Rational Recovery
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Rational Recovery (RR) is a source of counseling, guidance, and direct instruction on self-recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs through planned, permanent abstinence designed as an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and 12 step programs. RR was founded in 1986 by Jack Trimpey, a California licensed clinical social worker,
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The Rational Recovery program
The program is offered via a the internet and through books, videos, and lectures. The Rational Recovery program is based on the premise that the addict both desires and is capable of permanent, planned abstinence. However, the RR program recognizes that the addict also wants to continue using. This ambivalence is the Rational Recovery definition of addiction.
In essence, the RR method is to first make a commitment to planned, permanent abstinence from the undesirable substance or behavior, and then equip oneself with the mental tools to stick to that commitment.
The RR program is based on recognizing and defeating what they call the "addictive voice" (losely translated internal thoughts that support self-intoxication) and dissociation from addictive impulses. The specific techniques of Addictive Voice Recognition Technique (AVRT) are concerned with demonstrating to the practitioner that they are in control of the addictive voice, not the other way around.
While RR and AA promote abstinence, the programs use different strategies.
- RR does not regard alcoholism as a disease, but rather a voluntary behavior.
- RR discourages adoption of the forever "recovering" drunk persona.
- There are no RR groups.
- Great emphasis is placed on self-efficacy.
- There are no discrete steps and no consideration of religious matters.
RR and court mandated 12 Step program attendance
In the United States, RR has also encouraged legal action against mandated attendance to 12-step programs, to which it is vigorously opposed. They object to the courts and other government and tax supported agencies mandating theologically-based programs such as A.A. They interpret state mandated 12 Step program attendance as a violation of the Establishment Clause within the First Amendment[1]. The courts have consistently ruled in favor of this viewpoint (see Griffin v. Coughlin[2]), Grandberg V. Ashland County, Warner v Orange County Department of Probation, Kerr v Lind , O’Connor v State of California.) Some of these efforts, RR claims, have lead to RR being considered anti-religeous by some of their critics[3]. They have addressed this on the FAQ section of their website,
RR has voiced the conscientious objections of tens of thousands of persons who have received unwanted, unconstitutional, religious indoctrinations in the course of addiction treatment. To them and others, we provide a program that is free from religion. By advocating for their religious freedom, and identifying the 12-step program as a religion that competes with established religions, we have been accused by some of being irreligious, sacrilegious, or even anti-religious. Ain't so.[4]
In contrast to the religious conversion experience central to the AA program (described as a "spiritual awakening" in A.A.'s literature), with one exception, RR remains neutral on the subject of religiosity and sobriety, ...RR is not interested in having people give up any of their religious beliefs; it's just none of our business what people believe about gods and saints. The only exception here, of course, is when one is 'depending' on a rescuing diety in order to remain sober. If that is one's preference, then AA is an ideal program.(Trimpey, 1995)
External links
- RR-FAQ web page
- Drink Too Much? Presents information on additional self-help recovery groups.
Further reading
- Trimpey, J. Rational Recovery is an Effective Self-Help Program. In: Barbour, S. (Ed.). Alcohol. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998. Pp. 135-143.
- The Small Book: A Revolutionary Alternative For Overcoming Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Jack Trimpey. Dell (1995)
- Rational Recovery: The New Cure for Substance Addiction, Jack Trimpey. Pocket (1996)