I found this movie to be respectful of the traditions of 12 step groups, as no one identified themselves as a member of a 12 step group.
I also found this movie to be informative, educational and inspiring. To me, the main message was that people in recovery should consider the opportunity to give a face to addiction so that public policy changes can be made that allow addiction to be treated as a public health problem, thus allowing appropriate services to be put in place.
It's not suggesting that addicts who commit crimes should not be held accountable for their crimes, but that treatment should be as available to an addict as jail time is. One presenter made an important point that a person can commit a crime and receive public services (i.e. jail) immediately, but when an addict has decided they want to get treatment they often have to wait weeks to get an available bed - and that lapse in time can be deadly. Another interesting point was that an addict can pick up a glass pipe legally at the corner store for a couple of bucks, then turn around and get arrested for possession of that same pipe.
We as a society fall very short in our handling of addiction, and putting a public face to addiction may help to motivate policy makers to realize that not only does addiction affect people from all walks of life, but that many prominent and instrumental people in our society are people with this disease that would not be doing what they're doing if they weren't able to get treatment.
As a person with 25 years in recovery I was also forced to consider my own choices about my visibility. What am I doing in my own life to help to reduce the stigma and misinformation that surrounds addicts/addiction? I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who's life has been touched by addiction in any way, as well as anyone who has a general concern for the culture and welfare of society.
I also found this movie to be informative, educational and inspiring. To me, the main message was that people in recovery should consider the opportunity to give a face to addiction so that public policy changes can be made that allow addiction to be treated as a public health problem, thus allowing appropriate services to be put in place.
It's not suggesting that addicts who commit crimes should not be held accountable for their crimes, but that treatment should be as available to an addict as jail time is. One presenter made an important point that a person can commit a crime and receive public services (i.e. jail) immediately, but when an addict has decided they want to get treatment they often have to wait weeks to get an available bed - and that lapse in time can be deadly. Another interesting point was that an addict can pick up a glass pipe legally at the corner store for a couple of bucks, then turn around and get arrested for possession of that same pipe.
We as a society fall very short in our handling of addiction, and putting a public face to addiction may help to motivate policy makers to realize that not only does addiction affect people from all walks of life, but that many prominent and instrumental people in our society are people with this disease that would not be doing what they're doing if they weren't able to get treatment.
As a person with 25 years in recovery I was also forced to consider my own choices about my visibility. What am I doing in my own life to help to reduce the stigma and misinformation that surrounds addicts/addiction? I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who's life has been touched by addiction in any way, as well as anyone who has a general concern for the culture and welfare of society.