Domestic violence site, M. Stanton Peele, other misc. & my response
Doug–WOW, I am bowled over by your site. You have guts for this field and and I am so grateful to see you in it! what a great message–hold the addict responsible for his or her behavior!
I am a specialist in the field also (and a sober alcoholic/addict). I have been on the leading edge–as you are–in concepts regarding recovery. My Brother Dr. Marshall and I have just written a book for parents (drug crisis response manual) Ready, Aim, Inspire: Targeting your child’s drug crisis and not the way you raised them. We too look at finding them early and using personal responsibility (not parent blaming) as the recourse. Of course everyone would like to think that if you eat three meals a week with your kids and love them enough (as if the parents of addicted kids don’t love them!) that your kids would be fine. But as you say, it’s biological and no amount of loving them will change their biology! Gosh–I’m going on arn’t I? My main site is day-by-day.org
Next–Stanton peele. What a guy! I know him and he is deliberately antagonistic when he can be. The man simply does not want to understand and he does not have an open mind. Good for you in countering him and the bad research that he cites.
Finally, I got to your site because I am doing a new book for domestic abuse. I will be using your work and quoting you. I’m on a business trip right now but will be addressing some of your points when I return–please see www.YouAreATarget.com–thanks so much for you wonderful site and i will be featuring it in a news letter soon. Sincerely, Shelly Marshall and brother Dr. Marshall
Hi Shelly,
Thanks for your wonderful accolade. Yours is the sort of correspondence that keeps me going in a world in which the pundits and public don’t have a clue.
I’ve got a few random comments.
We’ll get over the negative first. I hesitate to tell you, but Hazelden refused my first book. “We have too many like it,” they said. As you may surmise, no they don’t; there’s nothing even close except Royce and Scratchley’s work. Oh well; it started me on the path to creating my own publishing empire (don’t I wish).
Your work with the Russians is much needed. I devote several pages in my first book describing the level of alcoholism there, which I think may explain much of Russian dis-civilization.
I wonder if Peele is a hidden alcoholic. Any clues other than his deliberate antagonism and irrational opposition to alcoholism as a disease? OTOH, part of his beliefs can be laid at the foot of the chemical dependency experts, who include “loss of control over use” as part of the definition. That’s a latter-stage symptom. He will have a far more challenging time arguing if he hears my re-definition (requiring loss of control over behaviors–destructive ones in particular, especially other-destructive in the early stages). God how I’d love to debate him.
Thanks again for your very kind words Shelly. I assume you’ve subscribed to the online addiction report. Welcome!