When Rehab Doesn’t Work – The Daily Beast
That stigma is one of the reasons addiction treatment is far from current with the latest scientific literature, says Anne Fletcher, who spent years interviewing rehab patients and researching the facilities taking care of them for her book Inside Rehab.
Anne’s first column as monthly “Rehab Insider” columnist at TheFix.com
“Sober Homes are too ‘Clean’”
Join Together chats with New York Times best-selling author Anne Fletcher, MS, RD
Join Together chats with New York Times best-selling author Anne Fletcher, MS, RD, whose latest book is “Inside Rehab to discuss addiction treatment today and the future of recovery… Fletcher shares her insight for parents seeking help with their child’s drug or alcohol problem.
Read More: www.drugfree.org
Anne’s invited opinion piece at CNN.com
“Tragically, another celebrity has died after years of struggling with addiction, personal demons and multiple stints at rehab. Country singer Mindy McCready’s death is in the headlines, but similar tragedies happen every day and you never hear about them.”
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/22/opinion/fletcher-mcready-rehab/
From Jane Brody of the New York Times
“The failings of many treatment programs — and the comprehensive therapies that have been scientifically validated but remain vastly underused — are described in an eye-opening new book, Inside Rehab… Ms. Fletcher’s book, replete with the experiences of treated addicts, offers myriad suggestions to help patients find addiction treatments with the highest probability of success.”
Read more: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/effective-addiction-treatment/
From the New Republic
“A large portion of the book, in fact, reads like a Princeton Review Guide for Choosing Rehab: Fletcher highlights unique integrative facilities, offers nontraditional solutions, and lauds excellent traditional programs… Inside Rehab is an invaluable addition to addiction literature. It is fascinating, insightful, and unafraid to upset the establishment. And Anne Fletcher is a measured, detailed, and insightful reporter. Her book is also a great tool for any family struggling with an addicted loved one.”
Read more: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/112255/why-rehab-fails
From Salon.com
“One of Fletcher’s most fascinating findings is that publicly-funded addiction treatment programs in modest neighborhoods often provide better care than expensive private alternatives…. Over and over again, Fletcher’s interview subjects told her that flexible, one-on-one counseling, rather than one-size-fits-all group treatments, was what saved their lives… Anyone in the unfortunate position of needing her advice on how to find the best addiction treatment will find this book invaluable, but the rest of us have a lot to learn from it as well.”
Read more: http://www.salon.com/2013/02/03/inside_rehab_how_it_could_work_better_and_why_it_doesnt/ | http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/effective-addiction-treatment/
From Time Magazine’s Maia Szalavitz:
“In a new book, author Anne Fletcher reveals the good and the bad state of care in drug rehab facilities…Fletcher investigates the erratic quality of care in some of these facilities and how some centers are working to improve treatments.”
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/02/15/qa-what-really-goes-on-in-drug-rehabs/
From TheFix.com
“Fletcher is highly qualified to talk about the biggest problems in the addiction-treatment industry, what to look for in a rehab, and what the ideal system should look like.”
Read more: http://www.thefix.com/content/what-really-goes-on-inside-rehab00393
From Andrew Sullivan’s “The Dish”
Read more: http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/02/03/only-cold-turkey-allowed/
From Addiction Inbox
“If Christopher Kennedy Lawford’s new book, Recover to Live, is the pretty picture, then Fletcher’s Inside Rehab is the gritty picture…”
Read more: http://addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com/2013/02/addiction-rehab-everything-is-broken.html
Anne’s article on programs for addicted health professionals at TheFix.com
“The Wrong Rx for Addicted Doctors”
Reviews
William White Papers
“Make no mistake. This is a serious review of the state of addiction treatment in the U.S. whose intent is unquestionably one of improving the state of such care. The field would be well-served if the publication of Inside Rehab sparked a “searching and fearless” self-inventory of the field’s infrastructure, business practices, clinical philosophies and clinical practices. If that should occur, the field owes Anne Fletcher not our resentments for publically exposing our vulnerabilities, but our thanks for helping improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of our services to the individuals, families and communities we serve.”
★ Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Some things never change. And as Fletcher (Sober for Good) finds in this bold report on 15 rehab facilities-from high-end, celebrity-friendly outposts to those treating people on welfare-that fact especially pertains to addiction treatment. Collecting stories from more than 100 interviews, Fletcher methodically dissects the myths about the programs that treat 2.5 million people every year. She finds, for example, that rehab isn’t necessary for recovery-some heal on their own, attend self-help groups, or see therapists; that most of the treatment in rehab programs is handled not by highly trained pros but by counselors with varying levels of education and training. She debunks myths, such as that the “12 steps” of Alcoholics Anonymous are essential for recovery….”
Kirkus
An extensive, critical overview of modern treatment methods for substance abuse.
Health and medical writer Fletcher (Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off-and What They Wish Parents Knew, 2008, etc.) conducted interviews with patients and the administrators and staff of addiction programs, visiting more than a dozen such programs (both residential and outpatient). The author challenges the notion that an addict is powerless to overcome an addiction on his or her own or with minimal professional counseling. She found that little had changed since 2002, when her book Sober for Good was published. At that time, more than 90 percent of U.S. rehab facilities were based on the 12-step method pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous. Today, the figure is similar, despite evidence that “the twelve-step approach isn’t for everyone, and many people overcome addiction using other methods.” Even patients who relapse several times are offered no alternative treatment options. Fletcher documents the many difficulties facing addicts in regard to receiving replacement medications, and among other surprising conclusions, she found little significant difference in the quality of care offered at high-end celebrity rehab centers and those at the low end of the economic spectrum. For those looking for a structured program, Fletcher includes tips on how to chose the best fit and check out facilities, including anecdotes and advice garnered from people who report having benefited from programs and others whose experiences were not positive.
★ Booklist (Starred Review)
Health writer Fletcher adopts a cautious, even skeptical approach in her exploration of current treatments of substance abuse. She warns that her book “is filled with disturbing accounts of seriously addicted people getting very limited care at exhaustive costs and with uncertain results.” Indeed, her portrait of contemporary addiction treatment incorporates numerous stories of individuals who’ve undergone treatment, opinions and commentary from experts in the field, and her own visits to 15 different rehab programs. More than 13,000 addiction treatment programs-outpatient, residential, and hospital inpatient-operate in the U.S. Dropout rates and the frequency of one-year relapses are high. One expert laments, “When it comes to picking a rehab, most people ask more questions before buying a vacuum.” Fletcher has no such bashfulness and provides answers to fundamental questions: How much does it cost? How long does it last? What do people actually do there? She concludes that no particular treatment of substance abuse is superior to others for most individuals. Flexibility-as opposed to a “one-size-fits-all” approach-matters most. One authority on addiction agrees: “There are as many roads to recovery as there are individuals.” Inside Rehab is a valuable road map for navigating the multiple pathways and programs dealing with the problem of substance abuse.
– Tony Miksanek
Video/Audio:
HuffPost Live Interview
When Rehab Doesn’t Work
Watch Here
Anne on National Public Radio’s The Diane Rehm Show:
“In a new book, health and medical writer Anne Fletcher describes what goes on inside many different kinds of rehab programs. She joins us to talk about the challenge of finding effective addiction treatment.”
Listen: http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-02-11/inside-addiction-treatment
Huffington Post Live: “Addiction Malpractice”
“Scientists know which addiction therapies work. But most addicts get non-evidence-based treatment from unproven programs. Are addiction “cures” medical malpractice?”
Watch: http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/addiction-therapy-alcoholics-anonymous/511ad1a5fe34442eca000099
SMART Recovery podcast
“In this webinar, award-winning author Anne Fletcher explores the gap in addiction treatment between ‘best practice’ and reality, as well as offering solutions for those contemplating rehab.”
Listen: http://www.smartrecovery.libsyn.com
KPBS San Diego Interview
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/mar/05/who-needs-rehab/