This series, The Addiction Treatment Reform Movement, is an accessible, evidence-informed guide for anyone trying to make sense of a treatment system that is too often confusing, inconsistent, and out of step with what research actually shows. Each post tackles a different piece of the puzzle — from the basics of evidence-based care to the realities of treatment placement, medication options, and misleading claims — while centering the lived experiences of individuals and families seeking help.
Together, these posts lay out a clear picture of what effective, science-backed addiction care truly looks like. They introduce readers to the ASAM Criteria, explain why some professional programs (like those for doctors and pilots) achieve remarkably high recovery rates, and highlight promising developments such as GLP-1 medications for reducing alcohol use. The series also exposes common problems, including inflated “success rates” in traditional inpatient treatment, and offers guidance to help families ask better questions and avoid ineffective or harmful placements.
At its core, this collection is about empowerment: giving people the knowledge, context, and tools to navigate a fragmented system — and pushing for a treatment model that is transparent, individualized, medically grounded, and actually aligned with the evidence.
If you’ve ever wondered what ‘evidence-based treatment’ actually is — or why so few programs seem to follow it — you’re not alone. Here’s how to spot care that’s grounded in science and more likely to support lasting recovery
For many of us who have struggled with substance use, the moment we or our families reached out for help felt like stepping into an unfamiliar system with its own unspoken rules. We were vulnerable, often scared, and hoping for support — yet the process that followed rarely involved our voice or our preferences. This blog is meant to offer clarity and empowerment, grounded in personal experience and informed by professional standards that many of us were never told existed.
Proven Success Rates for Doctors and Pilots
This post explores the extraordinary success of recovery programs for physicians and airline pilots, where accountability, structure, and profession-specific care drive outcomes few others achieve.
It’s an eye-opening look at what truly works in addiction treatment – and why the rest of the field has yet to catch up.
Treatment Placement Based on ASAM Assessment
The blog explains how addiction treatment placement is shifting from one-size-fits-all rehab to personalized care based on the ASAM Criteria, which assess needs across six key dimensions. It outlines the continuum of care—from inpatient treatment to recovery residences—and stresses that proper assessment should guide both treatment intensity and setting. Families are encouraged to ask questions and insist on evidence-based standards to avoid ineffective or harmful placements.
GLP-1RA – Anti Craving/Reduced Drinking Drug
Promising new research is showing that a class of medications originally used for diabetes and weight loss—called GLP-1 receptor agonists, or “GLP-1s” for short—is helping some people cut back on drinking without going through the pain and stigma of total abstinence.
Inflated Outcome Claims for In-Patient Treatment
The conversation around in-patient addiction treatment often centers on “success rates,” yet many of these claims vary dramatically and lack transparency. Understanding how these numbers are produced, and what evidence-based practices like ASAM criteria require, is essential for making informed decisions.
Resistance to Doctor/Pilot Model by Treatment Centers and AA/Al-Anon
This blog exposes why the treatment industry and parts of AA/Al-Anon resist the highly successful physician and pilot recovery model—despite its unmatched outcomes. It traces the author’s efforts to bring these evidence-based practices to families and the pushback encountered from financial, cultural, and ideological interests. For anyone who has wondered why relapse remains so common when better models exist, this piece offers a revealing and essential look behind the curtain.
Ten Concepts for Implementing the Doctor/Pilot Model with Other Groups
This blog introduces the core principles of the PHP/Pilot model, a treatment approach that has consistently delivered strong outcomes for physicians and pilots. It highlights how structure, accountability, and compassion set this model apart from traditional programs that often fall short. Designed as a practical reference, these ten concepts provide families and individuals with tools to support lasting recovery and informed participation in the process.