1) Frey reports that, while in rehab, he gets into physical confrontations with other patients and with a staff member. I can't imagine how a rehab facility could stay accredited and insured if they allowed this behavior.

2) Frey details an episode where he voluntarily checks out of rehab and goes looking for another patient that he believes has relapsed. He reports that staff from the facility accompanies him, and that he finds the AWOL patient in a crack house, and convinces her to return to rehab with him. The idea that staff from a rehab facility would drive a recovering addict to a crack house is laughable.

3) Frey states that he is facing a 3-year prison sentence, but implies that his sentence is reduced to 3 months in a county jail after a Federal Judge, whom Frey befriended in rehab, intervenes on his behalf. To suggest that a Federal Judge would interfere in this way is a very, very serious accusation.

First, is is notable that Frey takes very little responsibility for anything he does in the book, under the influence or not. Frey's behavior, unfortunately, is very characteric of addicts: They often cling to the belief that they are not responsible for their crimes because "it was the drugs talking/stealing/whatever." The only times that Frey seems to take any small concern for the consequences of his actions is during a "confessions" with a priest. (Step 5 in the traditional 12 Steps: "Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.") After the confession, however, Frey feels that his crimes have been forgiven. He rejects the 12 Step model, so it's no surprise that he never gets to Step 9: "Making direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." If Frey had gone through this, he might have come to some concept of the importance of considering the long-term consequences of his actions.

For example, Frey details a relationship with a woman named "Lily" in the book--a relationship that he maintains despite the facility's rules against the formation of such relationships. Frey insists that the relationship is healthy, and that it keeps him in recovery. However, never once in the book does he consider the possible effects of the relationship on Lily. He never pauses to think if his indulging his "love" (and I use quotes because I have doubts about the depth of love that can be reached in 6 weeks) might have negative effects on the object of his affections.

I can't help but wonder if this irresponsible mindset is the core of truth in Frey's book. After all, Frey the person (not Frey the character) seems not to have thought of the consequences of publishing a work of fiction as his memoir.

I would like to say that Frey does make some valid criticisms of the 12 Step model of recovery in his work. (The program is difficult for those without faith; it often seems to be the replacement of one addiction with another.) However, his work is not a very good critique of the 12 Step model. There are other, better sources for those interested in alternative models of recovery. I would suggest starting with Many Roads One Journey, by Charlotte S. Kasl.