Q&A’s
You Asked – We Answered
Is heroin more addictive than other drugs? I lost my son to an overdose last year and I’m really trying to understand what happened and why. Please help – your site seems the only place that isn’t telling me he was a hopeless addict and this is new to me because everything I heard before and after his passing was that he was a hopeless addict.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions First, we are sorry for your loss. The loss of a loved one is incredibly sad and difficult. On the other hand, we are impressed with your courage to ask questions to understand the issue more thoroughly and seek the truth. In...
Wow, I just came across this site and am appalled by the things you are saying! Addiction is a chronic illness, I cannot believe you say it isn’t. You people are crazy when you say it is not a chronic illness.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions We see that you are passionate about your belief that addiction is a chronic relapsing illness. We even understand why you think it is. Our culture has been peddling this myth for decades, and so it is not surprising that you...
I have a severe cocaine addiction. Sometimes I do meth too. I know my brain craves it, so I feel screwed. Is there a way out of this nightmare or will I have this brain disease forever?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Know this: there is no brain disease. There are many of reasons you use substances, and one of them might be your BELIEF IN the brain disease. But a belief does not make it so. The brain disease has been debunked many times...
Addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease. How can you say it isn’t a disease? That makes no sense to me.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The answer lies in plucking apart where the chronic relapsing addiction brain disease came from, who wrote and researched it, and where it falls apart. Below is a small portion that pulls apart the theory, one false piece at...
How come every time I go to rehab, I come out and relapse?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In general these “relapses” happen for two reasons: first, you still like getting high at some level (even if it is just to stave off withdrawal – in this case, staving it off is more “likable” than going through withdrawal)....
What causes people to lose control of their liquor consumption or their drug intake level?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In a word – mindset. In other words, their beliefs surrounding their use and how much they believe they have control. You see, no one is actually out of control until they believe they are. Of course if someone passes out...
I was reading your website about the freedom model, and noticed that you talk a lot about getting over alcoholism and drug addiction for good. I think that’s great, but there are people out there that cannot recover from this disease. Obviously the homeless drunk is not able to free himself from the grips of booze. So try to be more careful how you portray “getting over” or “moving on” as you put it, from alcoholism and drug addiction.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions I am assuming there is a question in there somewhere. I’ll try my best to respond by saying that you are a believer in loss of control, and while that may be your prerogative, it is more dangerous to promote falsehoods than...
I cannot believe you say that loss of control over drugs and alcohol is a myth! You people are crazy. An alcoholic or drug addict is out of control. That’s just the way it is. Stop lying to people!
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions We get this kind of reaction a lot. It just proves the point of how the myth of loss of control is so profoundly a part of our culture today. However seemingly true this idea might sound, in fact, it's completely false. Let...
How can you say alcoholism is not genetic? Just look at the Irish or American Indians. Obviously this proves that alcoholism is a genetic disorder.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In short, alcoholism and drug habits alike, are learned processes – they are not genetically driven processes. How your body metabolizes the alcohol (or drugs) has little to do with why an individual is motivated to drink or...
I’ve been sober for a few months now and I’m beginning to struggle because I have a lot of time on my hands since I quit cocaine and drinking. Does The Freedom Model have a goal setting module or goal exercises to keep me sober?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions We get this a lot. The only goal that needs to be addressed is what level of use you truly prefer – continued heavy use, reduced use, or abstinence. Whether or not you set ancillary goals that address other portions of your...
I’ve been shooting Crystal Meth for years now. It’s been so long since I dreamed of better days that I cannot even remember what life was like before I was getting high. Please help me.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions We can help you. Believe it or not, your situation is far from hopeless. As a matter of fact, the probability that you will get over this problem is extremely high. Of course you won’t hear that on the web, or at rehab,...
I use alcohol to relieve my emotional pain. I just went through a divorce and now I’m drinking a lot of wine and then I use Xanax to sleep. It’s become a vicious cycle. How do you guys fix these issues?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The answer is a bit complex because your question has some misconceptions mixed into it that need to be clarified first. For example, alcohol cannot, in reality, relieve emotional pain. This fact is covered in great detail...
You keep saying I like getting high. I don’t. That’s a fact. I really hate it, but I don’t know why I keep doing it. Will The Freedom Model help me with this?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Yes. The issue is not whether or not you “like” getting high, it’s that you like it on some level. You see, when someone says you like getting high, you automatically think the person is describing that like as a truly...
Because you guys talk about moderating drinking, and moderate drug use, it makes you sound a lot like Harm Reduction. Is it the same thing?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions No, The Freedom Model is not harm reduction. As a matter of fact, you can see the topic heading below that states this with plain language. Read on to see how The Freedom Model approach is different from harm reduction: The...
I know if I look at my drinking and the costs of it, I’ve got a good chance of quitting. But every time I do that, I drink more! Is there a better way to do this?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In a word, yes. To see quitting from a cost perspective only makes the benefits of getting drunk look better in comparison. So, if you mentally switch the costs of drinking to becoming the benefits of quitting (or...
If heroin is the most pleasurable drug, how is my son going to ever be able to stop using it?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The Freedom Model spends many pages helping you understand that drugs, even heroin, do not contain addictiveness. This idea is a myth. Here is a brief excerpt that can help you understand that your son can move past heroin...
I heard the Freedom Model is taught at The Freedom Model Retreats. I have a quick question – what happens after they go home from the retreats? Won’t they crave more once they are out of the retreat bubble?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions That is entirely up to the individual. Many of our guests truly learn The Freedom Model material that proves they can learn to enjoy other options and that substances are not the only option that can bring happiness. However,...
How can you say that addiction is a “construct” when we know that dopamine is affected in the brain? Doesn’t the changes in dopamine and serotonin cause people to keep chasing the high?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Dopamine and serotonin levels are constantly changing. This is normal. If you scanned the brain of a race car driver when the flag goes green and the substance user when he gets his first drink or hit, the scans would be...
The drugs we have today are so much more addictive than they were 20 years ago when we grew up. I think your book avoids this reality, and is irresponsible because of it. Please stop saying people can easily get over an addiction. That might just get someone killed!
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions That’s a strong accusation. We are sorry you feel this way, and I’m not sure you read the book. We never dismiss addiction as an easy construct to move past if you are a believer in it. However, we do tell the truth that when...
Can alcohol, heroin, or other drugs lower inhibitions?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions No, pharmacologically, substances do not change the content of our mind’s thoughts. The Freedom Model for Addictions does a fantastic job of covering this topic in detail. Here is a brief excerpt that might help explain some...
My wife cheated on me, and said she was in a “blackout” and that she can’t be held responsible for what happens in a blackout. Is this true?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions A blackout is drinking or drugging to the point of memories not being recorded in the brain’s memory banks. However, if the person were truly “out of control”, there would be no measure of orchestrated behavior present...
My daughter has been to 3 rehabs. I swear that every time she goes, she gets worse, not better. But I do understand that when she gets out she needs to avoid triggers. So what’s going on here, and how can she hide from the drugs?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions You bring up a good question here. Unfortunately, treatment makes addicts, it doesn’t cure them. So your assessment that she keeps getting worse from treatment’s influence is correct. Being an “addict” is a state of mind; a...
Do sedatives or downers or heroin relieve stress?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In a word, no. Drugs affect the physical body and physical brain, but they do not change a person’s motivation or the content of their thoughts. This idea that drugs change what you think is a massive myth in our...
I just got my third DUI, and my wife left me and took the kids. Sometimes the only way I feel I can get by, is to drink. I drink wine and sometimes abuse my xanax when things get too stressful– but I’m exhausted. Does the Freedom Model help with situations like mine?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Yes it does. You will be provided a way directly out of the trap you feel yourself in right now. In 0rder to fully pull yourself from that place of despair, and from the belief that alcohol and xanax are somehow providing a...
When I drink beer and wine it calms me, but when I drink whiskey or any hard liquor for that matter, I get mean. Does this mean I should always avoid the hard stuff, or will the freedom model show me how to drink responsibly?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The answer to your question(s) is in various chapters in The Freedom Model for Addictions. So yes, we can answer that for you. Simply put, what you decide to drink is up to you – that issue is personal, so we have no comment...
I’ve had trauma and deep depression for years. These bouts create serious drinking and pain pill abuse. Where can I find resources to deal with my depression so I can finally quit drinking and taking pills?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions This is a common question we receive in this age of “depression awareness” and the cultural belief that unhappiness in general leads to addiction. The Freedom Model addresses this issue and answers your questions about this...
Meth has cost me everything. I’m sick of it and need to change but don’t know how to get away from all the chaos. Will the freedom model help me?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Yes, absolutely. The process of changing a habit begins in how you see benefits of options that are in your sphere of influence. Most habitual drug users focus on costs, consequences, and the misery that their habits have...
I constantly look at the consequences of my heroin habit, and I’m shocked I keep going back to it. Why do I do this?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Chapter 16 of The Freedom Model for Addictions addresses this issue in detail. Take a look at this brief section of that chapter: “When you stop approaching your substance use as a matter of “battling addiction,” you’re left...
I keep smoking crack even after losing my kids. When will the consequences be enough? When will I hit bottom and change?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions No one has to hit bottom. Besides what does “hitting bottom” even mean? The real “bottom” is death, and it does not make much sense that death would be required to “recover.” This is why it is important to question the...
I’ve been shooting heroin for many years and I’ve OD’ed 3 times. The last one, I was revived with Narcan. I know that heroin is the worst drug, the most addictive. So how does the Freedom Model help me stop shooting up?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The first part of our answer lies in the undoing of the myth that any drug is addictive. A drug is a substance without a will of its own, and so when we say it contains addictiveness like an orange contains vitamin c, we have...
I have tremendous guilt when I get high. I know I should want to stop, but I’m just not sure I can. Why is this such a struggle for me?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The Freedom Model for Addictions discusses this topic in great detail and will provide you a path out of what we call the “should’s". You “should want to stop,” is a common “should” that we are told by those around us if we...
I’m really struggling at this stage of my life. I’m recently divorced, have 2 kids I’m raising alone, and I find myself drinking way too much. It’s not uncommon for me to drink a bottle of wine at a sitting. Whenever I feel stressed, I drink and it helps. How do I stop this trend; my kids have recently started to complain about it?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The Freedom Model for Addictions addresses the myth that alcohol and/or drugs helps with stress, and provides a path out of this mythology: “Pharmacologically, alcohol doesn’t relieve stress for anyone. We explain this fully...
We have a 42 year old son who drinks too much. As his parents, how can we support his recovery and hold him accountable to follow through on his sobriety?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions There are three facets to this answer. The first is that your son needs the correct information to move forward productively. He will not get this from treatment or the current recovery society disease propaganda. This...
I’ve been looking through your site and I do not see any mention of character defects being the cause of addiction or alcoholism. Do you guys not know that this is a fundamental cause of these problems?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions I am assuming you are a 12 Step follower as the “character defects” term and idea as a cause of drinking (and drugging) come straight out of that model. The Freedom Model for Addictions is the antithesis of the 12 Steps, so...
I have been going to AA for nearly 8 years, and I just relapsed again. I’ve tried sober coaches, the 12 Steps, sober living, 3 rehabs. It’s just ridiculous. I’m at the end. What do people like me do?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions You are not alone. You are a product of the recovery society – a mass of misinformation, the root of which lies in the idea that some form of external force can change your preference for use. It can’t. You must mentally...
Why do I keep drinking when I might lose everything I have if I continue?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions While you might have many personal reasons for your drinking, we have been listening to people’s desperate pleas about this confusion for nearly 3 decades and some general patterns have been observed during that time. Most...
How do I quit using heroin and methamphetamine?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Chapter 14 of The Freedom Model for Addictions talks about this in a way that people find quite helpful. However, because we do not have the space to place all 400+ pages of that text here, there is a lot more to quitting...
I don’t believe in the disease theory. It makes no sense. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need recovery. I need the tools to stay sober. But on your site you talk about the recovery trap. What gives?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Yes, over the past 3 decades we have talked with thousands who do not believe in the disease rhetoric, but who still believe in “recovery.” First, if you aren’t diseased, then there is nothing to recover from. Think about...
If the addiction disease concept is correct, then I really do not have free will, right?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions You bring up a fundamental flaw in the disease concept that seems to get easily ignored by those in the recovery society who promote the disease theory. A genuine disease (think cancer here) is beyond one’s control. The onset...
Does a brain get hijacked by being an addict or alcoholic?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In a word…NO. Brains change constantly. Any learned behavior or habit will change a brain. This is fact. But a brain that has adapted to drug or alcohol use does not “force” a person to continue to use – which is what the...
When I go to AA, they keep saying that “once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.” While I do think I am an alcoholic, if I can find a way to stop, am I still one after that?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In the passage below taken from The Freedom Model for Addictions, you will see how we will demonstrate that this AA belief is patently wrong. People move past addiction. This is a fact. But how we label or see ourselves...
I saw your site and your line about the trap caught my eye. I feel trapped. I feel like everyone around me thinks I will never get over this too. How do I escape this nightmare?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In simple terms, by thinking differently. Of course this means you need the information to think differently and make the mental change to no longer see yourself in the addict or alcoholic roles. The entire book, The Freedom...
I saw your website and was a bit shocked. I’ve been in therapy for many years reviewing my past, and looking for the causes of my addiction. I feel like I’ve made some progress, but when I read some of the website, I realized that truthfully I’ve been spinning my wheels for years. The cause of my addiction is still unknown – can you help me?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Yes we can help you. Take a moment and read the following quote from The Freedom Model for Addictions. If this makes sense to you, then you are probably ready to move past the addiction and recovery trap you currently find...
My family is pushing me to go to another rehab. I literally hate the 12 Steps, I hate rehab, and I do not want to go back? How do I get my family to accept me and my want to go somewhere else?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Over the past 3 decades, we have heard thousands say similar things. The good news is that you have options. The first thing we want to say is congratulations on sticking to your autonomous guns. In a recovery-centered...
I have a son in college who has been struggling with what we think is a Xanax addiction. At least that what we think it is. How do we get him into a rehab when he has told us he doesn’t have a problem? Can we force him to go?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions This is a common question. As you will read below, much of how and what parents feel in regards to a child’s issues may be heavily influenced by the recovery society’s insistence on portraying the worst of a parent’s...
I went to rehab and I feel worse off. Before I went, I did not think my problem with drinking was that bad. But after I got out, I binge worse, and now I feel addicted. What’s going on and how do I get past this?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Your issue is common in today’s recovery-centered world. Treatment makes things worse, not better (with the exception of physical detoxification when needed of course). When people go to rehab, they are taught to see...
Every day I feel like I’m fighting to survive – to not drink. Is it always going to be this way?? That’s what I keep hearing. It’s really depressing.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The answer is no, you won’t always feel this way if you have the willingness to open your mind to new information. You have been taught to see addiction as something to fight against, when in reality you are deliberating...
I looked through your websites and I agree drug addiction and alcoholism is not a disease. But I do think it is a lack of control and strength. I’ve certainly felt weak and made the choice to get high again. So I think you are a bit off base here.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The Freedom Model for Addictions addresses this topic in great detail throughout the text. Here is a brief excerpt that makes the point that disease and the “lack of control” argument are the same thing: “Perhaps you are one...
I hate getting high. I really do. I don’t know why I do this. I don’t even like it anymore. Why do I keep doing this to myself? Am I one of those hopeless types?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions No, you’re not hopeless – rather, you are confused. You get high because you like the effect of getting high, but you dislike (even hate) the consequences of that lifestyle. And after you get high and then pay the price, you...
Whenever I get stressed out, I smoke crack. Is this a common problem you’ve seen? Does stress cause people to smoke crack?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Again, like some of the other answers to questions like yours, the word “cause” is a problem here. No one is CAUSED to use substances, ever. However, you might personally use the existence of stress as a REASON to use crack....
Does mental illness cause addiction?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The answer can be found in Chapter 6 of The Freedom Model for Addictions: “The recovery ideology of “underlying causes” has these people completely confused. According to the Surgeon General’s 2016 report on addiction, 60% of...
I had a traumatic youth. It was extremely stressful and chaotic, and drugs became my answer. Today, I still find myself getting high as I try to deal with my traumatic past and lost relationships and my guilt. How do I deal with stress and trauma and also stay clean?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The Freedom Model for Addictions has an entire chapter devoted to these Learned Connections (stress and use, trauma and use, depression and use, anxiety and use, etc.). Take a look: “When we are born, we are mental blank...
I have depression. I was diagnosed when I was young, and I now have a severe drinking problem. I can’t figure out if depression causes alcoholism, or if my alcoholism causes my depression. Which is it?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions You are asking a complex question because the answer is both. But to further complicate your question you use the word “cause.” So let’s clear away this point first – nothing CAUSES you to drink. Rather, you have personal...
Does poverty cause addiction?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions First it is important to note that there are no external causes of addiction. There are reasons that individuals internally decide to use heavily (living in poverty might be one of them) – but there is no external factor that...
What are the causes of addiction?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In order to answer your question, we must first define the word - causes, and then see if that is the correct term to explain why people use substances heavily. In Chapter 5 of The Freedom Model for Addictions, the authors...
Isn’t Addiction Genetic?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In a word – NO. Take a look from Chapter 3 of The Freedom Model for Addictions: “Many of our readers as well as their family members are convinced that addiction “runs in their family” and that there is some genetic...
How Do I Resist Craving?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions To answer your question, you must first understand what a craving is from a logical standpoint. The Freedom Model for Addictions addresses this: “You don’t get cravings; rather, you actively crave, so no resistance is needed...
A friend of mine was talking with me today and started talking about this book. She then tried to explain the recovery society you talk about in it. Can you tell me about this – I’m not getting it.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Yes, we can. Here is a direct quote from Chapter 3 defining the recovery society and the difference between that and The Freedom Model philosophy: “To answer this question, first, we must explain to you the basic tenets of...
How do I stop using heroin? I’m scared to death of the withdrawals.
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions You are not alone. Many people are frightened of opiate withdrawals. But we live in an age of a certain amount of hysteria and misinformation concerning withdrawals from drugs. For example, heroin withdrawal, at its worst...
Why are drug and alcohol rates currently increasing in the US?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The simple answer is because we promote the idea that drugs and alcohol have power over the human’s free will. This myth drives the entire powerlessness narrative and keeps people immersed in the perpetual addiction –...
My family is pushing me to go to rehab. Is treatment really necessary to get over my addiction with alcohol and drugs?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The answer to this question is two-fold. First, for those who use drugs heavily such as benzodiazepines or alcohol, a medical detoxification program might be needed to safely withdraw from these particular substances. So this...
I’m addicted to pain pills, and sometimes get heroin when I can’t get my prescriptions. Am I someone that needs to go to treatment?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions No one should go to rehab. (Medical detox from substance use is a different matter when dealing with alcohol and benzodiazepines, etc.) We realize this might fly in the face of what you have been told. But you have a much...
Is Naltrexone or Vivitrol a good option for getting over a drug or alcohol problem?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The answer is yes and no. If you believe it will work, and you are already motivated to change, then the drugs will have their desired placebo effect. If, however, you really still pine to get drunk and/or high, you will...
I’ve been in and out of rehabs and 12 Step groups for years. I want to be sober, but in order to do that do I still need to be in recovery forever? Do I still need to go to meetings?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The answer lies in two things – the definition of “recovery”, and whether “recovery” looks appetizing to you. From the tone of your question, we think you are ready to move past both addiction AND recovery. Take a look – from...
As a person who comes from a dysfunctional family, how do I get over my addiction? Do I need to replace my use with other activities, and do I need to fix my family life if I want to overcome my addictions for good? In other words, do I need a plan for my recovery? Does this make sense?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions First off, this question presupposes that your addiction is somehow inherently caused by your life situation outside the realm of addiction – that being a dysfunctional family life. But the fact is this,whether your family...
Does Suboxone work for a heroin problem?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Suboxone is an unfortunate temporary distraction that eventually gives way to your desire to use heroin over the long haul. It provides a false sense of security and the illusion that you are “doing something about your...
Will Naltrexone help me get over my drinking problem?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Naltrexone is as effective as a placebo. Its success as a miracle drug for alcoholics is grossly overstated. If you want to take the drug, and you already desire a change in your habit, then taking the drug will have...
Every time I get high, I lose control. How do I stop this?!
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The simple answer is to know that “loss of control” in regards to drug and alcohol use is a myth. Individuals take drugs and drink alcohol to the exact levels and in the exact amounts they want to take them (even though they...
I went to a drug rehab and they said that drugs hijack the pleasure center of my brain and that is why I’m an addict. Some of this makes sense, but it scares me. Is this true?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions In a word, NO. First of all, what motivates you to use drugs is your mind, which is run by your choices; your free will, your desires – likes and dislikes. None of which has anything to do with your brain. The brain does...
Is Heroin more addictive than other drugs?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions The answer is not as simple as yes or no because you are asking the wrong question. You should be asking is do drugs contain addictiveness like an orange contains vitamin C? The answer is no, they do not. In the first chapter...
I’m tired of going to AA and NA. Is the Freedom Model an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous?
You Asked, We Answered Addiction Questions Yes, The Freedom Model for Addictions is the only true alternative to the 12 step paradigm in the world today. While many other approaches claim to be alternatives, they all rely on aspects of the 12 step ideal. The Freedom...