The recovery culture is fond of saying “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results” – but when will they apply this logic to themselves? Charlie Sheen has overdosed a few times, been in and out of rehabs and other treatment and 12 step based programs many times since the 90’s, and has even used the services of “sober companions” – a type of paid, around the clock AA sponsor. All of this, and he continues to abuse substances. He had an incident the other day which definitely involved a coke binge, the $7000 trashing of an upscale hotel room, a sex worker, and the police. After the incident, he was taken to the hospital for a mental evaluation. What’s next? Well, nitwits like Dr Drew are already calling for Charlie Sheen to return for an extended stay in rehab.
So he could go back to another conventional treatment program which teaches him to blame a disease for his behavior and expect a lifetime of struggle and failure, but he’s done that too many times already, and to expect different results, in the recovery culture’s words, would be “insane”. Sheen needs something different. He needs an honest view of addiction, and a real solution. He probably needs something along the lines of a stay at the St Jude Retreat House, the JT Home Program, or some time with a professional like Stanton Peele – but he doesn’t need more of the same treatment which doesn’t work for him or most people who try it – that would be an insane recommendation.