Review of The Addiction Solution - Love it and Leave it

Love it and Leave it

☆

“I am a long term sober person who benefitted from the Freedom Model resident program almost 2 decades ago, I am hesitant to write this review however trust I can provide more good than it may do harm. My six weeks at their facility were some of the most enriching in my life. I’ve recently listened to a number of these podcasts and it’s disheartening that the founders, well intentioned and ethical souls, have been living in their own bubble and talking to themselves for so long. The podcast seems to be nothing other than mutual backscratching and parroting of their own beliefs with no willingness to engage in solid rational debate with others who have dedicated their lives to caring for others with addictions. I’m a graduate of the “freedom model,“ and a registered psychotherapist, with a Certificate in Addiction Counselling Harvard. Humans are complex and there is no “one-size-fits-all,“ approach. The freedom model emphasizes the individuals agency and right to simply make a decision not to pick up that next drink or drug. This is a wonderful and powerful message and when crafted well, which this group does to the extreme, it can be a phenomenal cornerstone to sobriety. However, the reality is that their’s is not the only model, and their constant repetition that the medical model is flawed and isn’t a reality, does not make that so. There is simply no denying the physical changes that happen in an individuals brain when they utilize drugs or alcohol, and those changes can become as permanent as any other change in the human brain. The changes themselves impact an individuals ability to make choices. At some point it’s not a matter of a lack of will, it’s a matter of neurological capacity. Likewise studies in genetics show that there can be a genetic propensity to utilize substances to disconnect from reality. And, the research has shown this genetic capacity can be passed on to offspring. I still recommend this program to patients, as I recommend AA, SOS, Smart Recovery, the support of a therapist, and the support of a medical doctor with an addiction specialty. Ultimately I believe that the opposite of addiction is community. The freedom model as does many other models such as AA, do that well. Connection is the key as it truly empowers your capacity to make good choices, and replace the fear which substances serve to mollify, with fear’s opposite, love. Definitely explore this program if you are looking for support to get sober and stay sober. But with this program like all others, take what works, and gently leave behind what does not. You are complex human being, and your struggles are simply more than just making a wrong choice. Seek out a broad range of community and develop a sobriety plan that works for you. And for those who say they have “the answer,“ listen to what they have to say, take what might work for you, and move on. When we dive full in and fall in lockstep with any one guru that says they have, “the answer,“ and that everyone else is wrong, we have accepted the invitation into a cult. The journey to sobriety is both simple and complex. It requires community, connection, and the best of what experts from multiple disciplines can bring to your journey. Good luck on your journey my friend. You’re going to have to make some extremely hard, yet good choices. And, you’re entitled to the love and support of other communities of expertise, including the medical and scientific community, along the way.”

WarmWeatherSailor via Apple Podcasts · Canada · 04/18/22