Charlie Sheen's Anti-AA Comments Dangerous for Addicts
Charlie Sheen is apparently at war with the world. He's at war with CBS, with Chuck Lorre and most interesting with Alcoholics Anonymous and formalized rehabilitation programs. The latter is a war that Charlie firmly believes he is winning.
In his interview with the
'Today' show, Sheen railed that he has rejected the "fiction" of Alcoholics Anonymous and their "5 percent success rate."
He purports that he has created his own program that he calls Sober Valley Lodge in his own home, and he won't allow AA to have anything to do with it.
When asked how he cured himself of his drug addiction (which may be questionable at this point), Sheen replied, "I closed my eyes and made it so with the power of my mind. I had to unload 22 years of fiction and just decided I don't believe that anymore." He called the handbook of Alcoholics Anonymous "a silly book written by a broken-down fool who is a plagiarist."
Addiction experts are worried that Sheen's continued "war" against professional treatment will deter addicts who do need real help from seeking it.
"Charlie Sheen could be doing a lot of harm by making statements about curing his own addiction. That is just not possible and sends a dangerous message to other addicts and their families," explains Dr. Harris Stratyner, Ph.D., an addiction psychologist with Caron Treatment Centers.
"He's also not communicating that addiction is a family disease, and that's also dangerous because the whole family is impacted and needs treatment," Dr. Stratyner continued.
There are a lot of things Sheen isn't communicating in the midst of communicating a lot of senseless babble. What he is telling us is that he believes those who have relapsed after seeking help in traditional rehab are "trolls" who failed because they don't have his super brain, his "tiger blood," his "Adonis DNA" and they aren't "freakin rock stars from Mars."
"It's unfortunate that Charlie Sheen is offering a misleading opinion about curing addiction," Stratyner adds. "Addiction is a progressive and chronic disease that can be fatal if it's not treated. There is no known cure. But individuals and families can recover if they are willing to do the work. Twelve-step based residential treatment and programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon are vital to addicts and their families for long term recovery."
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I can't hear you when you're screaming.
I understand you are working on your English but, please, turn off the cap lock. What nation are you from?
So, Jo Piazza thinks that anyone bad-mouthing AA is putting alcoholics/addicts at risk and quotes a few people who make their living off 12step treatment to prove it?
Charlie isn't a very good spokesperson at this time, but the 5% success rate of AA is right. The success rate of people quitting on their own also is 5%, but more people do it and those in AA have a higher mortality rate.
George Vaillant, former Harvard professor and AA Trustee set out to prove that AA works, instead he found: "Not only had we failed to alter the natural history of alcoholism, but our death rate of three percent a year was appalling."
Just who is it that's killing alcoholics?
The NIAAA’s 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions interviewed over 43,000 people. Using the criteria for alcohol dependence found in the DSM-IV, they found:
"About 75 percent of persons who recover from alcohol dependence do so without seeking any kind of help, including specialty alcohol (rehab) programs and AA. Only 13 percent of people with alcohol dependence ever receive specialty alcohol treatment."
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I believe AA is very clear; If you want what they have then you must be willing to go to certain lengths to get it. And if you don't want; don't let the door hit you in the &*%. Not a quote but you get the idea.
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This sounds like a job for Dr.Phil!!!!
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My hope is that Charlie heals himself the same way Robert Downey, Jr. did. After many unsuccessful 12step programs and rehabs, Downey quit on his own, he credits studying martial arts for giving him the discipline.
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Dr Phil is just as self centered as Charlie, I never watch him anymore. Maybe Charlie will give Robert Downey Jr a shout. There is a man of substance. That man literly dug his way out of hell. But since Charlie is so "pointless" what would be the point?
Hey Charlie here's a news flash for you AA want's nothing to do with you
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Simply put, HE IS AN IDIOT ! Given opportunities in life that most of us have a better chance of being struck by lightening. And for the life of me why the networks even give him the time of day to explain all his lies is beyond me. I have lost respect for these people because we have men and women putting their life on the line every day and this NUT CASE keeps getting a chance to "explain his side" get real Charlie, your a moron and no one cares. How do you explain your actions? Move on
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Stop writing about him. This is sad. The man is psychotic and needs help-which he isn't going to get. I feel sorry for his family.
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Almost 9 years sober thanks to AA, and tons of support from friends, and family. Chuck sounds delusional from that imediate rush that sobriety can give you. When that rush, and that high go away is when it begins to get hard. It starts with a small voice, that quickly turns into an order. That's when AA and groups like it show their strength. Support from people who have been there is crucial!
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I would prefer alcoholics spend their time at meetings, even if they are "cult-like". If it keeps them from getting plowed and killing someone, who am I to judge?
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THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU THINK YOUR TO FAMOS
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I used to really like Charlie Sheen, loved all his movies. Now that I can no longer understand him-he is speaking some kind of forign language I can't understand and Idon't think I'll ever watch him again. He has two women living with him now..what is up with that? What is his point. Is there a point or is he just pointless now. He used to be so much fun to watch, what a shame he might have had so much fun on dancing with the stars even American idol. What a waste, his family must be mortified.
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that was great
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It doesn't matter what Charlie has done in his private life
If he is not on 2 and 1/2 men we will never watch a rerun or if you choose to replace him, sorry won't work we will NEVER watch
that show or Mike & Mollie again and I can speak for about 30 people that we know, not including relatives.
We think Chuck Lorre your cutting off your own nose.
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AA works well for followers who are capable of turning their lives over and admitting they are weak non-entities. I don't drink or drug anymore and God had nothing to do with it. And I didn't have to give up an addiction to hanging around in bars and trade it for hanging around AA meetings.
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To all of the people out there that think a twelve step isn't the answer you need an awakening. I have been in a 12 step program for 14 years. I don't go to AA and say I'm sober. Because I have an addiction I go to NA. As for Charlie he is totaly in denial. He has an addiction and needs to hit his bottom before the addiction kills him. The interveiw tonight on the news showed he was either lying about being clean,or detoxing. I pray for him and all others that have this deadly addiction. all I can say is I'm clean one day at a time.The addiction can go in remission but it is never cured.
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I don't think Charlie Sheen will live to admit how outrageous he is being unless he is institutionalized for a good, long time. Only then may he out-live his insanity.
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@sandersms1966--does anyone else think this sounds like Charlie has his own Popeater account? Weird. Charlie is a psycho/addict/wife beater who will be dead or in prison before the end of the year. What's so sad is how hard his family has worked to stand by him through all his year's of crap! I hope his kids learn from his mistakes and never repeat them. And I seriously hope women STOP breading with this idiot!
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Okay folks... Here is what they are not telling you.
Please pay close attention to this post.
You see all of these TV shows praising AA, and it all looks like such a warm and fuzzy program to help alcoholics recover.
The thing is, they never really tell you how it's supposedly done. So, for all of you who are unfamiliar with the twelve step program that supposedly helps alcoholics to stop drinking, here it is...
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