THE ALCOHOLISM AND ADDICTION CURE: a book with a claim to cure addiction. Most have seen the ad’s. It sparked my curiosity. Heroin addiction is the genesis of Chris Prentiss’s book and his claim to cure addiction. His son, Pax Prentiss was a 10 year heroin user among other drugs, including alcohol. Pax conquered a larger than life complex about his dad by co-founding Passages Treatment Center with him. http://www.dadonfire.net is not sold on a simplistic cure. I do like the four points. Here are some links for your own review: Hollywood Rehab • Breakthrough Addiction Recovery • Addiction Tomorrow. “Curing addiction” at Passages is reduced to four problems in an addict’s life: 1) Chemical imbalance, 2) Events of the past, 3) Current conditions and 4) Things we believe that are false; biggest being that addiction is a disease and “I” have it. (Of course this flies in the face of AA and NA.)
If you believe that addiction is not a disease; but it is “something” that is curable, read this book. Addressing the four points will take a lot of cash. Passage’s, Malibu, is $78,560 per month. A scaled down Passages, Ventura is $32,500 per month. That includes daily work of nine therapists and doctors a plethora of phlebotomy according to Judith @ Passages Admissions (805) 283-4737. Those costs are based on Jan. 2010 pricing.
“The cure” is a commodity. Life energy, you might say. But, isn’t that personal effort no different that what has been known for the last 54 years since alcoholism and drug addiction to follow, were defined as disease by the AMA. It takes work whether done in 30 years or 30 days. As far as “a cure”, I wouldn’t bet much money on a “cured” addiction left un-checked after a single month of treatment. Addiction recovery, however one minces words, be it a cure or recovery, takes living in vigilance for an addict. Most can’t afford luxury treatment, but probably wouldn’t argue the impact of personal and public cost of addiction. It is a financial burden to all of us and big dollar treatment doesn’t pick bones about this reality. A “cured addict” is another story.
DadOnFire 
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January 4, 2010 at 11:47 pm
peglud
I read this book and also have good friends who sent their 25 yr. son, Chris, to Passages. Essentially, I felt this book was an advertisement for the Prentiss’ treatment center, and while their treatment approach made some sense, it was exorbitantly expensive and unrealistic. How can an addict discover the cause of his low self esteem and addictive behavior in just 30 days? I’m 61 yo and have been in therapy for over 7 years and am just now getting to some of my own core issues. The book’s main focus that all dependency is a symptom of an underlying problem, is not a new idea. Most programs realize this basic premise, and try to address with it in the limited time they have with the client. The basic problem, in my opinion, of most treatment programs, is that they are not long enough. My daughter, should she enter in to recovery, would need a 6 to 12 month intensive program at the very least.
I ‘enjoyed’ the parts of the book that related to Pax’s addiction experiences and learned a lot about heroin use/withdrawal and the power of addiction and its physiological effects. I asked Chris what he had uncovered about himself at Passages that led to his addiction – and he really couldn’t say. Chris is clean and sober today, but he felt it was more an issue of timing, his being ready to recover, than the Passages program itself. Chris’ mother, Penny, is convinced, however, that 12 step programs devastate self-esteem even further by insisting that the addict/alcoholic is powerless – and can never be cured. 12 step programs revolve around constant vigilance – a game of chase, to prevent relapse. It’s never ending – and can become the total focus of a recovering addict’s life – – – attending meetings and practicing the 12 steps purely to try to prevent the inevitable relapse. Just my thoughts . . .
January 5, 2010 at 1:55 pm
dadonfire
I did the 12 step AA program and meetings regularly for 11 years starting with 90/90. Worked well for me. I remain sober as a result although, I do not attend regular meetings today. This loss of self esteem is a new one for me. As for the 4 premises, I would think that an addict is already in a state of lowered self esteem and powerlessness when he admits he is ready to quit. I just don’t get Chris Prentiss’s point, except that he may rely on the illusion that privileged addicts who can afford Passages want to put their past “addict” life behind them; like totally out of view. I hope it works. I do think for some of them that could be dangerous. I “choose” to practice vigilance and live a clean and sober life and maintain clean and sober associations. That doesn’t mean I am afraid of those who do use to excess. I just steer away,..gently. I know who I was and who I am. That aspect on a scale of one to ten for inconvenience is a one. I don’t mind. I love a sober life. Gives me time to do many more things, not the least this website. Dadonfire.
January 5, 2010 at 11:00 am
tom@recoveryhelpdesk.com
I agree that the “four points” are on track, and that most people would not be able to address them in a lasting way in 30 days. Recovery is a process that takes place over time, and multiple treatment attempts and modalities are usually part of the process. But we should keep in mind what scientific research shows is and isn’t proven to be effective with opiate dependence: medication-assisted treatment with methadone or buprenorphine is the most effective treatment for opiate dependence.
Tom
January 5, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Barbara
I have a little book by Chris Prentiss called “The Zen of Happiness” and its a wonderful, positive book. Its hard to believe he’s the same guy that does those commercials because they scream to me “we want your money” (it is the same guy he talks about Pax in this book too). The amount of money for 30 days is obscene. If it was a reasonably priced rehab I would not be so suspicious of it but it seems have quite a focus on $$$$
Also, a sad trend I have noticed is that it often takes a person about ten years of heroin addiction to stop, IF they every stop. Its not unusual from what I’ve read. Maybe his son was finally ready. Maybe Passages is the cure. I don’t know. I just hate what its doing to families across our nation….
January 8, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Joe
The real dope on scam artists Chris and Pax.
http://www.laweekly.com/2008-06-26/news/buying-the-cure/1
August 16, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Oscar
I am ready to go to the program at Passages Ventura. I’ve read the book and it is amazing to me. I think, in order to grasp the idea of the program you have to be introduced to the Universe concept, I discovered about 2 or 3 years ago and was so disappointed that it didn’t work for me, but I realized a few weeks ago it was my alcohol dependency. I was researching for a place to go and after 3 weeks I found Passages Ventura, read the book and I know it is the place to go, get cured and continue my path on life and help a lot of people. We don’t need to criticize what we don’t know. I will keep you posted of what happens to me after I am out. I will keep a blog on http://www.oscarhugs.com