Rational Recovery

I always enjoy getting mail from TDA visitors and regulars alike. Some are just simple thanks or words of encouragement, several have been mean-spirited diatribes, and then there are those that I really like with links to relevant content.

So thanks to TDA reader Norman for providing us with the heads up on this blog post by Brian Cuban reviewing the “cult” status that some would like to place on Alcoholics Anonymous. Nothing new here really, this is a common debate but the extensive comment section is entertaining in a sort of disturbing fashion.

It never fails that those attacking AA most vigorously always seem to be the ones that would probably be better off working on their own personal problems than worrying about the semantics concerning a fellowship of alcoholics. This debate is always guaranteed to attract a rational recovery adherent and their canned “I hate AA” speech, this one is no different so look about midway through comments. I think they must pay these guys to go around cracking on twelve step groups.

Click “Read more” to continue…

par•ti•san (pär t -z n)
n.
1. A fervent, sometimes militant supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.
2. A member of an organized body of fighters who attack or harass an enemy, especially within occupied territory; a guerrilla.

It took me a little while to get back to the last review on my Beating a Dead Horse list even though this is the book that inspired the series in the first place, Jack Trimpey’s Rational Recovery. While it would take an utter suspension of disbelief, the title suggests a presentation of the “new” cure for substance addiction that will allow one to “remain sober—effortlessly—for the rest of your life.” Now before we go into the content of this book let me state in advance that regardless of what I feel about his recovery techniques, I think Mr. Trimpey’s advertising methods are reprehensible. I had to filter his advertisements off my site because I found them both distasteful and counterproductive. I scanned a few of my favorite recovery blogs to see if could find a suitable example but found none showing, so I can only hope he discontinued them because he came to believe the same. All you have to do is go to his website to see that he is the self proclaimed king of AA bashing and his comments on the subject go beyond borderline to fanatical on a regular basis. In my humble opinion, Mr. Trimpey’s group is a for-profit business venture whose almost militant partisan attacks against AA and 12 step programs make him no better than the small minority of radical fundamentalists in these groups that he views as the competition and the enemy.

One good thing I can say about Mr. Trimpey is that he believes total abstinence from alcohol and drugs is paramount to long term recovery, something in which I can wholeheartedly concur.

Click “Read more” to read the review…