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Home - SHUFFLE: Pulling Back the Curtain on the Dark Side of Addiction Treatment
MOVIE NIGHT

SHUFFLE: Pulling Back the Curtain on the Dark Side of Addiction Treatment

Alysse BrysonBy Alysse BrysonAugust 17, 20254 Mins Read
StopTheShuffle Documentary
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Photo Credit: StopTheShuffle Facebook page

When filmmaker Benjamin Flaherty set out to document the world of addiction recovery, he didn’t expect to uncover a billion-dollar system built on exploitation. His new award-winning documentary, SHUFFLE, is already being hailed by critics as “inherently shattering and enraging” (Variety), “almost biblical” in its portrayal of corrupted good intentions (IndieWire), and “81 damning minutes of tight filmmaking, great storytelling, and riveting investigation” (AV Club).

Premiering at SXSW earlier this year and taking home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature, SHUFFLE is as gripping as it is disturbing—an intimate, unflinching look inside a for-profit addiction treatment model where young people are bought and sold for their insurance coverage, often trapped in a cycle designed to keep them sick rather than help them heal.

The Human Cost of the “Treatment Shuffle”

At the heart of SHUFFLE is the “shuffle” itself—a process where clients are cycled through repetitive, ineffective treatment programs over and over again. On paper, it looks like standard rehab. In reality, it’s a form of insurance fraud capable of generating up to a million dollars a year per person in reimbursements.

Photo Credit: StopTheShuffle Facebook page

This systemic exploitation becomes even more alarming when you realize there are more treatment centers in the U.S. than McDonald’s—over 15,000 private facilities compared to 13,637 golden arches. At first glance, this might sound like a positive statistic. But the reality is sobering: roughly 90% of people who need treatment either can’t access it or choose not to.

That means those 15,000+ facilities survive by serving only 10% of the market. How? Repeat business. Read that again. REPEAT BUSINESS. The economics of the industry favor relapse over recovery. Long-term sobriety represents lost profit. In a 50 billion-plus-a-year recovery industry, the money flows whether anyone actually gets sober or not.

Through the lens of his recovery, Flaherty follows three individuals fighting to break free from this cycle—not just to get into treatment, but to make it out alive. Their stories reveal a crisis few outside the recovery community even know exists.


Photo Credit: StopTheShuffle Facebook page

From Film to Movement: #StopTheShuffle

The film’s impact campaign, #StopTheShuffle, extends the documentary’s reach beyond the screen and into communities nationwide. Led by Flaherty and supported by advocacy organizations such as Enrich KY, Advocates for Responsible Treatment, and Faces and Voices of Recovery, the initiative aims to:

  • Raise Public Awareness – A national screening tour will spotlight affected regions, featuring discussions with local nonprofits. A companion book, The ABCs of Addiction Treatment, will serve as an illustrated guide to empower and inform.
  • Demand Institutional Accountability – Screenings will align with major industry gatherings, such as the JP Morgan Chase Behavioral Health Summit and The Recovery Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.
  • Push for Political Reform – By collaborating with state-level advocates, the campaign aims to influence policy and spark dialogue, even with those who oppose reform.
  • Educate the Next Generation – Programs are planned for students in counseling, behavioral health, nursing, and public policy. The UCLA Documentary Film Legal Clinic will host the first impact screening at the UCLA School of Law.
  • Harness Media Power – Traditional and social media will amplify the message, foster a sense of community, and share valuable resources.

Why This Matters to the Recovery Community

The addiction treatment industry is often painted as a lifeline for those in crisis—but SHUFFLE exposes the danger when profit overshadows care. The #StopTheShuffle campaign isn’t just a call to action for policymakers; it’s a rallying cry for all of us to demand transparency, protect the vulnerable, and refuse to accept a system that profits from prolonged suffering.

Because recovery should never be for sale.

For more information and resources, visit StopTheShuffle.com. Keep an eye out for the trailer, which will be dropping in September 2025.


Sober in El Paso? Check out SHUFFLE at the El Paso Film Festival on September 26-28, 2025


Sober in Deleware? Check out SHUFFLE at the Wilmington International Film Festival on October 9-12, 2025


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Movie Night Sober Curator movie reviews with addiction

MOVIE NIGHT WITH THE SOBER CURATOR: is your go-to guide for films and documentaries that intricately weave addiction, recovery, and mental health into powerful storytelling. Think of us as your bee-zy movie critics, curating a hive of must-watch titles that inspire, educate, and spark conversation.

Our review archives are neatly organized into Drama, Dramedy, and Documentary categories, making it easy to find your next captivating watch. Whether you’re in the mood for a heartfelt indie, a laugh-through-the-tears comedy, or a thought-provoking doc, we’ve got you covered.


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Help is Available

THE SOBER CURATOR RESOURCE GUIDE: At The Sober Curator, we provide high-quality content centered around the vibrant and fulfilling lifestyle of sobriety. While our focus is on the positive aspects of sober living, we also acknowledge that life can present challenges without the aid of alcohol or substances. Coping with these challenges alone can be daunting, which is why we strongly believe in finding recovery within a supportive community because it is the opposite of addiction.

If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use disorder, substance use disorder, a co-occurring illness, or a behavioral health disorder, we urge you to seek help. While the task may seem daunting, it’s important to remember that support is readily available and that there are people out there who want to help.

It’s crucial to remain persistent in your search for assistance until you find the right solution for your unique situation. In some cases, it could be a matter of life or death, so it’s essential to never give up on finding the necessary help.

If your life or someone else’s is in imminent danger, please call 911. If you are in crisis and need immediate help, please call: 988.


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Alysse Bryson
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Alysse Bryson is a strong woman in recovery, an innovative media maven, marketing guru, and gal about town. "I'm just a laid-back old school Seattlite...with sober superpowers. You can take the girl out of the party, but you can't take the party out of the girl."

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