A couple days ago, AnnaZed talked about exclusive AA meetings, where professionals like doctors and lawyers can sip their boutique spirituality™, which bubbles forth from the secret mountain wellsprings of pure mineral serenity — instead of out of the tap from the treatment plant like everyone else. So, what’s so amazing to me about this story is only that it took Hazelden so long to exploit this Concept Sobriety. But I guess they’re doing a little diversifying these days, for some rea$on.
Now, the institution is launching a program that specifically targets the legal community, with Rice as one of the counselors. “Attorneys have high-stress jobs. They have unreasonable expectations on how much they can hoist on their shoulders,” said Rice, a chemical dependency unit supervisor at Hazelden. “Some of the qualities that attorneys have that make them good attorneys, make them really bad at self care.”
Attorneys entering Hazelden’s program would go through the same treatment as others but would have additional services specific to their profession. They would attend a legal professionals group therapy session once a week and go to the Twin Cities for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings consisting of people primarily in the legal profession. Minnesota Lawyers Concerned For Lawyers, an assistance group, would also provide mentors.
Addiction experts said the lawyer-centric program, costing $28,300 for 28 days of treatment, is probably the first of its kind in the state. And unlike other programs, Hazelden said it offers clinicians who are licensed attorneys. The program’s director is Link Christin, an adjunct professor at the William Mitchell College of Law and a former alcoholic.
Hazelden has a new President and this is probably part of his new effort, like the Navy program. This is classic market segmentation and we will see more of it. Focus on the people with money first, so you can charge a little extra for the concierge services. Also, more than any single non-medical profession, they need lawyers to be on their side. You’ll notice they didn’t segment auto workers. It’s a predictable move. Next will be Doctors or Executive ranks of corporations. People that are willing to pony up that extra little dough for a great recovery experience. Be sure to tell your friends y’all.
Oh God, I helped a Dr get sober 12 years ago, Everyone I turned to wanted me to send him to a special Dr’s Rehab. No I said. No , the Dr said no too. He didnt want to go into some treatment Center. I wanted another Dr who will go to his door and 12 step him.
I was on the phone for hours trying to find A Dr. in Long Beach. Finally through an old friend I did. He went. He got sober. He got 30 days. He was so sweet. I worked in his office for a short time. He had a massive heart attack and died. But I watched this guy get sober who was a huge functioning drunken Doctor. It was a trip. ANyway I know Writers in LA that have special meetings in their home.
Of course they do. They don’t want want to go to those other shitty child molesting, criminal laden meetings, with scarey Larry hanging out by the front door with their missing teeth and wild hair!
Well, I “qualify” for this sort of specialized meeting and have been to them. They are not substantially different from the other meetings. Yes, there is a lower toothlessness factor, but that’s about it. Oh, and most people can pronounce “anonymity”.
Oh, and most people can pronounce “anonymity”.
And probably spell it too!
I’ve never been to a specialized meeting. I have attended meetings in very affluent areas. I’ve also attended meetings in the not so desirable areas of town too. They were basically the same. Drunkalogue, drunkalogue. “I used to be this. Now I am this. Thanks to all of you and the program. It is all due to the program. And I would also like to thank my sponsor.” Big AA love fest. Always the same shit. Boring. Predictable. Shit.
I can’t imagine the specialized meetings being any different. Maybe they have better coffee and munchies. A meeting is a meeting is a meeting. The faces might change, but it’s the same old crap.
I don’t know. I think it would be hard for a lawyer to go to a meeting if anyone knew they were a lawyer. Can you imagine how many people would be wanting free legal advice? Or how some people would say the lawyer was trolling for clients?
“I don’t know. I think it would be hard for a lawyer to go to a meeting if anyone knew they were a lawyer. ”
It is hard for these people, also for those with medical degrees. They often get hit up for free advice.
It actually did not find it terribly difficult to go to the “regular” meetings but I had to put up strong boundaries against being asked to provide free services. When I was new I fell for it a couple of times and the result was bad enough to cure me of the desire to comply.
Since I have left I have represented a couple of people from the rooms. They do tend to expect a discount but I make it clear up front that I don’t do discounts and I don’t talk program: I just do the job they hire me for, same as I would anyone else.
The real crazies I’d never represent. Not enough money on the planet.
@Mona Lisa, I wonder what your services are. I am sure that you have posted about it, but I get muddled sometimes.
For most of the time that I was in AA (years) I did lots of “service work.” Not the same thing I know, but the time wasted really galls me now. Once when I was cleaning out the thoroughly disgusting bathroom at the AA meeting place and my sponsor was standing outside having yet another cigarette while she told me what a good exercise in humility it was because obviously I considered myself too good for such work I had such an emotion of near violent outrage that I could have caused a molecular implosion if I had dared to speak. Of course, being a good AA I said nothing. Fuck these people and most particularly fuck the scummy men who can’t seen to locate a toilet bowl when they piss. Seriously, outside of caring for small children I had never encountered such mess and squalor in my life. In AA it was treated as normal of course.
That’s why God™ made Greg Lester. Hey, Dick B is an attorney. You can set up some kind of referral service with him!
I’m a lawyer, AnnaZed.
MA: Yeah, Greg and Dick are lawyers. I guess it’s obvious then why I never held the lawyers-only meetings in particularly high regard.
money money money its about the money
My ex is a lawyer who has been attending AA meetings for close to 30 years. It is amazing how many people want free advice, free work or discounts. I’ve always thought that his boundaries should be stronger although the situation has improved slowly over time.