"Rational Recovery - The Powerful Alternative" was the title of a talk given by Nile B. Ward, a Counselor of the FIRST STEP HOUSE at the June 14th meeting of Humanists of Utah. The following highlights were prepared by Nancy Moore.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

About five years ago, when Nile was a senior majoring in social work at Westminster College, he and his wife found themselves in a situation when they discovered their 16 year old daughter was addicted to cocaine and other drugs. They were concerned that she was going to die, so they placed her in a program called Day Spring which uses the 12 Step Program originated in Alcoholics Anonymous. Their daughter progressed very well in Day Spring, has recovered, and is living a productive and happy life.

Nile has worked in various social agencies, including Alcoholics Anonymous, but always felt there was a problem with the spiritual and religious commitment part of the 12 Step Program. Nile saw that therapy ended up much like a cheerleading group in high school, with little of the solutions of remaining sober being based on rational thinking and the real world.

Last year, Nile went to work for First Step House in Salt Lake City where he found that the therapy was based on a cognitive model. Clients were required to look at the basic assumptions they formulate their life around, and ask themselves if those premises are based on rational and realistic thinking. Nile liked this approach of helping people because it made a lot of sense.

JACK TRIMPEY AND RATIONAL EMOTIVE THERAPY

A few years ago, Nile met Jack Trimpey (MSW) a licensed social worker and recovered alcoholic. Jack had discovered that some of his clients resented having their treatment based on reliance upon a supernatual power, and having to submit themselves to feelings of powerlessness. He felt there had to be another way, so Jack initialized psychotherapist Dr. Albert Ellis' Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) into his program. RET is based upon the simple idea of "Give up irrational thinking, and begin basing your life on rational thinking." In this type of therapy, people must be willing to look at rational ways of thinking and when they do, then recovery from alcohol or drug abuse will naturally follow. Rational Emotive Therapy believes our thoughts control how we feel, and our feelings influence how we behave, therefore therapy begins in correcting our irrational thoughts. "Thinking is the problem, not the drinking" is a familiar adage in Rational Recovery (RR).

RATIONAL RECOVERY SYSTEMS

The term "Rational Recovery Systems" (RRS) was created and the definition is as follows: RRS is a nonspiritual, nonreligious, nonprofit, self-help addiction-care group. Rational Recoverists use the word RECOVERY because they feel if a person has had a long, sustained period of sobriety, and has changed to a happy and productive lifestyle, then shy not consider themselves recovered? Because rational recovered alcoholics have taken ownership of their won problems, they do not think of themselves as victims, not do they consider alcoholism a disease.

DUBIOUS ASSUMPTIONS

Nile listed some Dubious Assumptions from contemporary alcohol treatment centers, which Rational Recovery Systems challenge because they are irrational, and do not lend themselves to responsible recovery. They are as follows:

DUBIOUS ASSUMPTION #1: A person must have a history of addiction or alcoholism in order to be effective in helping an addict or alcoholic.

RATIONAL RECOVERY SAYS: Alcoholics and other addicts are not so different from anyone else that they can;t be helped by a non-addicted person. Inbreeding is not necessary.

DUBIOUS ASSUMPTION #2: Supernatrual aid is required to recover from alcoholism.

RATIONAL RECOVERY SAYS: Spiritual healing is for spiritually inclined people, and it's not for everyone. To convince people that only a higher power can restore them to sanity undermines the sense of personal competence that for many is central to recovery.

DUBIOUS ASSUMPTION #3: Only Alcoholics Anonymous works.

RATIONAL RECOVERY SAYS: Alcoholics can learn to abstain through many means, the chief of which is adherence to rational thought.

DYNAMICS AND STRUCTURE OF RATIONAL RECOVERY

Rational Recovery, with its emphasis on Rational Emotive Therapy teaches people how to take personal responsibility for what is taken into their body, and how to avoid relapses year after year. This can be accomplished without supernatural aid, daily ritual, or prayer. Sobriety is a matter of self-interest, and the locus of control is found within.

The structure of the RR meetings at First Step House was touched upon. Because First Step House is not a medical facility, its clients have already detoxified before they come into the program, so at least their minds are functioning as they begin therapy.

The program is client-centered. However, a counselor helps keep people focused and thinking in the present. Swelling in the past prevents people from dealing with their present irrational thinking. People sit in a circle and they process information from each other. Patterns are observed, and suggestions are made. Meetings are held once a week and last about an hour. There is no fee, however, donations are accepted. The main concern of RR is to help people stay sober. The goal is to help people become self-sufficient, and to realize that becoming a rational thinker is a life-long process.

Sometimes it a RR group, unresolved or deep-seated problems emerge, such as past physical or sexual abuse. Rational Recovery's advise to these clients is also to get competent, professional help outside of the group, because solving these types of problems is not the focus of RR.

Nile sees a couple of shortcomings in RR. First, the focus of the program is mainly on the average person, and talk about varied lifestyles is not common. Second, RR doesn't deal with substantial substance abusers. As the program grows however, these shortcomings will be addressed.

AHA SPONSORSHIP OF RATIONAL RECOVERY SYSTEMS

The American Humanist Association officially sponsors Rational Recovery, and the program is the offspring of the Humanist Movement. Presently, Humanists in Massachusetts are using RR in prison. And in Sacramento, California, the RR treatment program has only a 30% recidivism rate during an 18 month time period. The results of a New York University study on RR participants is almost ready for publication.

Readings required for Rational Recovery clients are The Small Book, by Jack Trimpey, Delacorte Press, and A Guide To Rational Living by Albert Ellis, Ph.D. and Robert A. Harper, Ph.D., Wilshire Book Company. Both are available at most book stores.