HOW THE CHRONIC RELAPSER GETS SOBER

In this heartfelt and raw conversation, Sam Davis welcomes Brook McKenzie, CEO of Burning Tree Programs, to reflect on their shared experience as former chronic relapsers who found lasting recovery through Burning Tree Ranch — a long-term, progress-based addiction treatment program in Texas. Both men emphasize the profound spiritual and behavioral transformation that occurred through the program’s structure, discipline, and refusal to enable old patterns.

🔑 Key Themes & Talking Points:

🔁 Chronic Relapse and Early Addiction:

Both men had traditional upbringings and loving families, yet experienced deep spiritual disconnection and feelings of not belonging from a young age.

Brook describes his addiction beginning in adolescence, rapidly escalating from alcohol and marijuana to crack cocaine by age 15.

He had been to 11 treatment centers before Burning Tree, each failing to address the root issues.

🧠 Addiction as a Spiritual Malady:

Brook shares that his core issue was not just a drug problem — it was a spiritual problem that no amount of therapy, medication, or external motivation could fix.

He emphasizes that the insanity of addiction includes truly believing “this time will be different,” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

🧱 The Failure of Traditional Treatment Models:

Time-based treatment centers (30, 60, 90 days) couldn’t address the complex behavioral patterns that drove chronic relapse.

Brook notes these centers often had well-meaning staff but were not equipped to intervene at the level needed for a hopeless addict.

🧭 Burning Tree’s Uniqueness:

Progress-based model: Clients do not discharge on a fixed schedule — they stay until genuine internal transformation is evident.

Radical accountability: Burning Tree held clients to high standards from day one. Unlike other centers, they didn’t coddle or lower expectations.

Family alignment: Families are educated, coached, and required to change alongside the client, removing the system of enabling.

No free passes: Clients are expected to pay their own way post-treatment, contributing to their dignity and self-sufficiency.

⚖️ Personal Consequences & Turning Point:

Brook shares his story of being released from prison (after charges related to drug use and theft) and relapsing again despite "knowing better."

His path to Burning Tree began with an intervention where he unexpectedly requested Burning Tree — a request rooted in divine providence more than strategic planning.

🔄 Recovery Outcomes:

Both men credit Burning Tree with saving their lives, not by offering comfort, but by offering confrontation, community, and accountability.

Brook completed the entire program; Sam left just shy of a year. Despite that, Sam remained sober, but acknowledges he is the exception to the rule — most who leave early don’t make it.

They emphasize that a spiritually fit individual does not use drugs. True healing came not from managing symptoms but addressing the internal void.

🎯 Takeaways for Families:

Chronic relapse is not a moral failure — it’s a symptom of deep spiritual and behavioral dysfunction.

Recovery requires more than short-term structure — it requires long-term transformation.

Families must stop rescuing and start aligning with reality; loving leverage is often the catalyst for real change.

Burning Tree is not for everyone — but it is for those who have tried everything else and still can’t stay sober.

To find out if Burning Tree is appropriate for your loved one, visit them here-https://www.burningtree.com/?utm_camp...

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