Wednesday, January 25, 2006

An Ex-Drug Addict Is Being Untruthful? Like I suppose everyone in the country, I know someone who read A Million Little Pieces and absolutely loved it. She had basically the same take on it as Oprah: its "truth" of "redemption" is what matters, not the "real" truth. She almost broke me into a thousand little pieces when I first told her of the charges of fraud and lying. This book has helped millions! she chastised me. Oh really? Don't books like this one, which fill page after crack-smoking alcohol-drinking bloody-puking page with tall tales of low life, that then make the author a zillion dollars and Oprah's best buddy -- don't they say something else about drug use other than "it will ruin your life and everyone's you love" (which is what AA will tell you)? What I hear is "you can live as irresponsible and dangerous as you want, because you can always clean up, make amends and if you are just a bit lucky, become a real hero. A cool hero. All before you're 40." Today the NY Times ran a story of how counselors in the treatment center in which Mr. Frey was apparently treated, the waver-thin disguised Hazelden, say they are concerned that his story of Treatment Hell will in fact discourage others from seeking treatment. Amoung the millions of recovered alcoholics and drug addicts in our country, the ones who have struggled to live the recovery life and have inspired others to do the same, is this the best we can find as a hero? Just asking. 12:05:28 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2006 Randall Griffith. Last update: 1/25/2006; 12:11:25 AM.