12 episodes
The 13th Step NHPR
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- News
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4.8 • 756 Ratings
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An investigation into the widespread culture of sexual misconduct and abuse persistent in the addiction treatment industry.
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Trailer: The 13th Step
The 13th Step is a podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio, coming June 6th.
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1: The Shadow
What is “the 13th step,” and why does it matter? It all starts with understanding what it’s like to be in the earliest days of recovery. We meet two women who say they were harassed during early recovery. And we meet the man who allegedly harassed them – the founder of New Hampshire’s largest addiction treatment network.
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2: The God of Recovery
As Eric Spofford tells it, he spent his teen years in the throes of addiction and crime. When he got sober, he became a crusader for recovery. We hear how he built his company – and his power. And we hear allegations that he abused that power by sexually assaulting members of his own staff.
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3: Just the Beginning
In March of 2022, Lauren publishes her first story detailing allegations against Eric Spofford. The events of the next several months illustrate the ways powerful, wealthy people can intimidate sources and try to stop journalism from happening. And then, there was the vandalism…
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4: A Wild (Wild?) West
How did 13th stepping become so common in the recovery world and who can hold people accountable? Lauren looks into the history of the addiction treatment industry; goes in search of the people, government agencies, and industry groups that are supposed to oversee it; and does a deep dive into its most pervasive cultural force: AA and the 12 steps. She finds a lot of good intentions, alongside a lot of problems.
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5: The Litter Police
What does it take to catch a predator in the addiction treatment industry? We hear about a case in California where the CEO of a network of treatment facilities was convicted of sexual assault and massive insurance fraud. It required years of work – and two women who banded together and refused to give up.
Customer Reviews
Terrific listen!
I’m a pod junkie and this is a top tier listen to me. Checks all the boxes. Nice job everyone!
Good story telling—and interesting topic
Story telling and the music and sound effects / cuts where all excellent.
The topic is just being scratched. Personally I would have liked it a little better if it wasn’t so much about the reporter (although that was interesting) but there is so much more about the topic of vulnerability being taken advantage. Or how a lot of people do criticize people for not recovering in a certain way.
There was a review talking about how to blame the AA program on “white men” seems wrong and I would agree. I don’t know if the podcast really explicitly says that but there is a good focal on it. I think what would be more beneficial (because some of it does have to do with male dominate trauma and female trauma) there should be a discussion about these experiences. Or a discussion more about different therapy types (like EMDR, IFS etc) can be applied with the 12 step to make up for the short comings of the steps. Because healing trauma and recovering from a substance is different and both need to be attacked at the same time (same time meaning in the healing process —you should do a lot of these therapies when someone is sober and in a safe spot).
With that all being said—it’s worth the listen , even if you aren’t passionate about recovery. The show is captivating.
Truly Fantastic Reporting
Lauren is a really, really gifted storyteller. This is a great podcast you will binge quickly. It goes in some wide ranging directions but all of them are compelling.