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EASEPRESS 3.3

EASEPRESS Release, Minneapolis July 27, 2000 Audrey Kishline: Drunk Driver and Former MM’er On March 25th, 2000, the founder of the self help organization Moderation Management got behind the wheel of her pick-up truck after having drank enough alcohol to register a blood alcohol content level of .26. That is .18 beyond the legal limit for driving and .21 beyond Moderation Management’s (MM) suggested moderation level for women. Audrey Kishline has since pled guilty to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide for also managing to drive her pick up truck head on in to another vehicle that night – causing the death of two people. This story contains a controversy within a controversy. The initial controversy is the obvious: Kishline is the founder of a MM – a national non-disease model of addiction that offers a solution of controlled drinking - and has publicly displayed her failure to control her own alcohol use. The second controversy is between MM and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Earlier this Kishline officially left MM and returned to AA, also changing her alcohol use goal from one of moderation to one of abstinence. That means that Kishline was attempting to abstain from alcohol use at the time of the accident, and was not practicing moderation. For more details on Kishline, MM, or the accident check any of the below referenced web sites or articles written in The Seattle Times. EASEPRESS would like to avoid the sensationalism behind the tragedy itself. It is our goal to illuminate thoughts about addiction change and to that end we have compiled a capsulation of views on Kishline’s misbehavior. Commentary: Debriel For numeric minorities, it is imperative to set aside trivial differences and focus on the big picture. Bickering within your minority group benefits the majority. There is no other benefactor. Clearly, in the disease vs. non-disease addiction movements – non-disease theorists are the numeric minority. Upon the latest "controversy" within the field of addictions, leaders of the numeric minority continue to bicker amongst themselves and overlook the consensus of work that needs to be done to create addiction social change. I hope they give EASEPRESS the time of day. Grassroots organizations like ours need their attention and support. And, we are really good people with a lot of intelligent things to say. LISTEN UP! Causing or contributing to friction within the addiction social change movement is detrimental to the very people we say we want to help – the harmfully addicted. To this, I offer: Can’t we all just get along? Jack Trimpy, Founder and President of Rational Recovery, Author and creator of Addictive Voice Recognition Techniques, was the first to voice an opinion on Kishline’s behavior. His statement, as viewed from www.rational.org/recovery/Kishline.tragedy.html, equivocates a book. Trimpy seems to take the opportunity to not only slam the solution of moderate drinking (he is a strong proponent of abstinence) but to also slam addiction experts who are or who have been supporters of Kishline. He thinks that her recent behavior is proof that his methods are the best, that support groups are failures, and that he is the only one who is right. Jeffery Schaler, Psychologist, Author, and creator of The Choice Addiction Model offered a formal statement shortly thereafter. From www.schaler.net , In the News, he posted a brief and direct commentary on June 30th. He begins by reminding us of his past warning that Kishline is simply an unethical person. He states that Kishline is the only entity to be blamed for Kishline’s behavior. It is not the fault of AA, MM, or any other professional. It offers neither proof nor disproof for any particular solution to drinking problems. Audrey Kishline should be given the option to commit suicide. She in all likelihood might attempt this, giving her the subsequent option to claim mental illness instead of criminal activity. Stanton Peele, Psychologist, Author, and creator of The Life Process Approach to Recovery then offered his view. The home page of www.peele.net provides a link. Peele took the opportunity to point the finger at AA as well as Kishline and then defended professionals who have supported her (he has been one of them.) If Kishline would have continued to practice moderation, and stayed clear of AA, tragedy might have been spared. Marc Kern and other Board Members of Moderation Management posted an undated statement on www.moderation.org, detailing their plan to continue the organization. Support groups are not at fault, in fact support groups "worked" for Kishline for many years, and MM will continue to prosper and help moderate (not chronic) drinkers. Kishline’s misbehavior is no indicator of danger within their movement or the solution for problem drinkers (not chronic ones) to moderate. It is her personal failure, not theirs. Spokespersons from Alcoholics Anonymous have refused to comment on Kishline or MM. Other views from the numeric majority have been offered by organizations such as The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. They say that the Kishline tragedy is further proof that alcoholism is a disease.

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