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D.C. AA Chapter a Cult continued
Local treatment programs have also become wary of Midtown. "They start isolating people, getting them away from any feedback other than their own ... Only go to their meetings, only talk to people in their group," said Jay Eubanks, an administrator with the Kolman Clinics. "If you're seeing a therapist, stop seeing a therapist; if you're in treatment, stop going to treatment; if you're being medicated, stop seeing a doctor."
Concerns about Midtown have caused some therapists to sour on AA in general. "At this point, I am very apprehensive about referring any clients to AA even if they are severe alcoholics," said clinical psychologist Ellen Dye of Rockville, Md. "I think that it is essential that this group be eliminated from AA so that my colleagues and I can feel safe making these referrals again ... We're all saying, 'Go to AA, go to AA,' and we may be sending people into this terrible situation and not realizing it."
Midtown still has defenders in the addiction community, however. "I know people in the group that have long-term sobriety and are doing great," said Beth Kane-Davison, director of the addiction program at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md. For some, she said, "Midtown has been a real godsend. It's taken them in and structured their activities, and filled the void left because they're not using anymore." Still, Davidson has stopped referring patients to Midtown because of concerns about the program.
AA's national headquarters has had nothing to say about Midtown, which comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with the completely decentralized organization, which has no spokesperson and no national leaders. "I think AA is a miraculous organization that is run by nobody and controlled by nobody, and is complete, pure anarchy -- as long as it's tied to the 12 steps -- and I mean that in a good way," said recovering alcoholic and AA member David Hanrahan. "There are meetings all over the world, and anyone can start one, and nobody's in charge of it. That's AA's strength and weakness, right there."
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