The medical model includes mental health/addiction counselors, therapists, and treatment centers.

The medical model of addiction treatment doesn't work because:

 (1)  No one except the addict can decide to give up the addiction.

(2) No one but the addict holds the key to recovery.

(3) Others can support a desire to change a life but only the addict can decide to let go.

(4) Addiction is about someone making the choice to continue using a substance, a lifestyle, an attitude to others, etc.

(5) Addiction is not a disease but is a decision to continue use.
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(6) Giving up any addiction only depends on making a decision to quit. Is it easy to quit? Probably not, if years have been invested into the addictive behavior. After years, it has become a way of life and it taking up most of the addict's time and energy. But with a decision to quit, recovery can happen.

(7) Medical model counselers give diagnosis and/or reasons for addiction but few solutions. Diagnosis is not recovery.

(8) Medical model deals with the past; but people need to be helped in the here-and-now--today; this moment.

(9) What good is it to find out he/she was mistreated as a child--what does that do to help someone now?

(10) Medical model encourages clients to be victims in their own recovery.