HALT: The American Rehab Experience

"Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired..‘HALT’, Acronym; A tool used in addiction and, or, alcohol treatment that identifies the four leading triggers of substance abuse, relapse, and poor decision making.HALT, set amongst multiple American rehabs, is an undeniably wild ride through the psyche of addicts and alcoholics across the inevitable jails, institutions, and death that become their lives. The writer takes us through what is occurring from a patient’s perspective ; whether it be something spoken in a smoking area, or being preached by a therapist in a class on the dangers of drug and alcohol use. HALT shows the stark, specific, environment and interactions that are occurring in what is becoming an exponentially larger industry by the day.Note From The Author-It is impossible to tune in to society today without facing the crisis that is addiction. Whether it be flipping through cable television or scrolling on any form of social media… whatever you are viewing, within minutes you are bound to come face to face with the epidemic currently occurring on America’s streets. ‘HALT’ is more than just a direct look into the lives of the sick and suffering. It tells the life story, the heartbeat and soul, of addicts and alcoholics. What adversity, and monotony, they face… As well as what is being taught and spoken about in rehab in America as we speak. How they cope through storytelling and “war-storying”; a term used to describe past events and memories involving substance abuse. These quotes, conversations, and images are poetry. They put any reader that has been through rehab directly back into the halls, classrooms, and patios that they once walked. Flipping through pages evoke such strong memories that I can smell a mirage of menthol cigarette smoke. For someone in recovery, these pages provide a comfort… And for the unknowing reader, it serves as a testament to the fact that their is no quick-fix for addiction or alcoholism. Their is no physical piece of literature like this that provides a “boots-on-the-ground”, present day, perspective as to what rehab in America is. It is pure, unadulterated, absurdity at times. Moments of agony and hilarity, of revelation and self destruction, of passion and apathy — all under a roof made up of the misunderstood, the unwilling, and the ‘desperate-for-a-change’. All of them mythical storytellers, but few of them able to find the salvation that rehab is selling. It brings me joy to know that family members of those in recovery as well as those fascinated by this narcotic epidemic get to see first hand and understand what individuals go through in the roughly $42 billion dollar a year rehabilitation industry..."