I was looking at a website today that flies in the face of everything I have ever learned about treating addiction. I’m quoting the Stone Hawk site directly, and they say, “Graduates of the program do not go to weekly meetings, as that would only serve as a crutch keeping them from fully recovering. As such, a graduate is not considered to be recovering, as the graduate has already fully recovered.” Just above that, the site says that the “student is there to learn about what it takes to be free of drug addiction and alcoholism; not to be treated for a disease or an illness.” Now, I’m not really sure what to make of all that.

I’ve always considered that meetings with others who’ve recovered from addictions would help keep an addict from returning to drug use in times of turmoil. My understanding was that accountability and support were key to successfully beating drug abuse and were the cornerstones of drug treatment. This is a totally different approach to anything I’ve seen before. While the facility is staffed by medical doctors and certified counselors, along with registered nurses, I’m thinking that drug abuse is much, much more than a physical condition.

It seems to me that…….well, there are many things to be addicted to. Some are addicted to drugs or alcohol, while others are addicted to porn or cutting. But I’m pretty sure in my own mind that the issues that drive the addictions are the same mentally and emotionally and that if you treat the addiction without treating the source of the addiction, then how can you expect long term success?