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Why Charlie Sheen and others are so angry at the mainstream treatment culture and society.

Hank Hayes author of the book “You’ve been lied to… the untold truth about the alcohol and addiction mainstream treatment industry and the secrets on how to eliminate the problem for good” due to be released at the end of May 2011 say’s…

“I absolutely identify with why Charlie Sheen and numerous others are so angry, because I was angry too! For 15 years I stayed in the 12 step rooms. Although I knew that something just wasn’t quite right with the whole deal, I couldn’t fully get a grasp on it. Perhaps because I have a background in enforcement, investigation and combatives it was more obvious to me that things just didn’t add up. The numbers of people that were said to get sober from AA and the 12 steps just was not happening, I didn’t see it.

In an interview with People Magazine Charlie Sheen said “he has finally unlocked the secret, one that is far from the Alcoholics Anonymous model that has long failed him” he goes on to say “he just decided to think differently, that he wasn’t going to believe anything he’d been taught and that it all happened in the blink of an eye”. I can’t comment on if Charlie has or hasn’t unlocked the secret to sobriety, I don’t know the guy and time will only tell for him. But I can tell you that for me my mind was opened and it as well happened in the blink of eye. After reading Dr. Schaler’s book “Addiction Is a Choice”, I experienced a rush of validation and found out that EVERYTHING that I thought was going on with the AA culture was right.  Dr. Schaler’s book isn’t the easiest to read it has some deep technical jargon but I was so hungry for answers I read and reread it as fast as I could. It is largely his text that opened the doorway for me to do my own research, write my book and tell all in an easy read format so I could provide the secrets to the everyday person about the mainstream treatment industry and what they don’t want you to know about staying addiction free.

Anyone could see how our behavior would directly follow our self image and self concept, this is the picture that we hold of ourselves in our mind, This is called the self fulfilling prophecy principle.

The AA model says that your defective, powerless, have an incurable diseased mind and body and only God’s intervention can make you whole again. As well they say that the disease is like a gorilla on your back, cunning, baffling and powerful, always at the “I’m gonna make you relapse gym” doing push ups.

I tell you what as a US Military and Law Enforcement trainer there is no way I would send anybody into battle with a mind set like that! You can bet that’s a body bag waiting to be delivered back home.

It’s no wonder AA has such a high drop out rate. Evidence based research reports that 80% drop out within the first 30 days of their experience because of the idea they have to join religion to get free from their addiction. Further more when folks come into the rooms of AA they already feel bad enough as it is. How is it that being told their powerless and defective is going to help them?

Most outsiders don’t really know what goes on in the rooms of AA. Because 85% to 97% of the treatment industry uses AA and those that do attend aren’t made aware of solutions outside of AA that are so much more successful most people assume AA is the only way to get clean and sober.

Don’t get me wrong, I have met some of the nicest, most well intentioned folks in AA and I still have friends who prescribe to the AA way because I respect all people. But what Charlie, Myself, dozens of people I’ve spoken to and thousands that I’ve read about feel is that mainstream industry/the “Program” of AA wanted us to fit into their little one size fits all box. That didn’t work for us on many huge levels.  When I found out the truth after 15 years I was super pissed! But I worked through it within the pages of my book, used forgiveness and release exercises and finally made peace with it all realizing that it was part of my life’s path.

I don’t know what the future holds for Charlie Sheen but I truly hope that he finds what I and others have found. During my time in the barrel and even while in AA there was so much inner civil warfare in my mind. Now that I know the truth I’m so at peace with the demons that plagued me for decades. And my life is on such a wonderful path which I wouldn’t trade for the world. In regards to Charlie I would say give the guy some room and let him find his way. It is my hope that my book might make a difference for him or anyone suffering with the path of sobriety. Mr. Sheen has entertained us for decades and we all deserve to know the truth and be given a chance. I support him in finding his own way.

Charlie, make it happen as you always have.