Recovery Road TV Show: ABC to Launch New Sitcom about Addiction

12 responses to “Recovery Road TV Show: ABC to Launch New Sitcom about Addiction”

• 

  JW

  9 years ago

  Reply

  All in favor of (positive I hope) images of addiction & recovery on television, but a sitcom? Addiction isn’t funny. I don’t know how they’ll do it.

• 

  Misty F.

  9 years ago

  Reply

  I think it’s great what you guys are doing, I hoe the show is a huge success. I myself have struggled with addiction, I hoe that people who watch the show grab ahold of the main concept instead this just being another original sitcom for people to watch.

• 

  Karen Zaorski

  9 years ago

  Reply

  The research related to addiction stigma, evidence based treatment and recovery supports for adolescents will be the make it or break it of a show like this which is intended to have an impact on curbing substance use for todays youth. For instance, the storyline premise that the main female character has a choice to go to treatment for addiction or be expelled from school sends a message that although addiction is a disease , youth with this problem will be punished by being expelled. Would a student with diabetes be expelled for not following his doctors dietary recommendations? This may be the way many school districts react in reality, but the message a show like this should want to get across is that this thinking contributes to the stigma that addiction is a moral failing, not a disease process that needs treatment and recovery supports. The TV sitcom, MOM, has had much success because it has thoughtfully and skillfully understood addiction. I hope the creators and writers of this new program have their ducks in a row.

  • 

    Rick

    9 years ago

    Reply

    Would a teen with diabetes refuse treatment because they want to keep their blood sugar low? There has to be consequences for not getting treatment or you are enabling.

• 

  Silver Damsen

  9 years ago

  Reply

  As an Anti-AA activist my perspective seems different from other commentators here. There are so many things wrong with having a teen-based addiction show that centers around 12 Step/AA/NA and rehab that is hard to know where to begin.

  I suppose the most obvious starting point for an audience that has minimal knowledge of what is actually going on in treatment and addiction culture is that rehabs almost never do anything positive for those that go to them. However, they do create jobs for active members of AA and ever so much more important…. they do make huge profits for stock holders, because of the idea of “repeat customers.” This is because rehab alone doesn’t actually help the overwhelming majority… No one knows for stats for sure but almost all rehabs use 12 Steps as the major treatment model and 12 Steps in ideal circumstances tends to have a 5% success and most believe most rehab along to to be less successful than AA.

  The next most obvious problem is that among the detractors of AA/NA and related 12 Step, what they are most likely to point to as the most harmful aspect of 12 Step culture is the sexual exploitation of women. There is an award-winning documentary, the 13th Step, that focusses on this exploitation.

  There are other arguments that I also subscribe to such as that AA functions like a cult, blames the victim, and tends to make addiction worse.

  Now then…. how is this possibly a good thing to have a teen-focused sit-com like show on this topic? There is no way that the show can address what detractors say about 12 Step. Even more of a problem (so hard to again know which is the worst in a context such as this one) is that NONE of the 9 other major options are likely to be given exposure, such as HAMS and SMART–both of which are also free. Thus, the audience will be exposed to the false idea that 12 Step is far more effective than it actually is, that there are not other free alternatives, and that 12 Step is a safe culture, especially for young vulnerable women.

  Thus, I’m speaking with and for other Anti-AA activists that if this program is successful, it will undoubtedly harm and also more than likely kill at least some of its target audience.

  • 

    Joe

    9 years ago

    Reply

    I’d love to hear how u came to the conclusion of the exploitation of women in the program. I’ve never seen this happen anywhere I have been to meetings. It’s actually quite the opposite. I was shown how to respectfully treat a woman where as I never have before in my life. And as far as treatment centers. There are good ones and bad ones just like doctors and lawyers and many other professions. We can’t generalize every bad treatment center or meeting and base it on how every meeting or center is ran all over the world. That would be blind of us and ignorant. I can only speak on behalf of myself cause that is what I was taught. My treatment center equipped me with SO MUCH knowledge and introduction not just to the program but to spirituality and other stuff as well. Saved my life LITERALLY. I was about to die before I went to treatment. It took me 7 treatments to find one that actually cared for the residents. I too had the same view as u until God opened my eyes and showed me how to express gratitude. I had to be willing to let go of my pre conceived notions of treatment centers and the program and trust that it was going to be different. Had I not trusted and had faith in something other than myself I would not be here. I pray that whatever hurt u have gone through or whatever was done to you to make u feel this way doesn’t keep u from experiencing something beautiful in the future. I’m not trying to argue or condemn u so please don’t take it that way. I’m just trying to express what worked for me and countless others and tell u that God loves u and whatever happened to u in the past is done, but there is good out there we just have to pick up the key of willingness to step out blindly in faith. God bless u and God be with u in all that u do.

• 

  justin

  9 years ago

  Reply

  This is the dumbest idea Ive ever seen. Teens going to AA meetings? If AA had more than a 3% success rate it might be a good ldea but they dont. If teens werent getting raped and molested by older ‘gurus’ maybe it would be a good idea. This is just reinforcing the idea that AA works when science has proven that its a failure and one of the worst ways to recover.

  • 

    Jack S.

    9 years ago

    Reply

    In general I agree with both Silver and Justin. One, I don’t consider AA an effective treatment. Two, it’s as likely to groom a teenager for abuse (in most cases further abuse). Three, it’s cult like and relies on peer pressure and group think for results. Also, because younger children choose teenage role models, whether it’s teens they know personally or on TV, I don’t think it’s a good idea to present teenagers with drug or alcohol problems whether or not they’re in recovery. I firmly believe that in different ways, early childhood experiences (you can call it “programming”) has a lot to do with alcohol and drug abuse/overuse.

    • 

      Jack S.

      9 years ago

      Reply

      I’m not sure if links are allowed, but if you listen to the background story in this video, you’ll see how it impacted a small child (who sang the song that he’d heard adults sing). The audience laughed but honestly, I’m not sure it’s so funny

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR_lrsnov5Y

      The song is “I’m an Alcoholic, which he later became.” Funny stuff?

• 

  Michele Lamb

  9 years ago

  Reply

  The “Jamaican” character in your show does not sound Jamaican at all. Couldn’t you find a real Jamaican to play the role or at least get poor Paula Jai Parker some lessons with a true Jamaican acting coach?? She may look the part but does not sound Jamaican in the least.

• 

  Joe

  9 years ago

  Reply

  Our relations with the general public should be characterized by personal anonymity. We think A.A. ought to avoid sensational advertising. Our names and pictures as A.A. members ought not be broadcast, filmed, or publicly printed. Our public relations should be guided by the principle of attraction rather than promotion. There is never need to praise ourselves. We feel it better to let our friends recommend us.” -11th tradition!!!!

  This show breaks our eleventh tradition and I find it distasteful. It is better to let AA or NA bring people to the realization of an individual’s problem through the book and literature. That’s the way the program was founded and meant to be ran. It’s intimate and individualized. This show is controversial to the whole point of our program. Really disappointed that people approve of this. It’s a spirit based program and a program of reliance on a higher power. This show is another way of man taking control and operating out of his own will rather than conforming to the will of an absolute higher power. I pray that people start to see the controversy in this and let God work through the program as it is meant to be.

• 

  Nikki

  9 years ago

  Reply

  I would like to point out that for some people AA does work, and it’s not for you to say that it’s just for gurus looking to get a price of ass. Also, I very much disagree with an abc family TV show that centers around treatment and the 12 steps because it breaks our 11th tradition like Joe stated above. AA should carry the message by word of mouth and through friends not in the media.