Little Jimmy is just addicted to the idea of being an addict.

That's why his advice show stinks. Everyone just has an addiction.

Well, his advice show stinks because he has no idea how to give advice. Leave therapy to therapist.

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He's right that most of the people calling up are addicts according to the definition. If you're doing something that continually has negative consequences you are an addict.

I like the show. It can be funny and James is very caring guy. He seems to listen although it's too short and takes too many callers. It is a good piece of advice and seems to work for other people but when people say they've been going to 12 step and it hasn't worked for them he runs out of gas. Eventually, it isn't interesting to hear him tell people to go to a meeting. Although it is pretty much a 12 step program I thought it was odd that he has so little interest in any kind of recovery (Rational Recovery for True Atheists and medical innovation in addiction therapy) other than 12 Step AA.

What does make Norton good when he isn't doing that is he has gone through a lot of therapy and has thankfully learned from that therapy. He's able to help because he's been with good therapists. This isn't an option for a lot of callers, be they truck drivers lucky to have any kind of insurance.

I listened to Norton arguing about The Unfollowing of a Great Man who has helped Norton more than a Dead Guy who was an Addict and said I thought he was acting like a dry drunk. I am now blocked. I don't care, it's Norton's account. If I met him I would tell him my name and Twitter and say that I still think he was acting like one and it's not like I can't see him Tweet anymore but it is a little bothersome to not be able to read comments on his photos.

NOBODY CARES

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I believe RR and SMART are pretty similar. I have no personal experience with any of it.

Ha exactly. I could never put it into words why his whole addiction spiel bothered me so much - but you're exactly right.

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Yes. You are wrong.

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Agreed. I'm all for someone getting clean. However, if you only used as a teen and went sober at 19, I'm not sure that you can really use the addict thing when you're 40 plus.

Jimmy's been to lots of meetings, counseling, therapy, and all kinds of shit to deal with his addiction. I know he went sober as a teen, but based on the stories he has told, he sounds like it fucked up him pretty bad.

Addiction isn't based on what your most recent problem was. See: his sex addiction. It's called transferring addictions. Which is why it's a lifetime problem.

Now now. You are talking like an addict. You might want to go to your local *A and find a sponsor.

Unless you are an addict you honestly have no idea, no frame of reference, as to how it affects you daily. It doesn't just go away, and it will sneak back up on you the second that you turn your back on it. If you're not an addict, I wouldn't expect you to understand. Ronnie B is the same way, he's been clean and sober ~12 years but it is still front of mind.

You won't get an addict that knows addiction as Stanhope, still he called Jim on his AA stuff. And yes, the stats he mentioned are accurate, the likelihood of AA to work is the same as just leaving it by oneself. There's absolutely no observable advantages on success rates for 12 step programs in comparison with just do it by yourself. Jim absolutely said that you don't have to believe in god or even follow the program if you don't want, but then he goes on his advice show and everytime an addiction call comes through it's always his advice, "go to meetings."

Sometimes a meeting is a place to go instead of a bar. That's important to have.

Why would anyone downvote this? It's 100% true. If you have a place to go and talk to people who also don't want to drink but want the kind of community that a bar provided. A lot of my friends who are in AA have told me that if it was just sitting at home watching TV alone on a Friday night with nothing to do and no one to talk about they would probably drink.

AA is not an evidence-based treatment program and a flim-flam church basement AA meeting is the worst place you could send an alcoholic wanted to change. That said, there are several evidence-based treatment programs that can do wonders with addiction treatment. I'm trained in the "Matrix Model".

I'm no expert on dealing with an addiction issue, but is it fair to say AA is automatically the worst? I feel like different treatments work for different people.

AA is not treatment.

I don't know anything about it so I wont even try to debate you. I trust you though conspiracymomma from the context earlier it seems you know what's up with addiction treatment

What is the Matrix Model? I don't agree with you about it being the worst place to send an alcoholic. I can think of a bar near a bridge where I lived that would be worse.

I'm on my phone, so I can't link you to materials (sorry). But if you're interested, check out Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles about the Matrix Manual. Also, SAMSA.gov might have free scanned PDFs.

Thank you, Lady Trucker! Nice of you to be doing your own addiction advice show over the CB-airwaves of America.

edit: You shouldn't be on your phone while driving. When you get to a rest stop please summarize as I'm busy reading peer-reviewed studies in my field and don't have time to read ones about rig maintenance and logistics.

I'll just say that I went through a several year period of some hardcore shit from late teens to 26-27. I smoked pot from early teens to the same age. Haven't touched anything in years. I don't consider myself an addict. All those things are just something that I used to do. As for Ronnie B, he was doing shit for most of his life. That is addiction. Staying fucked up for a few years while you're a teenybopper isn't a lifelong sentence.

So you were never addicted, I guess. Maybe you were. Who knows? All that I am saying is that it is incredibly presumptuous to speak for someone else when it comes to addiction. Again, like they always say on air, if you don't like it change the channel.

When someone tries to tell me I could never understand I know instantly they are full of shit.

Were you ever sexually abused as a child? Have you ever dated someone who was sexually abused as a child? Shut the fuck up you ignorant cunt, your show makes me fall asleep or sumptin.

What's it like to have AIDS? Sickle Cell? Manic Depression? You may have some idea of the symptoms, but not the disease.

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WE HEAAARD YOU....

Why not?

"Doug's mom's suicide after the break."

Wow.

I heard him do that bit about a month ago. My jaw was on the floor the whole time and its true that there was a statute of limitations in doing it because of some potential credit card fraud he mentions

Agreed, I think the "I am an addict in recovery" window has closed.

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Not to an attention whore.

no because true addicts can fall "off the wagon" it doesn't happen over night but before you know it youre back to where you were.

What did baleeted say?

He said that he likes to sit on coke bottles till they disappear.

Doug's appearance if you missed it. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL5yjQfRjIg

While I do get tired hearing Jimmy talk about being an addict, listening to how he talks about his sex addiction makes me think that had he continued to drink like he was he'd be dead. I know everyone goes crazy when they first start drinking, but Jimmy has never been good at stopping himself. On the show he's talked about "edging" for 4-5 hours at a time and going on marathon porn watching sessions and who knows how many thousands of dollars he's spent on hookers. Judging from his personality I have no doubt that he would've eventually become a full blown alcoholic and he'd either be dead from the booze or he would've killed himself. Lets not forget that Jimmy also has pretty low self-esteem about himself at times. Alcohol just helps to magnify those problems. So in the end, I think it was definitely for the best that Jimmy quit drinking even if he doesn't fit into the traditional definition of an "alcoholic".

Jimmy is also uber intelligent, and I think his smarts gave him to foresight to quit that not many people possess. I know he comes from smart genes, I remember him once talking about how his cousins were all ivy leaguers. Just a thought. Comment?

The Penn and Teller BULLSHIT ! on AA is great.

Haven't watched because Bullshit is sometimes bullshit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU2YliYttnQ

It's pretty interesting

If you don't feel like watching it, the main point to take away is that the success rate for becoming sober using AA is exactly the same as the success rate doing it alone.

i'm addicted to hating Opie, LOL!!!!!

How can people downvote this comment?!

Because there is nothing funny about addiction Lady Trucker.

Wait, she's Lady Trucker?!

She is Lady Trucker.

No, I'm not, but he likes to have every third post state that I am.

There are about 4 female O&A fans. I'm one. Lady Trucker is another.

pretty sure you're the one and only lady trucker

I'm glad you're not Lady Trucker. She's an abomination.

So is ConspiracyMomma.

Recovery is Jimmy's addiction.

I always thought it was odd that Yimmy said he got sober cause he acted dumb when he was 15+ and drunk. EVERYONE DOES !!!!

I think he attempted suicide a couple of times and that really put the scare into him. I'm speculating of course.

Also congratulations on having an interesting conversation instead of just typing out a bits punchline and making jokes so bad Chip would throw acid in your face.

WE ARE GROWING AS A COMMUNITY

I like how when Doug talked about chewing noises while talking and how fucking disgusting it is, Norton agreed with him.

Really Yimmy!? You do that shit everyday with your little yogurt Ew. Stop it.

Fantasic Argument

There's such a thing as addictive personality types. Some people have the bug -- Jimmy apparently had it badly, and he's managed to overcome it.

Stanhope, on the other hand, will probably die at an early age.

The worst part about Jimmy is that he talks about it like he's sober.

He's nowhere close to sober, he just switched from doing something that only harmed him (the drugs/booze) and switched it to something that victimizes massage therapists (forcing money on women to suck his dick)

no idea why this is getting downvotes when it is correct - Jimmy switched from alcohol and drugs to sex and he rationalizes it away

he neglects the idea that many of these women are being victimized and most likely are also addicts (most girls on the street have a drug problem, not so sure about call girls)

Jimmy also have interpersonal issues that have kept him from forming long lasting relationships - a person actively in recovery would be dealing with this

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I'll give a pass on the celebrity thing since that harms no one and his OCD falls outside of 12 step protocols

I personally think prostitution should be legal - I also think if it were it might eliminate many of the horrors associated with it - sometimes even the women who seem in for the money are not free agents or have very destructive inner issues

Jimmy has said this is addictive behavior - to me this means until he attempts to deal with the issue he is a hypocrite on the addiction issue - don't forget, he refuses to use protection and potentially opens himself up to disease with every encounter - as with many with addiction problems he is in denial and will use his other more successfully handled issues to deflect from it

It might harm his career a bit. You want celebrities to view you as an equal or a potential friend when you're in show business, he treats them prizes.

other than luck, I don't see Jimmy being much more than he is (and I would happily live that life) honestly, Leno's love if Jimmy puzzles me - and my guess is after Leno goes, Jimmy on network tv will be over

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I never name any program - 12 step covers a lot of ground --- a good sponsor and friends actively in recovery are vital, as is a professional trained in addiction therapy. Sometimes knowing when to move from one primary source is key.

most 12 step is limited to very restricted areas and not keyed to the idea of growth and/or exploration of other issues --- a way to see it might be - you don't study one subject in school, you study several. with many instructors --- a problem I had with 12 step is how restricted they attempt to keep you - you can't have all your needs met at a meeting

It doesn't work for 95% of people. There's lessons to be taken from it of course, but addiction always comes down to will power and intelligence.

if it works for one, that is significant - I know dozens who owe their lives to 12 step

That's a sweet sentiment, but it's bullshit.

Thousands of desperate addicts turn to AA because it's the popular alternative, and instead of getting help, a lot of them just get conned into joining churches and never have their addictions addressed the way they need to be. They get convinced that their god will give them the power to fight through everything, and if that fails, that's the whole universe against them.

Even top line programs have recidivism. Addiction, just like a lot of other diseases, is pretty fucking complicated. I'm not defending what I think AA's problems are but lets be honest if AA can prevent people from ending up dead or homeless and further spiraling into mental illness then the libertarian in me says live and let live but what the hay do I know I just don't drink and enjoy my container o coffee.

if a group requires church attendance they are outside the guidelines, should be reported and lose their endorsement - I have attended meetings in almost every state and never heard anyone say church membership was a requirement

the wording goes along the lines of 'recognizing a higher power, as you understand it' - mention of a particular religion or god is not within approved guidelines - if you know of a group forcing this they need to be reported

a higher power is not a bad thing, however a good sponsor, who has a good sponsor and making friends with people working toward recovery with good sponsors is also needed --- never heard it said a higher power alone will preform magic (knew a person once who had John Lennon as a higher power) a higher power as YOU understand him/her

once more, from personal experience I know many people (dozens) who have been helped using a 12 step program --- however, you have to follow through - keep coming back is a motto but will not solve your problem, that takes work (direct action) by the individual - the step and transitions will not work themselves

once again, anonymity means we say 12 steps and not site a particular group - I noticed you said addicts - there is a separate 12 step program for addiction - you may see alcoholism and addiction as the same thing, all I can say is when you begin to add in other drugs the equation and the people involved change - usually all are welcome at any meeting but there is a certain understanding among those walking a path others have not set foot upon

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This is an excellent point and fuck those downvoters.

He always calls people out on being dry drunk too, which he absolutely is with sex addiction. Also he does not regularly attend meetings or have a sponsor, making him not 'in recovery' at least actively. IDK just my observations. Goddamn Jimmy.

I think he has said he has a sponsor and sponsors people.

It really easily could harm him. He could get a disease, robbed, stabbed etc. I think he believes that because he isn't having sex with these women it isn't potentially damaging to him.

He's 46. Well past the risk of dying at an early age.

In a first world nation, checking out before 60 is dying at an early age.

For a road comic, dying at 60 is old age.

Jimmy is a self righteous ass. I'll never forget the episode with Colin and Rich when they're talking about Rich quitting smoking or the nicorette gum and when he questions Jimmy's sex addiction and visiting prostitutes, Jimmy derails the argument by countering it with that he already quit smoking. What the fuck does that matter, addictive personality is an addictive personality - he even has the balls to say that he's not trying to be sanctimonious like "naughty, naughty", yes you are! shut the fuck up. He rails against Bloomberg for being a nanny, he's one of the biggest nanny's when it comes to this shit. I get that he's trying to be nice but he's being co-dependent and harshing everyone's buzz.

How far into the show does this happen?

The only thing I know Stanhope from is the episode of Louie which was fucking harrowing.

It was a great argument. I can't take sides because I heard two people arguing (and living) two extreme positions. But that's why Jimmy and Doug are both brilliant comedians.

I think the exact opposite. This is an incredible exchange. Stanhope needs to hear this shit. One of the best moments of the year. I don't think I've seen Stanhope have to defend himself like this ever before.

I'm surprised by how long Stanhope and Jimmy are going at this!

Best of the year.

(Will they play this clip when Doug dies?)

Oh man. That's a rough one. I don't think they could. It would look bad. But I have to say, when cornered, Stanhope sounds like every addict I've ever met. Just rationalizing away. Pretty amazing, because the fucker is brilliant.

I just don't think he cares in the end. He enjoys drinking so he does it. He's a successful comedian who pretty much lives how he wants. He couldn't care less if they played that audio.

Stanhope wouldn't give a shit but the audience would probably bitch.

I work with addicts all day, and yes, Doug sounds like a true textbook addict.

Today is my day off. Ha!!

Jim will die before Doug

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Maybe they did it off-air but the only person I heard talk about Patrice's self-inflicted death and refusal to deal with a deadly but manageable disease after his death was Louis when he said he knew that Patrice didn't drink and neither did he and, just like pretty much everyone who didn't reach out to an addict says after their death, and regretted not saying to him 'Hey, let's go for a walk.'

Much like many other addicts it's intimidating to approach them but it's even harder when it's Patrice.

Yes. You are wrong.

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