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Frequently Asked Questions Are you a member of AA? Alcoholics Anonymous is an Anonymous organization. If Danny were a member of AA, he would violate AAs traditions by saying so publicly. He would also be lying if he were a member and denied it. So in order to respect that organizations traditions he does not answer that question publicly. However, Danny does want people to know that AA has earned his respect and he approves of AAs 12 Step Program. He also does not think that AA has a monoploy on recovery from alcoholism and that AA is not for everyone. He has attended AA meetings and has done extensive research into its history and 12 Step Program. He writes about some of these observations regarding AAs Program, Fellowship and history. Will you help me stop drinking? That depends. Email Danny at ready2stop4ever@dannyschwarzhoff.net and your request will be forwarded.Do you charge to work with alcoholics who want to get sober? No. Email please: Do you only help men or will you also help females? Danny believes that female alcoholics should not be turned down, despite the obvious concerns. He will work with a female in conjunction with another recovered alcoholic female only. He maintains a network of such recovered alcoholic women near his home on Cape Cod, MA and in the following States: ALASKA, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ILLINOIS, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, NEBRASKA, OKLAHOMA, PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH CAROLNIA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, WISCONSIN. Also: S. AFRICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, FRANCE, ICELAND, UK, If your country or state is not currently on the list, it does not mean that someone cannot be found to assist. Just inquire with details: Have you read A Million Little Pieces by Fames Frey? Danny answers directly: "Started it. Couldn't get through it. He must be different type of alcoholic than I am and he's also a drug addict, which I am not. I could not identify with him. Stories like those are a boring to recovered alcoholics like me. They shock and entertain folks who have never really seen that world from the inside, but his story is just common everyday BS to me. And believe me it sounds like bullshit. I hear and see it day in - day out - so I couldn't get into it, especially coming from one person. James needs to get into the trenches with me and a few OTHER still-puking drunks and cut all the bullshit. Sorry. ZZZZZ." What religion are you? Born and raised Catholic. Currently belongs to no organized religion. Does not attend church services. He once (while drinking) sent a letter to the Pope asking to be excommunicated. Today Danny has respect for the Catholic Church and regrets ever sending that letter to the Vatican. Do you believe in God? Would not have gotten sober without Him. Are you a Christian? Yes. Do you believe in the Devil? Here is Danny's direct answer to this question: "If there's a God, how can there not be a devil? He is quite an evil character. No joke. He would love me not to believe he exists. But I've been too close to him to think otherwise?. How long have you been sober? Danny says he first stopped drinking on August 24 (or 23rd) 1997. Then on October 5, 1999, he drank again. That was the date of his last drink. He says his sobriety date is November 18, 1999 and apologizes for not publicly accounting for the missing 44 days. One day he may Why do you hate Treatment Centers? Danny does not hate treatment centers. He brings people with whom he encounters in the field to centers all the time. His experience with them is that many if not most centers treat all of their clients , real alcoholic or not – drug addict or alcoholic - as though the all had the same disease. He feels that his experience in working with others proves that this is not the case. He feels that there are different types of alcoholics/problem drinkers and that many centers only focus on one type leaving “His type” unknowingly untreated. He He is very pro-treatment for those whose who need that kind of treatment and care that Treatment Centers are qualified to give. Unfortunately too many centers are unwilling to make the distinctions because it decreases the size of their target market. Danny feels it is “It’s all about money”. He feels that Treatment Centers should be willing to turn away those for whom they have no solution, instead of taking money, and then sending them to AA to do the job they were hired to do in the first place. "If I can use the proven technique to successfully make the distinction between different types of problem drinkers, and addicts then Treatment Centers out to be to do it too. No? But I'll do it for free. They know how. They just won't." “Ethics are huge problem in the addictions treatment industry, Danny says. “ They make more money with their horribly low rate of success than not. A seventeen percent success rate for the highest rated treatment facility in the nation is atrocious." What is your political party? Answered directly: "I am not so political since I stopped drinking. I used to be a right winged nut, but that was while I was drunk. I vote. " Why don't you write more directly about spirituality? Danny feels that spirituality is a personal process of exploration and discovery. He doesn't believe that he should foster his own discoveries on anyone else, less it deny them the opportunity of discovery. He believes that this is where religions have gone off the track. He also feels that spirituality books don't sell well. In his own words, "Alcoholics hate to be told what to do about most things, especially spirituality and what to read. Trust me." Will you come speak to our AA group? Yes. Will you come speak to our group (not AA)? Yes Do you charge for speaking? Danny is not paid to speak before non-profit groups, but groups need to cover the costs of travel related expenses. Have you ever been in a rehab? Not for treatment. Only to speak and conduct group sessions. Do you have any credentials? Hard knocks 1957-2005 Magna Cum Laude. Still studying. What is Nancy's maiden name? Bucell Is Danny a drug addict? No. He has used drugs recreationally in the past, but never got addicted to them. He does not use them now nor since his sobriety date. How do I know if I am alcoholic? Danny believes that no one can answer that question for you. He believes that the only way is to learn the difference between the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic and look at your own history to see if you fit. In "Strangely Insane" he addresses many of the "interested parties" who he says are "too quick" to pronounce any individual as alcoholic without much knowledge about the case; some for money and some for other reasons. "Please be careful." says Danny. Aren't you an arrogant, egotistical blowhard? According to Danny, "Yes. I am." |
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