder: The murder of a child and her father! And yet she KEEPS her right to get intoxicated!
As Bob Dole asked in the mid ’90s, “Where’s the outrage?”
October 12th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
So, based on this essay, it is the position of RR that instead of remanding people to court ordered couseling in lieu of jail time, the better option is to offer them individual latitude in designing their own treatment program, and at the same time, let them know that the “severest penalties” will result should they relapse?
How exactly does that constitute recovery based on individual choice? All you are proposing is to incarcerate drug users who fail court mandated drug tests to insure they have not relapsed? That is not individual choice, but instead coercion using the legal system, the same as mandating people to 12 Step programs?
“Don’t expect a second chance here”. Anyone familiar with the cycle of addiciton, well documented in the medical record for over 100 years, will understand that recovery and relapse are a cycle which predates any organized treatment for addiction, 12 step or otherwise. “Relapse” is a integral part of recovery from addiction in any scheme of treatment, dating back to Jung. It does not occur in all cases, but is certainly prevalent in most stories of recovery from any and all sources.
October 12th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
I have read with comprehension, I may just not agree with a number of your intial assumptions.
You use the word “relapse” in terms that suggest you view it with the same scepticism a non-believer might view an exorcism, an “event” that exists only in the mind of delusional people.
…Medical research has demonstrated conculsively that alcohol and drug abuse result in craving following detoxification. In many cases, people may succumb to these cravings through a process where physiological processes affect mental ones. Do you dispute these aspects of addiction physiology?
Are you asserting that all instances where a person has undergone detoxification from immediate physiological affects of drugs, and then reingests the substance of choice is an example of moral or intellectual failure alone?
October 13th, 2006 at 7:51 pm
If, as you say, you system is “perfect” (and mind you, no psychological or medical treatment ever evented even approaches that standard, due to the massive diversity of human physiology), then it should work in 100% of all cases, and be demonstrated as such in a clinical setting. Are you willing to assert that AVRT would acheive those results in clinical studies?
Mr. Trimpey, from reading about AVRT, you seem to be very interested in the interaction between human physiology and the psychology of addiction (beast brain/new brain, etc.). Yet you term the physiological study of the disease “bullshit” and go so far as to selectively edit posts so you can frame a discussion in only terms you are comfortable with. Reader, take note of that as well; scientific/medical research that does not fit into Mr. Trimpey’s hierarchy of belief is “bullshit”. How very rational of him.
Until there is a comprehensive union between psychological (”addictive voice”, “spiritual disease”, “powerlessness”) and medical understanding of addiction, no single approach will do anything but make a dent in the number of people who gain long term meaningful recovery, be it AVRT, 12 Steps, etc.
October 17th, 2006 at 8:33 am
I am a sober member of a 12-step program, and also a graduate student in biochemistry. I am a free thinker, but also respect the experience of the people who helped me to get and stay sober. I am an active member in my 12-step program, but I do not believe 12-step programs have a monopoly on knowledge related to addiction. I know today that 12-step recovery has worked miracles in my life, things I could not have done (or even imagined) on my own; at the same time, I have no illusions that 12-step recovery is not the cure-all for everyone.
[snip]
I just realized - I used my last name in our dialogue, and in order to maintain my anonymity and respect the traditions of 12-step recovery, could you please edit my last name to “L.” on my posts, or delete the last post entirely? I have noth my personal and professional anonymity to consider.
I understand you take exception with the 12 Traditions, but they are important to me, and hope you will extend me the consideration.
November 1st, 2006 at 12:58 pm
As I was reading this communication I was thinking that Jason was indeed a RR participant although confused about where to point his gratitude. He beat this addiction on his own. AA did not help him. It was just a place he felt like he had to go to stay sober (brainwashed from treatment no doubt).
I went to a 12 step treatment to detox (vicodin) but pressure from home caused me to stay 3 more week. It was the worst. I knew right away that aa was not for me. I rejected the meetings, the step studies, morning prayer (I do not believe in higher power including god) and the rest of it. I did enjoy the lectures on medical stuff, all science. I could not wait to leave. I satisfied my family (husband, mother, sister and adult children) but I never intended to do the aa or share stuff at meetings. I knew I could do it with sheer willpower. I am proud and will not will not use or drink. I quit alcohol when I was 32, 17 years ago on my own. I just had had enough with the hangovers and being a drunk. I woke up and told myself that was it and I never drank again. I love RR. I have been spreading the word of your web-page and have had a couple friends from rehab embrace your ideas on recover.
Jason is struggling with himself. He need to pat himself on the back and say “well done Jason, you did this on your own”.
December 10th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Mr. Trimpey,
I found your dialogue with Jason L quite interesting. Your responses were succient, not being baited with his psychological medical union “bullshit.” Jason needs to relax and enjoy his “found” sobriety with
AA and their teachings. Being a free thinker, he should respect that we are all in the same boat, with RR we tossed the oars, are no longer adrift, and have found a home port.
Thank you Mr. Trimpey for saying it like it is. Abstinence is a choice.
Happy New Year!
January 19th, 2007 at 12:28 am
Recently I heard an AA member use a term that I had never heard before.
The quote was, “I did two years of clean time before I relapsed.”
“Clean time” refers to the length of time being sober.
What confounds me is the insinuation of “doing time”, as in prison time.
AA promotes and propagates the wacky idea that deciding to permanently abstain from getting loaded results in problems (difficulties with spouse / realizing you have the emotional development of a 3 year old / etc.), and the phrase “clean time” may reflect that. I can appreciate the analogy to prison time for when someone was using, but referring to “clean time” implies that someone is locked in their personal prison no matter if they use or not. Either way, I guess we are screwed, “doing time”.
One last thing:
When I occasionally speak about the concept of AVRT to friends, the reply that I hate the most is, “Oh it can’t be that easy!”
PURE 100% BEAST!
Do you have a good reply to that Jack?
February 17th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
Didn’t this begin as a dabate about drug courts? The drug court in my area mandates 12-stepping. It’s easy to see why. By helping addicts convince themselves they are in a cycle of relapse/recovery they fuel the correctional and rehabilitation industries (at the expense of taxpayers) by revolving the same people in and out over and over for years until the addict either dies or gets it. All the while maximizing the penalties and fines extracted from said addict. I’m not an apologist for a substace abusers illegal behaviour, but I believe it’s criminal to inflict additional years of suffering on sick people for profit and beacause they’ll go along with it.
February 19th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
I want to begin by saying I work in the addiction counseling field and face many of the frustrations you speak of so freely. I do wonder, Mr. Trimpey, what is the individual who was raised without basic decent family values to do? I admit I have not read your AVRT based recovery information and after reading your home page, sincerely lack the desire to do so, but seriously-I have worked w/individuals who were raised in homes of addicts and/or dealers and have a completely skewed set of family values, i.e-it’s just not right to make drug deliveries to those in treatment facilitaties-shame on you! Just to name one example-so again I ask what are these people to do? I will also go further in self disclosure-I was an addict for the majority of my life but am not in a 12step program of any type nor do I plan to be in the future. I do believe in God, and thankfully was raised in a home where basic family values were taught, I don’t blame my family for the choices I made leading to my addiction, but I do believe in a genetic predisposition that makes individuals more vulnerable to addiction (silly me, after years of working in detox-seeing approximately 900-1000 people per year and having approximately 90% of those I assessed report some type of biological family history of addiction I tend to believe there is a link). There are many biochemical changes that occur in the body that make the compulsion to use real. Earlier I read your opinion that people relapsed simply because it felt good-because they “liked the buzz” Once again I will self disclose-for many years before I actually quit I had stopped enjoying being a crack addict-oh, i don’t know, maybe it was the accompanying psychosis along with wasting syndrome, dragging myself through shit to get the drug, or maybe it was the times my body temperature shot up suddenly and dangerously-making me feel as if I was going to die that made “the buzz” less enjoyable-yet I continued to use. I only stopped when the family who I hold so dear finally said, “go away and don’t come back”. But to be truthful I didn’t go straight then either I went to marijuana maintenance. I suppose it was a variety of changes and occurrences that led to me finally getting and staying straight-none of which had anything to do with 12step programs or RR. I was suffering from untreated Major Depression and ADHD and finally got those problems treated and under control-although I don’t believe this was a cause of my addiction-I don’t look for the cause since this is an act of futility and I wasted entirely too much time being a junkie and don’t plan to waste more by asking irrelevant questions like “why me?”. I married a “square” who helped me to see I could be more-I love my “square” dearly to this day-we have been married almost 10years. I returned to school and for the first time in my life not only completed something voluntarily but did so on the President’s List at the school I attended. When my advisor suggested I obtain my addiction counselor’s liscence (LCDC) I balked with the response that I would not, that I had spent most of my life around lying, cheating, conniving junkies and much like you, believed that would get better when they were ready. Alas, I decided to get my LCDC as an added credential for my degree as well as give me an opportunity to get a better paying job-as pathetic as that sounds at the time I was only making $7.00 per hour. I have seen and learned so much since 1998 when I began my internship. I have learned that the sickness, disease, illness whatever you choose to call it, is real. There are significant biological changes that occur in a long time chronic substance abuser. I have learned that outside of nicotine alcohol is the most toxic substance of abuse a person can use. I have learned that if one educates oneself on the biochemical consequences of addiction and follow basic and good life principles like eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, and work towards self improvement and enlightenment one can get better. I have also seen the consequences of making addiction or the dreaded relapse all about character strength or lack of moral values-this can be just as devestating. I guess what I want to say is that I don’t agree with you but I don’t need to-other people seem to be responsive to your program, and it is a program. I don’t attend AA or NA but alot of people get better in those programs also. When I counsel my patients or clients I don’t take the approach of one size fits all. What is a persons recovery is what works for that person-what helps that person meet their potential without hurting others around them. I find you to be abrasive and you seem to dislike it when people who write you don’t agree but I am writing anyway-I guess maybe I am addicted to writing too! Maybe I should contact those silly professors from Stanford University who have likely never finished a book! You might decide to only put segments of this on your blog if any and thats ok too-I don’t need the validation nor do I fear your harsh judgement of my “bullshit” ideas or beliefs. If you do post this I hope anyone who reads this will take it for what it is-embrace who you are, the good and the bad, and you will find a way that works for you. It doesn’t have to be a program already created by others with an agenda-the best program I found was the one I made for myself and that program is holistic and it is receptive to new ideas and opinions, even yours Mr. Trimpey. God Bless
February 20th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
I just finished reading everything I could on this website. I will say as of yesterday I’m abstinent and will be tomorrow and 10,20,and 30 years after that. In some aspects of life, a grey area is ok, but not in defeating the Beast of addiction! We were put on this earth with everything we needed to survive, without 12-step programs, detox, and recovery centers. Addictions were different in the past; either do it or you don‘t. I just want to thank you for introducing me to this method. It’s up to us, not a program. Once again, thanks.
March 20th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
I have been going to AA for 23 months (sober all the while),but something isn’t quite right.I have a sponser,but I dont support the concept. I do not subscribe to the one day at a time thought process. I planned to never drink again from day one, but would never admit this to any “AA”. Now, when I voice my opinions on dedicating your life to “staying sober”, and tell the group to stop making excuses, I am singled out and made to look foolish. When I recently told a group that working the steps was not hard, you just had to do it, an “old timer” said “He talks a good game, but if you listen he is full of it.” THIS ISN’T A GAME! I told another old timer, “I have done everything AA has asked. In two years, I have gone to something like 550 meetings, done service work, have a home group and a sponser. Why dont I feel like I fit in? His comment was “When you fall on your ass, I’ll be here to pick it up”. I was insulted! I guess you can see why this web site has peaked my interest. Thanks