“Rehab: The $15,000 Lie That Almost Broke Me”

(An Unfiltered Look at America’s Addiction Treatment Industrial Complex)

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The Rehab Racket

Let’s be clear: Modern rehab is a business—not a cure.

I learned this the hard way after:
☑️ Many years in the system
☑️ $15,000 flushed down the “recovery” drain
☑️ 90 days locked in a glorified halfway house

Add to those listening to the hundreds of men’s stories about rehab which since its anonymous, I will honor.

Now, I’m sharing the raw truth—because if you’re considering rehab, you deserve to know what they won’t tell you.

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EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 3: “REHAB – GOD HELP US ALL”

*(Pages 39-41, published exactly as written)*

CHAPTER 3: REHAB – GOD HELP US ALL
How a Lawyer’s Referral Sent Me to a $15,000 Lockdown Sold as a Summer Camp

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
No one prepares you for rehab. There’s no high school elective called “Navigating Institutional Hell 101”, unless you’re studying to become one of the clipboard-wielding gatekeepers. For the rest of us? Trial by fire.

I entered that world still smelling of county lockup, where I’d learned surreal life skills:

• Memorizing phone numbers (after your iPhone’s confiscated)
• Shoelace removal as a suicide-prevention art form
• Brushing teeth like a prisoner (spit in the trash, never the sink—some rule I still don’t understand)

THE $15,000 HUSTLE RECOMMENDED BY THE $15,000 ATTORNEY
“Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you…”
— James 5:4 (ESV)

The “former judge” criminal attorney came recommended. His first words after my retainer cleared:
“You need rehab.”
“Bullshit,” I argued. “I don’t have a problem.”
He leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper:
“The judge will give you ten years unless you walk in there smelling like bleach and redemption.”

CROSSING THE THRESHOLD
How to Voluntarily Surrender Your Dignity in 6 Easy Steps

Step 1: The Diagnosis That Wasn’t
The intake manager studied my bloodwork like a bad tarot reading:
“Chris, your labs are clean. No professional could diagnose you as an alcoholic.”
I tapped the $5,000/month invoice on his desk:
“But you’ll cash my checks to treat it?”

Step 2: The Negotiation

My attorney’s “special deal”:

Daytime work passes (because even rock bottom requires Excel skills)

• “Open” dorm (with a visitation schedule suspiciously matching San Quentin’s)

Step 3: The Last Hour of Freedom

Parked in my FJ Cruiser, I took inventory:

• Net Worth: Seven figures, six properties
• Credentials: Grad degree, broker’s license
• Suitcase Contents:
  ✓ Approved toothbrush
  ✓ Bible
  ✗ Any remaining manhood

Step 4: Institutionalization

The welcome wagon included:

• A house monitor frisking me like a TSA agent on a power trip
• A twin bed that violated the Geneva Convention
• Mirror ban (apparently my face was a trigger)

Step 5: The First Night

The pillow absorbed tears as I cycled through truths:

1. She’s drinking top shelf margaritas with someone taller
2. This mattress was designed by torturers
3. I paid for the privilege.

Step 6: The Bait-and-Switch
Morning greeting? A fist on the door:
“AA meeting. Now.”
No coffee. No mercy. Just a folding chair with my name on it.

(End of Excerpt)

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The Hard Truths About Rehab

1. It’s a Legal Loophole
   • Courts reward compliance, not recovery
   • Judges don’t care if it works—just that you check the box
2. The “Treatment” is One-Size-Fits-None
   • Same 12 steps they’ve peddled since 1939
   • Zero personalized care (unless you’re a celebrity)
3. Relapse = Profit
   • The industry banks on failure (repeat customers = steady income)

Scripture They Ignore:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…”
— Isaiah 5:20

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A Better Way?

If you’re considering rehab, ask:

1. Is this for the judge—or for me?
2. Will they teach me life skills—or just AA dogma?
3. What’s the actual success rate? (Hint: Under 10%)

My Truce Alternative:

1. Outpatient programs (keep your job, dignity)
2. Faith-based counseling (real spiritual growth)
3. Moderation training (if abstinence fails you)

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Your Move

1. Comment Below:
   • Has rehab helped or failed you?
   • What’s the worst advice you got in treatment?
2. Share This Post with someone being pressured into rehab.