In this powerful conversation, investigative journalist Shoshana Walter exposes the dark underbelly of America’s rehab industry. Drawing from her eight years of research for Rehab: An American Scandal, she reveals how court-ordered rehab programs have exploited vulnerable people by sending them to work unpaid in dangerous jobs — all under the guise of “treatment.”
We discuss:
- The shocking origins of these labor-based rehabs and how they became so widespread
- Why our mainstream treatment system often fails people — and in some cases, increases overdose risk
- Real-life stories of individuals like Chris, April, and Wendy that illustrate both the broken system and the resilience of those fighting for change
- How loopholes and lack of oversight allow unethical rehabs to thrive
- Practical ways families can identify quality treatment programs and avoid predatory ones
Despite the heavy subject, this episode ends with hope: a growing community of advocates and storytellers pushing for systemic change.
Before we jump in, I just wanted to give you a little update on what I’ve been up to. I had been feeling super burned out, so I did what I called “Self-Care Summer”. I didn’t do any interviews, or marketing or content creation. It was a time to reset, heal and think about the direction of my work. My guiding thoughts were, “What does God want for my life?” I gotta tell you, it was something I needed to do and then something interesting happened. Two podcasters published interviews I gave came out last month, and I realized something. I truely love sharing what I’ve learned in recovery. It really fills my heart with joy. That’s why I’ve been doing the Sobriety Reset series, and I have decided to partner with OpenRecovery to start a new community there. I’ll be hosting meetings that will make 12 principals accessible by providing a path around common obstacles.
And if you enjoy this episode, it would mean the world to me if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It might surprise you to know that according to the analytics, less than 1% of our audience will actually leave a review. By leaving a review, it helps others who are suffering to find the podcast and get the life saving resources they need to get and stay sober. You can even think of leaving a review as an act of service! So thank you so much for your support!
So without further delay, please enjoy this episode, and let me know what you think!
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Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music, or you can stream it from my website HERE. You can also watch the interview on YouTube.
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