Jim, It’s The Only Logical Solution
The Only Logical Solution
To be clear. We envision a fundamentally different professional systemic response to substance use and mental health.
Nearly everything should be changed. It’s founded on a faulty premise of “clinical and institutional based compliance” delivered to a docile and willing client.
The suffering person must hit bottom in order to become willing. For goodness sake, the person can’t even get help unless he is coerced into “signing up” for services.
All the while he is obsessed and irrationally seeking substances.
Advocacy is unlikely to produce dramatic change.
History Clearly Shows:
- An industry and/or profession can be 100% certain of an industry related practice or industry related belief/principle.
Same for academics, researchers etc… 100% certain. People operate from the point of view: THIS IS THE WAY IT IS. EVERYONE AGREES. - And they are regularly 100% wrong.
- And they will typically NOT acknowledge the error in judgement.
As a matter of fact, they will frequently double down on their dysfunctional opinion. Especially, if they are financially tied to the principle.
If the business model depends on the principle. - People who speak out and challenge the flawed thinking will be ignored and marginalized.
They may be labeled dangerous. Especially if the “industry” is health related: “Stop thinking. You are gonna hurt people with those opinions”. - There will be an effort to regulate these rebellious individuals into submission. Or de-fund these rebel scum.
- The group in power (call them gatekeepers) will utilize tokenism to keep the trouble makers in line.
- Tokenism is especially common in areas concerning social problems or social injustice.
The gatekeepers will prop up non-threatening “advocates”. Advocates who basically reinforce existing practices. - The gatekeepers will parade “victims” out to make everyone feel good. “Look at the grateful little drug addicts and how well behaved they are”….
As if the gatekeepers are doing something about the problem. The gatekeepers will NOT allow certain opinions to be expressed.
**Example: If you want to become “epidemic famous” you will need to demand more treatment dollars and “insurance parity”. You will not be permitted to say: “create something brand new”….. treatment dollars and “parity” are silly nonthreatening talking points. But watch closely as they repeat that type of mantra.
The Logical Solution
Therefore, the only logical solution and the only real hope is to create something new:
- Funded primarily through alternative means (social entrepreneurship, individual philanthropy, utilize solid and proven fund development principles)
- Find non traditional partners
- Find NON SYSTEMIC partners
- Engage “non recovery bubble partners”
- Show that it works (find researchers who are not “in the system” etc…)
And then watch everyone get on board once reimbursement becomes predictable.
Maybe the Next Group
Even if you don’t get there, perhaps the next group will finish what you started. And someone will get there eventually.
Then you will have lived in manner true to your vision.
And at the end of the day, that seems to be a better way to live??
