Comeback book review - written by Claire and Mia Fontaine

[boundfate]

I picked up "Comeback - a mother and daugher's journey through hell and back" at half price books in one my book buying runs. It was 2.00 and I'm a fan of biographies of people going through traumatic experiences, so I decided it was worth the try.

To summarize, the book is about a mom who marries a man who is a drug addict and pedophile (before

Comments

[_kit]

My parents have a friend whose son was seriously hooked on heroin. They tried everything to get him cleaned up - in patient programs, out patient programs, counseling, locking him in his room at home, etc. What finally worked was to send him to one of these programs out in Montana or somewhere. I know his particular program included counseling, isolation, and hard physical work among other things. I don't know if his personal rights were violated or not but even now he says he probably would have died from drugs if his parents hadn't sent him there.

[boundfate]

I'm glad they were available and worked for your parent's friend's family.

These programs boast a 90% success rate if the person graduates the program. (50% turn 18 and drop out or their parents pull them early). Compare that to the best adult addiction programs, which have a 21% success rate. That's a HUGE difference.

The people who are against these programs say they use brainwashing techniques, but if I were hooked on heroine I would hope someone would love me enough to brainwash me back to being part of society and able to cope with daily life.

[_kit]

From what I know about the program he was in, they did use some of what might be considered brainwashing techniques. In addition, this program had a religious component so he found God while he was out there. So what? For him it worked and he's no longer hooked on drugs, is happy and living a productive life. He now has a future. Prior to the program it was just a matter of time before he overdosed and killed himself. If there was a successful way to get people clean in programs that didn't involve some brainwashing techniques that'd be great. In the meantime, I think it's the better choice considering the options.

[fireglideflht]

Professionally I have been involved with teens who have been to Outward Bound-like wilderness programs (such as the wagon train one)and have seen success flow. Probably truth to be told more successes than with RTF's (residential treatment facilities)with such teens. Then again a teen success story of mine-he had just moved back home with my client, his Mom-died 2 weeks ago, drowned swimming in a local river-so even the successes may be other than reported.