Publisher's Synopsis
This book covers the alcoholism treatment facilities established between the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933 and 1956, when it is erroneously believed that the American Medical Association declared alcoholism to be a disease. This book blows out of the water the myths that AA invented the disease theory, that Hazelden invented treatment, that everyone flocked to Hazelden to learn how to do treatment, and that AA convinced the American Medical Association to declare alcoholism to be a disease.
This book shows how the scholars at Yale University created a coast-to-coast, science-based alcoholism treatment industry in the 1940s and 1950s. This book further demonstrates how Hazelden and its close ally the Johnson Institute hijacked this science-based alcoholism treatment industry in the 1960s and 1970s and replaced it with one based on mysticism and faith healing. These are the events which have led to the current divorce of addiction treatment from addiction science.
This book also chronicles the rebirth of pre-Prohibition secret aversion treatments in the hands of new entrepreneurs such as HALCO Laboratories and the Samaritan Institutions and shows how Shadel Sanitarium turned these nostrums into legitimate scientific medicine.
This book also covers the Salvation Army, Volunteers of America and other faith-based programs. Finally, this book shows how AA groups set up AA indoctrination programs in general hospitals throughout the country starting in the 1930s.
"Kenneth Anderson is an extremely important voice on addiction: penetrating, original, and deeply wise."
- Johann Hari, author of Chasing the Scream.
