Part of the problem is that existing recovery programs lack customization. They are basically a general program that is supposed to work for everyone but obviously this is not the case as many will fail to achieve success. For instance, programs such as AA or NA, which make up the bulk of treatment options today, have basically not changed for a long time.

When a person needs to sober up or get clean from drugs, our usual answer is to have them attend group therapy or 12 step meetings. When this does not give us great success rates, we often will fault the individual instead of the program itself, citing excuses such as “the person just did not want to get sober”.” These excuses are unacceptable and we should be pushing ourselves to come up with a better solution, instead of simply blaming the individual. I would suggest:

1) Push alcoholics to use treatment for early recovery. This is important because early recovery is so incredibly difficult; it can be a struggle just to string together a few days sober on “the outside.” In a safe setting such as rehab it is much smoother when trying to get a hold on early recovery.

2) Push alcoholics to create a new life for themselves. This is important because it is not enough to merely quit drinking. When an alcoholic drinks they do it with passion and it becomes a huge part of their life. In recovery, the alcoholic must find passion and purpose in some way or they will eventually revert back to that which once held meaning for them: drinking.

3) Encourage alcoholics to make holistic growth a priority in their life. If you can convince someone to make progress in one area of their life, this is decent. But if you can encourage an alcoholic to make progress in multiple areas of their life, then this is really good. Holistic growth is indicating that the person is treating their disease as a whole, not simply as a spiritual problem (as some treatments deal with it).