Product Description
The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure contains the powerful three-step program to total recovery that is the basis of the miraculous success of the Passages Addiction Cure Center in Malibu, California. You'll learn the three steps to permanent sobriety; the four causes of dependency; how your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs are key factors in your recovery; and how to create your own personalized treatment program with the help of health professionals where you live--one that gets to the real, underlying causes of dependency. A visionary and an innovator, Chris Prentiss brings new hope to people everywhere who are dependent on drugs, alcohol, or addictive behaviors. This groundbreaking approach will show you how to end relapse, end your craving, end addictive behavior, and end your suffering. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (84)

Worth the read
A very different approach to curing addictions from AA or NA but an option some may find appealing.Many AA members could be offended by some of the Authors beliefs but they have been proven (according to the Author) to work for over 80% of his addicts.It is a very interesting read.

It's a scam!!!
This book is a scam, the author does not delivered the name of the book, it tells you to go to one of their rehab centers, I bought it and I feel a fool for believing about this book, there is nothing that teach you about curing yourself, it tells you to go to a rehab center, you don't need to buy this garbage book to know that. I wish they would take this scam book off the market.

Refreshing Approach to Addiction
"The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure:A Holistic Approach to Total Recovery" is a breath of fresh air in the treatment of addiction issues.The stories that are shared in this book make it a "marvelous read".The honesty and authenticity of both father and son are clear on each page.They believe in their message and the success rate of their program speaks for itself.There are other models for dealing with addiction and this book highlights an approach that is well worth investigating for yourself or someone you know who struggles with addiction.

Kelli Malcolm, Esq.
Author of forthcoming book, "Sidestepping the 12 Steps:Using Metaphysical Principles to Move Beyond Addiction"

Interesting
I think it is an interesting book. That said I have been an alcoholic/addict for many years. I am a strong believer in Eastern medicine, massage, acupuncture, and some things in western medicine like Naltrexone which they do not mention (the Sinclair Method which is brilliant). Even with the latter, I LIKE to be out of my mind at times. WHY? Because I was abused as a child? I am an emotional mess? Perhaps, but perhaps it is just some way I found of coping. I hate myself often afterwards, I know how to fill my body with "good flora for my intestines" massage, exercise, name it. The fact is that like MOST addict/alcoholics I believe we have a deeper more profound sense of feeling. How it developed I am not sure, we just see the finite fact of life. Loves come and go, money comes and goes, family comes and goes, everything goes--why not be happy if even it is artificial. I believe by nature we are atheistic, that is why the religious do so well in AA---they are genetic alcoholics/addicts who can hand their lives over to the afterlife that some of us do not believe is. This is the impediment to sobriety for most of us that relapse or continue to drink/drug. I see NO future after death, I see the fact that life is what it is, a finite venture about reproduction and passing on our genes just so we move on and die and become part of the soil and the building blocks of new life. Sorry to sound this way, but I would bet MOST alcoholics/addicts that cannot or do not recover 100% feel this way. Why do I say 100%? Because at 19 I was told I can NEVER drink again, at 37 I have drank most of my life. yes after the "indoctrination" I lost all control, but I learned controlled functional, recreational usage and for me it works. I may die younger, likely already have some form of liver disease, but I do what I can to meliorate the damage through supplements, nutrition and controlled "craziness".

B.S.
Save your time! Save your money! Maybe 100 pages of content in a 316 page book. 85 pages of author's pampered son's escapades in addiction, which border on bragging. 76 pages of questions and answers. Come On!!! One can only hope that the California treatment center is better than the book! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (26)

Dangerous Book
All I can say is that this is a dangerous book that will simply postpone an alcoholic's intended bottom and delay his getting to AA.Without the personal and spiritual growth entailed with assessing your own character and cleaning up your life, no meaningful sobriety can take place.I have tried a good deal of what is out there to get sober on my own:I have spent well over a hundred thousand dollars on therapy, pills, books, psychiatry, programs that promise to "cure" you of alcoholism with a pill or a diet, and willpower-based techniques that claim alcoholism is not a disease to be cured but a lifestyle choice; you name it, I have tried it and tried it quite diligently. None of it works for the long haul.Period.

Please, if you feel you are a problem drinker, keep your mind open about 12 Step Programs. We all know as adults that there is no such thing as a free lunch, shortcuts short you, things of value take work, and you get what you pay for.If you want $28 dollars worth of sobriety, buy this book.Then, come to AA if you want a lifetime of sobriety of immeasurable value if you are willing to do the work it takes.Best of luck to you whatever you decide.Be well.

I have my life back
The Sinclair Method works, plain and simple.I read the one star reviews and clearly these were written by people who didn't do the Sinclair Method.If you've quit drinking don't buy this book because you don't need it.But if you drink and want to lose the craving for alcohol do the Sinclair Method.The book explains how it works in detail and it makes total sense.You can visit [...] and read results from hundreds of people that have cured themselves using the Sinclair Method.It worked for me!

Terrific Book
"The Cure for Alcoholism" is a breath of fresh air in the treatment world of alcohol addiction.This book is an easy to read analysis of a new paradigm for alcohol treatment based upon solid medical research. It brings to light the economic realities of the "treatment industry" and provides a thoughtful analysis of how alcohol addiction can be cured.I enjoyed the case studies, the easy to follow format for using naltrexone and the author's courage to go against the traditional cultural mindset that alcoholism cannot be cured.
Kelli Malcolm, Esq.
Author of "Sidestepping the 12 Steps"

THIS BOOK SAVED MY LIFE!
If you truly need help in conquering alcoholism for yourself or for someone you love, PLEASE buy this book.This is the only one you need.I personally was at wits end, having tried AA, nutritional/vitamin therapy, reading everything I could on how to beat alcoholism - there are MANY MANY approaches to beating the disease - but none of which worked for me, UNTIL I READ THIS BOOK.I have averaged 120 drinks per week for the last 5 years, and it wasn't too much better for the 15 years of drinking before that.The method described in this book (taking one pill a day) is a MIRACLE!The inner monsters controlling my behavior and forcing me to drink are gone!! NO MORE INNER DEMONS!!I thank God for the authors, they have saved my life!!!

By the way:The title is 100% true!There is no need for willpower, abstinence, or withdrawal discomfort. It is as simple as taking one pill a day - what could be easier.That is why I also recommend it for anyone who you love who has no desire to quit - if they can take one pill a day, then they can see their drinking dwindle down to nothing over the course of a few months and they won't even realize what happened!!THIS METHOD CAN SAVE COUNTLESS FAMILIES AND LIVES.

An Excellent Resource
Roy Eskapa's book is an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to change their drinking habits. I cannot recommend it too highly. ... Read more

Product Description

Book 1 in The Vitamin Cure Series
Most people_s diets are woefully inadequate for providing proper nutrition. Even good diets fail to deliver sufficient levels of nutrients. The Vitamin Cure book series highlights the safe and clinically effective use of vitamin supplements for a variety of illnesses. Research continues to prove the immense value of vitamins for maintaining health and fighting disease. The Vitamin Cure books, written by authors who are recognized experts in their field, offer authoritative, up-to-date, and practical information on taking vitamins for particular health problems.

The Vitamin Cure for Alcoholism can help those who suffer from alcohol addiction, their friends and loved ones, and those in the relevant helping professions. Its central message is that alcoholism is primarily a metabolic disease that should be treated nutritionally first. The person called an _alcoholic_ suffers from nutrient deficiency, especially vitamin B3, and seeks relief by consuming alcohol. Megavitamin therapy is not only more effective than drugs or counseling, it is cheaper and safer. Behavioral and psychological treatment approaches have lacked long-term success, largely because they pay little attention to the nutritional needs of alcoholics. In fact, Bill W., the man who cofounded Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), promoted the concept of megavitamin therapy.

Nutrition can cure alcohol addiction.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Impressed
I ordered the book, not for myself, but for a friend with a drinking problem.I wanted to read it first before handing it over to him.The information I got made so much sense.When I mentioned this book to my friend, he was open minded about giving it a read.At least it's a start since he believes the conventional approach doesn't work.The book gives promise to all addictions and not just alcoholism.I highly recommend it!

Excellent help for alcoholism
This is a small, easy-to-read book on treating alcoholism with vitamins.The premise is that alcoholism is a metabolic disorder, in which the patient uses alcohol to cope. The authers draw the parallel between alcoholics using alcohol to treat their condition, and diabetics using insulin to treat theirs.

The cure lies in getting the disorder back into balance through high qualitiy nutrition (from food), and additional nutrients from mega doses of vitamins.The book discusses what sugar does and why it is one of the worst things for alcoholics. It also points out that alcoholics take in most of their calories from drinking. While alcohol is busy depleting the body of essential nutrients, the normal nutrition one gets from food is not going in. This creates a severe vitamin deficiency, which causes the dependency.

The most valuable part of the book is that it tells which vitamins help with cravings, and the "DT's."It discusses how critical and dangerous detoxification can be, and how the vitamins -- especially niacin (as nicotinic acid) and the other B vitamins (e.g., B1 and B6) are the cure for this debilitating, and often, heartbreaking condition.

This makes SO MUCH SENSE
We KNOW that alcohol causes vitamin deficiencies, especially the B vitamins. We KNOW that the progress of this malnutrition is linked to the progress of addiction. WE know that there is a vicious cycle going on here.

Why then, don't we KNOW the obvious: Vitamin deficiency itself increases addiction; and if so, doesn't it make sense that vitamin deficiency is a CAUSE of addiction? And if so, eliminating the deficiency should help TREAT addiction?

Hoffer inspired Bill W., the founder of Alcoholics Annonymous, to encourage the AA members to use B3 and other vitamins. Both of these leaders, and others following, discovered that vitamin therapy actually works. This book is a concise, MUST READ for alcoholics and their families. What's there to lose, ten bucks for the book, a couple hours reading and another 10 bucks for some vitamins?

Dolev Gilmore, author of Nutrition and Your Child's Soul: Don Quixote's Heart-Cry

A GREAT BOOK WRITTEN BY GREAT PEOPLE
IT'S TOO BAD THAT ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS REJECTS NUTRICIAN AND VITAMIN SUPPLIMENTS AS COMPLIMENTARY ASSISTANCE IN HELPING AN ALCOHOLIC TO OBTAIN MAXIMUM HEALTH THROUGH ORTHOMOLECULAR HEALING...IN MY OPINION AA IS CLOSED MINDED AND BLINDED TO THE FACT THAT THE ALCOHOLIC IS SICK AND MUST ACHIEVE WELLNESS ANYWAY POSSIBLE, FOR CERTAIN THE ALCOHOLIC SUFFERS FROM MALNUTRICIAN...THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR THOSE WHO CAN ACCEPT IT AND FOLLOW IT'S SUGGESTIONS. IT'S ALL ABOUT CONQUERING ADDICTIONS, THERE IS HELP...

Curing Alcoholism with an Approach of Holism
Dr. Andrew Saul and the late Dr. Abram Hoffer, have produced yet another absolutely essential book, THE VITAMIN CURE FOR ALCOHOLISM.The title is intriguing, as we have always been told that, even though an alcoholic may stop drinking, he can never actually be cured.The authors beg to differ.We learn that alcoholics suffer from a nutritional deficiency that can easily be treated with vitamin supplements.We learn also, that Bill W., the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, promoted the concept of a nutritional approach to curing alcoholism after being successfully treated by Dr. Hoffer.

This is an important book.Integrating a nutritional therapy with the traditional behavioral and psychological approaches (as Bill W. did), has proven to be the key to the cure of alcoholism.If alcoholism is truly a "disease", then it is essential, the authors state, that we not forget to heal the body with nutrients, in order to bring about a truly holistic cure.

... Read more

Product Description
This invaluable work will contribute much to the battle against our number one disease."
--from the Foreword by George McGovern, former senator and author of Terry: My Daughter's Life-and-Death Struggle with Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a disease. It's time we started treating it like one.

Science has offered undisputed proof that alcoholism is a disease rather than a weakness of character, yet millions of alcoholics continue to suffer due to inappropriate treatment.Now the co-author of the modern classic Under the Influence has teamed up with prominent alcoholism experts to provide new answers to this national epidemic.

Based on the latest scientific research, Beyond the Influence clearly explains the neurological nature of the disease and reveals why some people drink addictively and others do not.It also spells out what needs to be done to treat alcoholism, including:
Steps to take for an intervention
How to find the right treatment program
Which psychological approaches work best
Why spirituality is essential to recovery
New insights into relapse prevention
What you should know about diet, exercise, and nontraditional treatments such as acupuncture
Provocative and eye-opening, compelling and compassionate, Beyond the Influence is not only a message of hope for alcoholics--it is a blueprint for saving lives.



BEYOND THE INFLUENCE explains that alcoholism is a disease of the body, not a weakness of character. Drawing on the latest scientific studies, the authors present new research on the central role of genetics and neurotransmitters in addiction. Continuing where the prior book left off, it also includes:

Steps for diagnosis and intervention, plus ways to prevent relapses
Various treatment models, including inpatient and out-patient programs and a review of new drug treatments
The most effective types of psychological counseling
The critical role of nutrition
Non-traditional healing methods for recovery
The importance of a spiritual component to recovery

The authors also critique our nation's alcoholism policies, including education and prevention programs, efforts to curtail college bingeing and underage drinking, and the advertising and marketing strategies of the alcohol industry. --> ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Beyond the Influence
Even though I thought I knew a lot about this subject, when I read this book, I realized how little I really knew.It is written in a very easy to read manner, yet contains so much valuable information.I strongly encourage anyone who has any contact with alcoholics to read this book.I think it is mandatory reading for all therapists.

Read for yourself
While in recovery, often I am asked if I drank because I was unhappy or if I was nervous or if I went through something bad.These were the same questions I faced when deciding if I was an alcoholic. I could identify that my father was but that generation seemed to think it was a matter of 'will' and only the weak couldn't stop. This book clears up all misconceptions of Alcoholism and it's power over us physically and emotionally.It was great resource and fact finding tool to make the decision that I made to stop drinking, especially based on my family history and how it impacts the disease. This is a must read to answer your elusive question of "am I an alcoholic?".

Beyond the Influence: Understanding and Defeating Alcoholism
If you really want to understand the disease of alcoholism, read this book.Not only does it explain the psychological aspects of alcholism but what alcohol does to you physiologically.I always thought the worst damage from alcohol was done to the liver but it affects so much more, your brain, central nervous system, heart, etc. Reading this book explained alot to me about why the alcoholic in my life does what he does.All I can say is this book educated me tremendously.Why did it take me so long to try to learn about alcoholism?If I or my loved one had a disease like cancer or diabetes, I would have read everything I could have gotten my hands on about those diseases.I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand why someone is an alcholic or why it is so hard for them to stop drinking.

Best Scientific Data Showing Alcoholism is a disease.
This book is easy to read and understand.It's information is up to date and it is the best book I've read that explains the scientific information relating to the disease of alcoholism.If you think you are an alcoholic or know someone who is, this is a great book to read.

Beyond the Influence
This is a wonderful book that updates readers on the newest research in dealing with alcoholism.A must for every professional therapist and recovering person to read. ... Read more

Product Description

If one or both of your parents were alcoholics ... you are still suffering, and you care not alone.

At least 22 million American adults were raised by an alcoholic parent, and nearly all of them live with scars -- both psychological and physical -as a consequence. Coming from homes filled with loneliness and terror, children of alcoholics grow up unable to lead lives free from inexplicable guilt, deep insecurity, lack of self-esteem, and intense sadness. Now there is help.

Chidren of Alcoholism exposes "the terrible family secret" and draws on interviews with over 200 survivors to share the realities of family alcoholism, such as the frequent occurrence of child abuse, the ruined family holidays, the "crazy" fantasylike atmosphere of the alcoholic home. Childern of Alcoholism also discusses in detail how survivors can:

Product Description
Ten of millions Americans suffer from alcoholism, yet most people still wrongly believe that alcoholism is a psychological or moral problem, and that it can be cured by psychotherapy or sheer will power. Based on groundbreaking scientific research, Under The Influence examine the physical factors that set alcoholics and non-alcoholics apart, and suggests a bold, stigma-free way of understanding and treating the alcoholic.

How to tell if someone you know is an alcoholic.

The progressive stages of alcoholism.

How to get an alcoholic into treatment -- and how to choose a treatment program.

Why frequently prescribed drugs can be dangerous -- even fatal -- for alcoholics.

How to ensure a lasting recovery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Classic in the genre. Very informational, maybe outdated
Very classic book on alcohol addiction. It takes a completely abstinent perspective. I think science and CADC counselors are trying to take more of a harm reduction perspective today but it's information on the effects of alcohol are dead on. Very scientific all the way down to the cellular level. Great for any collection that includes literature on alcohol and drug addiction and dependency. Bought via Amazon to save money and I did.

Saved my life
I never hit the bottom and I never drank in the morning and I never missed work, yet this book clarifies this baffling disease.It resonated with me and struck such a deep chord, I know I can never drink again.This moderation management stuff is bull dinky.This book explains the progressive nature and sneakiness of this disease.I'll never understand with my brain this disease anymore than I'll understand why a light bulb goes on when I hit the switch, but this book is the closest of read to explaining it.Get this even if you just suspect you have a problem.You could just be stage 1 or 2 as I was and if you don't act, you'll surely hit stage 3.

Understanding alchoholism
I purchased this book to better understand alcoholism in my family.It is tough to understand how one person becomes an alcoholic and another does not.This cleared up the myth that this is a psychological problem.This is truly a disease to be fought with a basic understanding of the underlying causes.

I now know how to approach the alcoholics in my family and I would recommend this book to anyone dealing with an alcoholic family member.I've told many people about it and have given the book to alcoholics who wants to understand their disease.

Life altering
This book changed my life forever!My husband is a recovering alcoholic (23 years now) thanks to this book.We read it together and he decided to finally address his alcoholism.I have recommended this book to every friend who has a loved one with a drinking problem.It is a DISEASE not a moral weakness.Thank you for this awesome book.

Alcohol abuse is entirely physiological
This is a must read, particularly for those who believe their alcoholism is due to a moral failing or character defect. The books spells out exactly why it is physiological. I haven't read "Beyond the Influence" yet, but have ordered it. Meanwhile, anyone looking for an exceleent board on this subject might google "Is AA a Cult" (in quotes), along with the single word mentalhelp outside the quote. ... Read more

Product Description
"Comprehensive, rational and personal. It suppplies much of what is missing in traditional approaches to alcoholic rehabilitation. I believe that this book can save lives."
Leo Galland, M.D.
Open this book and you will embark on a groundbreaking seven-week journey that will change your life. You will learn how to break your addiction to alcohol and end your cravings--and do it under your own power. Here, step-by-step, is a proven, seven-week program developed by Dr. Joan Matthews Larson at the innovative Health Recovery Center in Minneapolis, that subdues your body's addictive chemistry and puts you on the path to full recovery.Amazon.com Review
In recent decades, many of those studying alcoholism have come to seeit as a disease, rather than as a character flaw or a failure of will. And yet,alcoholism is most often treated through counseling. Joan Mathews Larson and her colleagues at the Health Recovery Center inMinneapolis, Minnesota, discovered a series of nutritional deficiencies inalcoholics, and found that with proper dietary adjustments, they could helpalmost three-quarters of their patients kick the bottle for good. Seven Weeks to Sobrietyis the updated version of the less interestingly titled Alcoholism--The BiochemicalConnection, which was published in 1992. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

My opinion
I've been sober for 20 years, but continue to educate myself on this disease.I bought it mainly to understand what type of alcoholic I am and if I'm taking the correct supplements to keep my body healthy.The L-glutamine is excellent for curbing not only alcohol cravings, but sugar cravings as well.

NO CRAVINGS!
actually in Minneapolis right now, enrolled in her 6 week detox/rehab program. AMAZING! Three days into detox, Absolutely NO cravings!!And that's coming from a physically dependent every-day fairly heavy user. Very non-traditional program that actually treats the body instead of just talking about your feelings. It's expensive, but totally worth it. You can call the center and purchase all the supplements and ask as many questions as you want. THey are there to Help! 1-800-554-9155

More than Helpful
This book could easily be retitled 7 weeks to sobriety leaving out the Alcohol treatment program. Lots of great information on Nutrition and how it affects addictions, emotions, physical well being, Depression, Yeast Infections, hypoglycemia.The book provides all of the information for self diagnosis as well as contact information for Doctors and Laboratories to help you with medical diagnosis.Our loved one started taking the vitamins recommended and immediately felt better.He had no shakes, his thinking was clearer and he said that he felt much better. I have recommended this book to a number of other people for help with similar symptoms not related to alcoholism.

Seven Weeks to Sobriety
One already can expect there are always many viewpoints to be anticipated & heard from a book such as this, especially the subject matter it pertains to.But what I would like to say & all I would like to be heard saying, is that this 'Simply WORKS'!!It saved my husbands life & now through it, it has saved a old drinking buddy of my husbands life too!! Approx 60+yrs of alcohol abuse between the two of them.

So say what you will & add what you want but the simple fact is, that with a bit of understanding, customizing it to the persons biochemical make up & faith it absolutely truly works!!!

Still have questions then just ask me, our daughter, our families, his friends second wife, his two daughters & his families what it has done for us in our lives.If you are not part of this type of addiction family then please hold back from your opinions as you truly 'do not' know what it is like to watch someone you love with every thing in you die a slow death from something that they continuously crave & insistently take because they 'do not' have it within them to STOP!

If all it did was to save these two men lives, then all she has done, committed her life's work & most of all in her loosing her own son from it, it has been worth it to us all!!!

We honor, love & respect her for all that she has given & committed to in her live time for the mere benefit of others for others!!What a inspiring, loving, humble, selfless woman she is & we are so very proud to be in her presence of the sobriety family she has built through heartache, determination & love for another!!

Thank you for reading this and please consider this book & its offerings if you are reading this for yourself or someone you love....IT WORKS & You or They WILL live a awesome life beyond your or their dreams!!!
Thank You & God Bless you Mrs. Joan Mathews Larson, PhD

A Wrong Step: Zero Stars
This is a potentially dangerous message to deliver to any serious alcoholic: Follow the nutritional method in this book and you will achieve a lasting sobriety.As with most dangerous methods, there are slivers of truth attached: chronic alcoholics frequently suffer from mal- or under-nutrition.But make no mistake about it: while this book may get you sober, you cannot stay sober following its message.

To begin, the author promotes a pseudo-scientific theory of various types of alcoholism, and a method of nutritional recovery for each.The alcoholic must work with a nutritionist to provide numerous vitamin, mineral, and amino-acid supplements, that must be taken in a prescribed sequence and dosage.I would love to meet the alcoholic who could follow this self-analysis and program.If it were not so dangerous, it would be risible.

But to the point: every serious alcoholic has, underlying his drinking, a disease called alcoholism: an obsession to drink caused by living for, by, and through SELF.There are countless alcoholics who are literally dying to quit, but they cannot, OF THEMSELVES, overcome the obsession: it is inscribed on their very beings, their selves, their minds, their wills.Some will follow this course and succeed... for a time.It's called mind over matter.Note the many positive reviews here.But the sobriety will not last.It cannot last, because it does not treat the disease of alcoholism, a mental illness with no known cure.This method will only make the alcoholic feel better for a time (as anything might). I would love to know at what point in their 'cure' the enthusiasts posted their reviews.I'm guessing right around the seven week mark.And a year later?Two years later?Five years later?Real sobriety lasts a lifetime and requires maintenance to do so.

It is amusing that the author passes grudging approval upon those who have followed the only known method of recovery: Alcoholics Anonymous, which has hundreds of thousands of groups around the globe.She states that, while AA may work for some, alcoholics must continue to go to meetings and work their program if they want to stay sober.Hah! Her endorsement is akin to remarking at a 50thwedding anniversary celebration that while the couple have had a successful marriage, they needed to work on it every day.

Of course, her implied message is if you were to follow HER method for seven weeks, you would achieve a lasting sobriety, the same way, I suppose, you graduate from a correspondence course.Go ahead, give it a try.After it doesn't work, there will be a seat waiting for you at your local AA meeting.

Every meaningful thing in life requires maintenance.Every skill, every relationship, every attitude.Anyone who seriously wants to get sober and stay sober will go to Alcoholics Anonymous.If medical-nutritional approaches had worked, then why have doctors been saying for hundreds of years, that they have no solution for alcoholism?Why does every rehab program prepare its participants for a 12-step program after rehab?

It's a spiritual disease; it requires a spiritual solution.This is, emphatically, not what you're looking for.


... Read more

Product Description
“Detachment” has been the standard message of most addiction literature for the last twenty years. The conventional wisdom offered to an addict’s loved ones has been to let the addict “hit bottom” before intervening. Now intervention specialist Debra Jay challenges this belief and offers a bold new approach to treating addiction that provides a practical and spiritual lifeline to families struggling with alcohol or drug abuse.

In No More Letting Go, Jay argues that the traditional advice of“letting go” too often destroys both the addict and the family physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Jay contends that addiction is everybody’s business–not just the addict’s–and addiction doesn’t have the right to trump the welfare of a family.

In short, highly accessible chapters written with warmth, understanding, and compassion, Jay weaves together philosophical and religious thought; new science on the brain function of an addict; the physical and psychological impact of addiction on family members; and poignant, real-life family stories.

No More Letting Go is a powerful, informative guide that provides comfort, hope, and practical advice to anyone affected by a family member’s addiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A must read for families of addicts and alcoholics
This book is a must for anyone dealing with alcoholism and/or addiction.It is written by someone
who knows exactly what is going on and exactly, step by step what to do for you and the alcoholic or addict.

A Book of Hope, Not Waiting for the Bottom
Would a doctor or nurse or social worker recommend that the patient with a broken leg, drag and hobble about until they are "ready"? Hope and action before it is too late? Yes! Read this book if there is addiction in your house or in your family or in your nursing or medical practice. Drugs or alcohol, adult or child. Read it! While most authorities, at least the ones that I have heard, keep repeating the mantra "When he/she is ready" and "He/She must hit the bottom". The information in this book supports the concept of using all our brain cells and intervening before the proverbial bottom. If we are smart enough to recognize a problem, surely we are smart enough to formulate and work toward an action oriented solution. The concepts of intervention in the book support all the concepts that one can learn in AA and Al-anon; the success of loving detachment and of letting go and letting God are supported by intellectual human activity here on earth of working toward a healthy solution. This is a must read for doctors, nurses, and social workers and households victimized by active addiction. Thank you Debra Jay for this hopeful and loving book.

Best Book On Addiction
Debra Jay's book is the most poignant, incredible book I have ever read on addiction. She helps you to understand this complex disease through her experience as an addiction counselor at Hazelden and her husband's alcoholism and recovery. It is also beautifully written. Lastly, thisbook explains what happens to the addict's brain, the ravaging effects of this disease on the family, and how to take action. It is empowering.

Great information, solid, scientific and so moving
In trying to get more information about alcoholism, I've been frustrated by a lot ofAl-Anon and AA literature.I wanted to understand what the heck is going on and really learn more about the disease at least.Debra Jay's book is so excellent both in helping to understand the disease, and giving you realistic, helpful ways to try and help an alcoholic in your life.She so clearly outlines clear facts and scientific information about this disease, and why is it so maddening and confusing to deal with. This book helped me sort out my understanding of the disease before we did an intervention.

If you are thinking of doing an intervention, I recommendtheir intervention workshop videos [...] - they are super detailed, so helpful. We actually got my sister into a treatment facility, using their outline and tips!Yea!!

Very Educational
This book was very educational.For a person who operates on understanding, this book gave me a wealth of information on the way substance abusers think.If you can understand how they operate, then you can plan your actions based on that information.
I have purchased several copies and passed them along to family members.This book helps with understanding why substance abusers do what they do.It also helped in setting realistic expectations and understanding why you may or may not have the effect you might want to have on your situation.This book is about not letting the substance abuser take you down with them.It's about understanding their illness and providing love, hope and an opportunity for recovery.
... Read more

Product Description

When The Natural History of Alcoholism was first published in 1983, it was acclaimed in the press as the single most important contribution to the literature on alcoholism since the first edition of Alcoholic Anonymous's Big Book. George Vaillant took on the crucial questions of whether alcoholism is a symptom or a disease, whether it is progressive, whether alcoholics differ from others before the onset of their alcoholism, and whether alcoholics can safely drink. Based on an evaluation of more than 600 individuals followed for over forty years, Vaillant's monumental study offered new and authoritative answers to all of these questions.

In this updated version of his classic book Vaillant returns to the same subjects with the perspective gained from fifteen years of further follow-up. Alcoholics who had been studied to age 50 in the earlier book have now reached age 65 and beyond, and Vaillant reassesses what we know about alcoholism in light of both their experiences and the many new studies of the disease by other researchers. The result is a sharper focus on the nature and course of this devastating disorder as well as a sounder foundation for the assessment of various treatments.

Customer Reviews (4)

Absolutely amazing!!
One of the most provocative books on alcoholism I have ever read.A prospective, rather than retrospective examination of alcoholism in men.A scientific look at risk factors for recovery and relapse.A definitive piece, updated from the original.

A Disappointment
Vaillant's book, from any expository writing standpoint, is poor. He also doesn't address, let alone explain, the psychological/psychodynamic aspect of drinking, which was beyond his purview but exactly what I was interested in.

A vital book on the long-term course of alcoholism
This book is written with a scholarly audience in mind and may be a challenging read for anyone who is not a professional in the field of mental health or medicine.

The author of The Natural History of Alcoholism, George E. Vaillant, is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also Director of the Study of Adult Development at Harvard University Health Services and Director of Research in the Division of Psychiatry of Brigham Hospital and Women's Hospital in the Boston, Massachusetts area.

The insights on alcoholism in this book come from a long-term study conducted by the Harvard Medical School's Study of Adult Development (SAD). The following groups have funded SAD: the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute of Aging, the William T. Grant Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Milton Fund and the Commonwealth Fund. SAD has followed 655 men from 1940 to the present, over 60 years. Other than this study, five to eight years is the most any other scientists have followed alcoholics. At the start of SAD, the subjects were young men, and none of them had yet manifested any symptoms of alcoholism. By following their lives over many decades, the researchers learned a great deal about how alcoholism, a chronic condition, manifests and changes over time.

In 1940, the participants of SAD were divided into two groups: (1) College Sample: 268 upper-class, male, Harvard sophomores were selected with 27 eventually excluded due to death, withdrawal from the study or lack of adequate information on them. Of the 241 that were left, at age 70, the lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse was 22%. That is, during their adult life, 52 of them met the DSM-III criteria for alcohol abuse. (2) Core-City Sample: 456 lower-class boys from Boston's inner city were junior-high-school age at the start of the study. Of these, 414 were able to be adequately studied over time. By age 60, at some point in their adult lives 36%, or 150, of them met the DSM-III criteria for alcohol abuse. Dr. Vaillant states that the lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse is 24% among white, middle-aged males, according to another study released 10 years ago of 20,000 adults. This figure falls between the 22% for the College sample and the 36% for the Core City sample.

Dr. Vaillant thoroughly discusses the findings of SAD on the following research questions: (1) Is alcoholism a symptom or a disease? (2) Does alcoholism usually get progressively worse? (3) Are alcoholics, before they begin to abuse alcohol, different from nonalcoholics? (4) Is abstinence a necessary goal of treatment, or can insisting on abstinence sometimes be counterproductive? (5) Is returning to safe, social drinking possible for some alcoholics? (6) Does treatment alter the natural history of alcoholism? (7) How helpful is Alcoholics Anonymous in the treatment of alcoholism?

Here are a few fascinating points on these issues that Dr. Vaillant reports:

Alcoholics participating in various recovery programs have, over time, little more success at recovery from alcoholism than if they were not treated at all.

Contrary to popular belief, alcoholism has a slow onset, often as long as 20 years.

In the case of moderate drinkers, "given enough education, willpower, social supports, and an undemanding lifestyle," their abuse of alcohol can be sustained for almost all their life without any major price in health or social success.

It isn't underlying psychopathology (personal and social problems due to either genetics or inadequate nurturing) that causes alcoholism. Rather, it is alcoholic drinking that produces psychopathology, including: psychological dependence on alcohol, problems with friends, family and coworkers, accidents, health problems, financial problems, blackouts, depression, anxiety, oral fixation, self-doubts, self-loathing, pessimism, self-defeating behavior, paranoia, aggression and violence leading to trouble with the police. When alcohol abuse ends, these destructive traits and actions frequently go away, leaving the recovered alcoholic no more dysfunctional than "normal" people.

After over 50 years of looking at the alcoholics from this study, Dr. Vaillant has concluded that while alcoholism progresses, getting heavier from age 18 to 40, after that, it starts to stabilize, and alcoholics are rarely worse off at 65 than they were at 45. By 65 one-third of alcoholics are either dead or in terrible health (progressive), one-third are abstinent or drinking in a safe, social manner (recovered), and one-third are trying to quit and haven't been able to (unrecovered). The progressives tend to have the worst symptoms (see the list above) once they start abusing alcohol and spent more years feeling out of control (progressing from bad to worse). Of the three groups, the ones most likely to recover are those at either end of the spectrum. Those who are the worst off have the most to lose if they don't quit--all they hold dear and their very lives. Those who have a mild drinking problem have relatively little to give up, and are much more likely to have supportive social connections (very important in giving up alcohol) because their behavior isn't as bad as that of the progressives, so they've alienated less people.

I highly recommend this book to all mental health professionals and medical doctors--especially general practitioners. I also recommend it to motivated non-professionals who have a personal stake in learning everything they can about addiction.

There is no equal to this book
This book is one-of-a-kind.There has never been a more carefully done longitudinal study of alcoholism over a longer period of time (we're talking following young men, many of whom became alcoholics, for 50 years,here).This book is a national treasure to those interested in whathappens to the unfortunate folks who develop alcoholism.I only wish wehad more than 5 stars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent!
Other than taking forever to receive (I was already half way through the semester and had bought the book again from my school) it was in excellent shape.It was worth the money.Now I can sell it back to the school.

For Grad Students and Other Professionals
I obtained this book as part of my required texts for graduate school.I found this book to be an easy read for me as well as being a helpful guide as I put my new degree to work in the field.

Family therapists tackle alcoholism
In the past, the problem drinker goes off for treatment, and the rest of the family was a secondary consideration. The authors propose a different perspective. Instead of just treating one member, treat the entire alcoholic family as the client. Each individual within the family structure should be an integral part of treatment, not just the drinking member. The author's treatment approach attempts to trace alcoholism back to it's root origins and describes how the problem is passed from generation to generation. The book describes many ways people perpetuate alcoholism, both consciously and unconsciously, and how it can be identified and treated. Specific procedures were included for prevention and for the diagnosis and treatment of the alcoholic family. The book was clearly written, and each chapter built upon the previous chapter, providing a lucid, sequential, and understandable text. The book was divided into four parts: (1) background; (2) etiology; (3) treatment; and (4) prevention. Part one is a review of alcoholism treatment and etiological theories. The controversial disease concept of alcohol was discussed first, followed by the physiological, psychological and sociocultural theories, respectively. The point was made that no one theory is correct, but rather, that all these factors contribute to the problem depending on individual circumstances. The Alcoholics Anonymous Model, Transactional Analysis Model and Behavioral Model of treatment were discussed, exclusive of other theories, and the authors ultimately suggest an eclectic approach. Treatment should fit the needs of the client and should be individualized. Part two dealt with etiology and proposed looking at the problem from the perspective of alcoholism as a family problem. Family therapy philosophy was reviewed, and the authors discussed the Communications Model, Systems Model, Structural Model and Social Learning Model. The importance of dynamics within the family of origin and the nuclear family was emphasized. Physiological, sociocultural and psychological theories of etiology were discussed, as well as the relevance of etiology for treatment and prevention. Part three dealt with treatment of the alcoholic family. It presented family therapy techniques that may be unfamiliar to the alcohol counselor and included techniques for family therapists who are inexperienced in working with alcoholic families. The authors present the view that the focus of treatment should be on the aspect of the family system that perpetuates the drinking behavior. This factor is unique in each family and should be evaluated without any preconceived notion about typical behavior patterns. Some of the topics discussed were family reports and therapist assessment of family structure; family therapy and A.A.; marital therapy; adolescent alcoholism; family violence; sexual dysfunction; children of alcoholics; art therapy; treatment of the alcoholic's spouse; and evaluation of family treatment. Lastly, Part four discussed the important issue of prevention. Primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention were explained and discussed. Alcoholism is a widespread problem that has been very resistant to treatment efforts. Many gains have been made by practitioners and researchers, but in many ways, the effective treatment and prevention of alcoholism are yet to be discovered. The textbook attempted to put the treatment and prevention of alcoholism into a family perspective. I found this book to be extremely informative and useful, and was written in a very readable and comprehensive manner. ... Read more

Product Description
The key to ongoing freedom from alcoholism or any other kind of addiction is right before us, here and now, in the ordinary and perfect present moment. The problem is that addictions are often the result of our efforts to escape living in the present in the first place. Bill Alexander's unique approach uses mindfulness, story, and meditation to help alcoholics and others learn to come back to the moment and to find healing there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Caring Friend of an Alcoholic
I first paged through this book at a bookstore in a Trappist Monastery where I went for a writing retreat. I found it intriguing and mentioned to a friend who is trying his darndest to stay sober again.I bought this book for him after he gave me the okay as I would never presume to give a self help book to someone without asking if they wanted it first. I meant to send it directly to him but goofed on the order form so it came to my address. I'm glad I opened the package and took the time to read it. I found it very enlightening. It helped me to understand my friends ongoing bouts with the bottle, his many attempts at sobriety with subsequent epic drunk runs. I feel a lot more compassionate toward his repeated self destructive behaviors and hope I will be able to convey this if/when he has another relapse. Also it has given me insight into the many ways I also engage in addictive behaviors and what the sources for them may be. I thought his statement that alcohol is not the problem, it's what people use to treat the underlying loneliness, self loathing, shame, etc. was so right on. The Buddhist philosophy and mindfulness practices have a light touch. Nothing preachy here. I would recommend this to anyone seeking answers and a technique for finding their way out of the pain of addictions.

out of the box
It gave me a differant view on recovery. It was presented as a combination of the Big Book, Zen Buddism and the orange papers and althou I found very little of the Orange papers in it I enjoyed his perspective and his physiological definition of alchoholism and how the liver works.

Loved it
I was immediately pulled into this book. Not only does the author share helpful strategies and philosophies pertinent and inspiring for someone struggling with recovery, but he also shares his humanness- his story and struggles- even today. I laughed out loud numerous times while reading this book. I highly recommend this book.

Key that changed my life
I originally heard about this book while listening to the radio in my car. It was recommended by Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl who wasdiscussing his own recovery from alcohol.I have read this book 3 times, and each time it has been more helpful than the last.Yes, there is a Zen slant, but that should not keep anyone from reading this book and finding it helpful.If you really want to stop drinking you will embrace help from wherever it comes.Read this book with an open mind and you will be pleasantly surprised where it takes you.I have not had a drink of alcohol for 7 years, and owe much of the success for changing my life to this book.

Great book.
I really enjoyed this book a great deal.Don't buy it expecting a detailed treatise on either AA or Buddhism, but an wonderful positive journey that shows how the two approaches each have great value.It is a very honest, brave, and heart-felt book.My experience is that many books in this genre are either too flowery, dogmatic, or impersonal to be meaningful, but not this one, IMHO. ... Read more

Product Description
Help your clients find the path to overcoming their addiction

Alcoholics are one of the most difficult client groups to treat effectively. To preserve their way of life, they may lie about their problem or deny that one exists; that is the nature of this profoundly powerful disease. Yet if you can guide each of your clients through their own resistance towards the truth, not only will you be rewarded with starting them on the road to recovery, you will no doubt have saved their life as well. Achieving such a victory goes to the heart of being an addiction counselor; it is the experience of healing on a direct and tangible level.

Treating Alcoholism provides a complete road map for assessing, diagnosing, and treating this multifaceted and tenacious illness. Detailed clinical information on the disease accompanies ready-to-use tools for practice. With a special emphasis on the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, the author walks you through the first five steps of this established methodology in comprehensive detail, showing how to easily apply each one to treatment.

Other useful resources in Treating Alcoholism include:

• A sample treatment plan
• Copies of alcohol screening tests (SMAST and CAGE questionnaires)
• Tests for other potentially related problems such as gambling and sexual addiction
• A sample behavioral contract for use with adolescents
• Listings of additional resources

The treatment of alcoholism is fraught with struggles and hazards for both client and caregiver. Written in a lively tone that resonates with the author’s compassion for his own clients, Treating Alcoholism gives you reliable, up-to-date, and practice-tested information and materials you need to successfully confront this deadly disease and start your clients on the path to recovery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

TREATING ALCOHOLISM
THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN SO THAT IT COMMUNICATES WELL WITH BOTH THE PROFESSIONAL AND THE LAY PERSON. I WOULD HIGHLY RECCOMMEND IT FOR ANYONE WHO IS STRUGGLING WITH THIS PROBLEM OR HAS A FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND SUFFERING WITH THIS DISEASE.

From guilt to perfection in one easy lession!
I found this book to be the perfect book for helping my clients, many of whom are alcohoics or addicts. I always wanted to help them but they kept getting mad. After reading this book, the fight doesn't happen anymore. I learned how to gently walk my clients toward the truth and best of all they all want to come. It is tremendously rewarding to save my client's lives rather than watch them go home to die. I felt terribly guity about doing this but I don't have to feel that way any more. Now I can be proud of myself, my work, and my patients who are in recovery. ... Read more

Product Description
Alcoholism and Other Drug Problems offers a balanced and comprehensive account of the nature, causes, prevention, and treatment of the nation's number one public health problem. This edition of Royce's award-winning text,Alcohol Problems and Alcoholism, has been extensively updated throughout by Royce and his coauthor David Scratchley, with new chapters on drugs other than alcohol to reflect the most recent research in the field.

Part I, "Alcohol and Other Drugs," examines the nature and impact of alcohol as a drug and discusses historical and contemporary cultural attitudes toward drinking in America. A new chapter on the effects that other drugs can have on the user and on the family, and treatment methods, has been added to this section. Part II, "Addiction," describes the patterns and symptoms of this complicated phenomenon. The authors also use new data to illustrate the impact that addiction can have on special groups such as children, minorities, and the elderly. Part III, "Prevention and Intervention," looks at the various techniques that have succeeded or failed in curbing drug abuse. Finally, Part IV, "Treatment and Rehabilitation," surveys the range of available treatment approaches with chapters on various twelve-step programs and new information on drugs and the law. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Amazing statistics
I haven't read the entire book but have skimmed through it. I am amazed at the statistics recorded by the authors and how they are able to show the problems associated with alcohol and drugs from a medical standpoint. The authors treat alcoholism as a disease, which I have no problems with, but this doesn't mean that an alcoholic doesn't have any responsibility. They point out that alcohol-related problems costs our nation more than any other drug. Obviously the number of drunk-driving incidents shows that something is wrong in our culture.

I liked a number of things about the book, including the sociological aspects (a great history of alcohol in America is included as well as the cultural groups alcohol has most affected) and the section onprevention and intervention. Anyone who has been affected by alcohol--whether there is an alchoholic in the family or you yourself are addicted to it--ought to look through this book for a sobering look at what I feel is a genuine social epidemic.

Excellent detailed book on alcoholism
This book goes into more depth on alcoholism than any other I have found. This recent edition also includes information on other drugs.For anuanced discussion of causation, disease concept, family effects, this isthe book to buy. ... Read more

Product Description
Heavy Drinking informs the general public for the first time how recent research has discredited almost every widely held belief about alcoholism, including the very concept of alcoholism as a single disease with a unique cause. Herbert Fingarette presents constructive approaches to heavy drinking, including new methods of helping heavy drinkers and social policies for preventing heavy drinking and the harms associated with it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

best bok about drinking, alcohol etc.
any adult who can read
and who likes to drink
should read this book.
period

Rubbish
The claims in this book are preposterous.The author did not bother to site any research through scientific agencies such as NIDA or SAMHSA which unequevically state that alcoholism is a biological, social, and spiritual disease caused by the indisputable evidence of physiological changes in the nucleus accumbens.This is a garbage book full of junk science, ameteur psychology, and an incredible amount of biased attitude.

Finally, someone gutsy enoughto take on the Myth
This book is brilliant in its simplicity.It shows very clearly how well intentioned half truths can take on a life of their own.And it is done in a very orderly fashion.It can be argued that many people cannot handle the truth and that lying to them is an act of kindness, but someone needs to tell the truth to the rest of us who can handle it.That is this book in a nutshell.

The author takes apart the doctrine of Alcoholism bit by bit.The progression of the chapters is done very well.The examples are not excessive and even though there are a lot of scientific references in the text, the book is written for easy access to the layperson.And for anyone who has had the Doctrine of Alcoholism forced upon them, this book is not only a page turner, it is delightful revenge.There is very little truth in the modern American view of excessive drinking, and this book exposes the anti-drinking fanatics for what they are.

I was very pleasantly surprised to see the lack of negative reviews of this book.It does indeed hint that there are many people out there who would rather handle an inconvenient reality than to cling to a comfortable lie.

Truth will be told!
I copied this verbatim from Orange Papers. Org.

I used to be a 12 step aholic.

What, Lois? Me go get a job? Oh dear, I can feel an anxiety attack coming on. I think I'm about to relapse...

Bill would not let even Lois, who was dying to do so, write the chapter titled "To Wives." After all, she was the wife who had endured Bill's drunken years and the houseful of alcoholics he was trying to wrestle into sobriety. "I have never known why he didn't want me to write about the wives, and it hurt me at first," she said.
Getting Better Inside Alcoholics Anonymous, Nan Robertson, pages 70-71.

Bill had a grandiose sense of self-importance, and exaggerated his achievements and talents, and expected to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements, like his belief that he was essential to other alcoholics' recovery, and his wildly exaggerated claims of success in drying out alcoholics, and his years-long nationwide tours, grandstanding and promoting his own legend.

Bill was preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love, like the Oxford Groups' "Absolute Purity, Absolute Honesty, Absolute Love, and Absolute Unselfishness". Bill also liked to imagine that he was launching a movement that would sweep the entire world and save all of the alcoholics. Bill even claimed that A.A. was "the miracle of the century", and "probably one of the greatest medical and spiritual developments of all time."

Bill believed that he was "special" and unique -- the only man in the world with the answer to alcoholism (or, before that, the first American to make a working boomerang, or the only man on campus to truly understand calculus). Bill thought that he understood God, alcoholics, and alcoholism better than anybody else in the whole world.

Bill required excessive admiration.

Bill certainly had a sense of entitlement, and felt that he deserved the best of everything, like all of fame, credit, and prestige, all of the money, and all of the women, and even a house in the country and a Cadillac car supplied by the A.A. organization. Bill also felt entitled to dictate the terms of other people's recovery from alcoholism, and even to dictate their religious beliefs.

Bill Wilson was outrageously, heartlessly exploitative. He used everybody, and he discarded and drove away people when they refused to kowtow to him.

Bill Wilson lacked empathy -- he didn't even think about the welfare or recovery of the women alcoholics whom he was thirteenth-stepping, and he disregarded the recovery of the unbelievers whom he drove away from A.A.. And Bill even disregarded the feelings of his own wife Lois while she supported him for years.

Envy of other people seems to be the only characteristic of narcissism that Bill Wilson did not overtly display, but I think that he was envious. Bill spent his whole life trying to prove that he was just as good as other people. He must have felt envious of those other people who were born with a higher status than him, and who were never cursed with alcoholism, whose honor and morality was never questioned.

Bill certainly showed arrogant, haughty behaviors and attitudes.

Bill strongly displayed "Vulnerability in self-esteem". He couldn't stand criticism. He lashed out in defiant counter-attack whenever he was criticized, as shown in the cases of his wife, his calculus professor, his business partner Henry Parkhurst, and Ed the atheist who dared to challenge Bill's bombastic religiosity. When Bill was criticized, he often nursed a bitter resentment over it for years, until he could get his revenge, or he went into a fit of deep depression that often lasted years.

Bill's interpersonal relations were very impaired due to "problems derived from entitlement, the need for admiration, and the relative disregard for the sensitivities of others". Bill fought with everybody from his wife to his best friend and partner Henry "Hank" Parkhurst to the A.A. members who wouldn't believe in God as Bill dictated. Loud screaming matches were routine behavior for Bill Wilson.

And Bill certainly suffered from "Major Depressive Disorders":
A one-year-long depression in his childhood when his parents divorced and his mother left Bill and his sister with his grandparents.
A three-year-long depression when his high-school girlfriend died.
Various sporadic depressions throughout his drinking career.
Then, while sober, an eleven-year-long deep, crippling, clinical depression from 1944 to 1955, from indeterminate causes.
And Dr. Alexander Lowen added one more characteristic of narcissism:


The tendency to lie, without compunction, is typical of narcissists.
Narcissism, Denial of the True Self, Alexander Lowen, M.D., page 54.
That fits Bill Wilson too.


A.A. began as a branch of another cult religion called "The Oxford Group", which was the creation of an evil fascist renegade Lutheran minister named Dr. Frank Nathan Daniel Buchman, who actually admired Adolf Hitler and praised the Gestapo leader Heinrich Himmler as a "wonderful lad".

The cofounders of Alcoholics Anonymous, William Griffith Wilson and Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith, were both enthusiastic true-believer members of the Oxford Group cult, and they simply adapted Buchmanism to their own ends when they created Alcoholics Anonymous. For all practical purposes, Alcoholics Anonymous is simply Frank Buchman's cult religion dressed up in a different suit of clothes.

The A.A. religion pushes a concept of God that is worse than medieval.
According to A.A., God is a fascist dictator, an authoritarian, vindictive Old-Testament-style patriarchal God Who will kill you with a painful slow death by alcoholism if you don't
believe in Him, and
constantly confess your sins to Him, and
grovel before Him, and
Seek and Do His Will every day.
According to Bill Wilson, God uses "the lash of alcoholism" to force people into the A.A. religion, where they will find endless "Serenity and Gratitude" while working as slaves of God.

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are not "spiritual principles", they are cult practices that Bill Wilson got from Dr. Frank Buchman's Oxford Groups. The Twelve Steps are a recipe for building a cult religion, not a formula for quitting drinking:
The Twelve Steps do not even tell you to quit drinking, or to help anyone else to quit drinking, either.
The Twelve Steps don't even mention sobriety, recovery, or health, but they do mention surrender to the cult, and going recruiting for the cult, and guilt-inducing confession sessions.
The 12 Steps also mention God, directly or indirectly, in 6 of the 12 steps. The Ten Commandments of Judeo-Christian religions mention God fewer times than that -- only 4 or 5 of the 10 commandments refer to God, directly or indirectly1 -- but the A.A. true believers still insist that A.A. is not a religion.
Seven of the 12 steps, Steps Four through Ten, are designed to induce guilt in members by having them make long lists of every sin they ever committed, and every fault, moral shortcoming, and defect of character they have, and then they have to confess it all to another member and God. Then they make another list of everybody they ever hurt or offended, and confess that, and try to make amends. And then they have to repeat the whole process again, and again, for the rest of their lives.
The Twelve Steps tell people to surrender their wills and their lives to "God" or "Higher Power" or the A.A. group, and to pray to "God" or "Higher Power" or the A.A. group, and then the Twelve Steps tell people how to pray and what to pray for, but the A.A. true believers still insist that A.A. is not a religion.

Twelve-Step enthusiasts declare that the Twelve Steps, just like good old-fashioned snake oil, will cure anybody of anything. They claim that the Twelve Steps are equally applicable to everybody from drug addicts to gamblers, from compulsive shoppers to emotional wrecks to rape victims, from divorcees to diabetics, from schizophrenics to fat people. The 12 steps really do have just as much to do with being a rape victim as they have to do with being an alcoholic -- absolutely nothing.

Loved One With Drinking Problem?Read This Book.
All I can say is "wow"!!This book changed my life and the way I view the world.If you've ever been close to an "alcoholic", you KNOW inherently that there is something missing in the conventional thought and explanations presented by AA and the Rehab industry.How is it possible, for example, that a helpless victim of "the disease of alcoholism" can EVER exhibit control over their drinking, which they invariably can and do in specific instances? This book explains it and the answer will blow you away. Everything you thought you knew about alcoholism is probably wrong. As you read this book, this inescapable truth will amaze and bewilder you.Most shocking, the research community has known for DECADES that there is no such thing as "the disease of alcoholism", but has withered in the face of the powerful (and supposedly useful) "disease" culture firmly engrained in our contemporary society.If you are not moved by the large body of research and near uniform agreement among serious researchers referenced throughout this book, you'll be hard-pressed to deny the simple logic by which the disease concept of alcoholism is systematically destroyed.

Why is it important to expose the myth of alcoholism as a disease?If your ailment is incorrectly diagnosed, what are the chances you will receive the right treatment for recovery?Not good.In this book, you will read about numerous research studies that strongly support the argument that our current methods of treatment are almost worthless.Herbert Fingarette provides an invaluable service to all of us who really want to understand the problem and help those who suffer from problem drinking.This can only happen if we are realistic about the nature of the problem.When you read this book, it will be clear to you that, as a society, we have a long way to go.But, what YOU can learn form this book can improve your life and the life of those you have a much better chance of understanding and assisting.Read it. ... Read more

Product Description
Reprint of 1941 edition.This essay represents an understanding of Alcoholism from the viewpoint of The Science of Mind movement.Holmes' outlines the understanding of alcoholism from this perspective, as well as the treatment he advocates. He provides a detailed outline of the condition, its causes and treatment.Holmes' work was quite influential within Alcoholics Anonymous and AA saw in Holmes a kindred spirit.This rare pamphlet, originally published in the June 1941 issue of Science of Mind magazine, is quite scarce. ... Read more

Product Description
You never imagined your life would turn out this way? Is your life controlled by alcohol? Are you an alcoholic? Do you live with an alcoholic? Do you know someone who is?Alcoholism is a chronic disease, with it's own symptoms, it's own devastating effects on lives and it's treatment & prevention methods.Learn to take control again...get your life back; get your love one back! This book is your complete guide to cope with alcoholism in your life.Educate yourself on alcoholism as a chronic disease, study the symptoms checklist and alcoholic profile so you can detect the early warning signs. Learn how to handle an alcoholic spouse, how to take care of yourself within the situation, what you can do to help and what you cannot do. Be aware of coping techniques and life management strategies that can aid you in managing daily life with alcoholism. Discover support groups that can help you and the victim in your life overcome alcoholism. Plus numerous more information inside the pages of this book. Eradicate the harmful effects of alcoholism in your life and the life of those you love! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Gives you a course of action
Alcoholism has caused me so much suffering in my marriage. This book showed me how to detach emotionally, how not to make it my problem, how to check my own behavior because I might be encouraging the habit unknowingly, how to overcome self-pity and gaining back my own life, how to accept that I am powerless to help him. The chapters are very specific as each section gives details for a course of action.

Very Postive book
I was drowning along with my alcoholic partner. This book gave me a grip on myself, learned to let go of the blame, and help me and my partner move on. It's a very positive book about accepting responsibility, doing what's responsible for all concerned so that you can go on living a full life while and after overcoming the devastating impact of alcoholism.

Healing for me
This book literally had a huge healing impact on me. Living with an alcoholic consumed me and my 2 children and I was just sick and tired of the abuse, the self-pity, the self-blame and especially of seeing my children scared and withdrawing from. All the warning signs stated on this book were there to see, and this helped me with an exact course of action.

Practical but powerful advice
Living with an alcoholic has been traumatizing for me. Going through the blame and insecurities made me feel like a worthless person in the end.This book has given me specific and very personal advice on coping and getting on with my life. It tells of being careful about taking on the blame and that really hit a mark on me. It was an easy read, practical advice but powerful.

A portrait of alcoholism as real to me
I live with an alcoholic. Part of the reason I bought this book was because I was seeking for help, for myself and my children. This book is a tremendous help to me. It portrayed a very accurate picture of alcoholism as I know it in my reality. I got wonderful guidance on coping, the marriage, the children, myself.

... Read more

Product Description
Based on over 20 years' prodigious research, Graham takes the reader on a compelling tour of human history & links alcohol addiction with the destructive behavior of a range of public figures, including tyrants, murderers, politicians & writers. Drawing on the case of famous characters such as Alexander the Great, Joseph Stalin, Joe McCarthy & Ernest Hemingway, this book presents a convincing assessment of how this disorder can adversely affect the behavior of powerful individuals with devastating consequences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A factual correction--not an overall review
I have not read much of the book. I simply want to correct one statement made by the author.

He states that John Wilkes Booth was stabbed at Madison, Ind. This is not true, but I am fairly sure this was not the author's fault.

Contemporary accounts show that Booth was stabbed while on stage in Albany, N.Y. The mistake was made by the Indiana State History Library, I believe. The article about the stabbing was carried in the Madison Courier. It was very common for the these articles to be very small and not clear to the casual reader about whether an event happened in a particular town or was simply reported by that town's publication.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF ALCOHOLISM,FAMOUS ALCOHOLICS
I just left my alcoholic husband after 6 years. I sought out and
read many books on the subject to try and understand the alcoholic's behavior. This book was by far superior to any other
in describing the alcoholic's Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde personality.
My family & friends could not believe it when I told them about
how I was treated and the emotional abuse I endured.My husband
was an accomplished "con artist", knew when to lay on the charm.
As I was reading this book, I swore the author knew my husband.
It was him to a tee. I felt validated, it wasn't me that was
crazy after all. I never realized how an alcoholic can destroy
not only his or her own life, but those closest to them as well.

Extremely helpful for those involved with an alcoholic
Anyone who has been romantically involved with an alcoholic or has an alcoholic family member owes it to themselves to read this book.While Graham focuses on famous despots, tyrants, and celebrities, the same attributes are in some degree present in your basic everyday non-famous alcoholic friend, neighbor or lover.If you love an alcoholic you must understand this. Graham points out the dangerous combination of the alcoholics charm, deception, denial and obsession with looking functional and the tendency to underdiagnose the disease.This underdiagnosis, as Graham points out, is partly due to a bias of society resulting from the ability of most people to drink alcohol without becoming an alcoholic as well as not understanding the differences between highly functional early and middle stage alcoholics and late stage lushes and winos.After reading this book I could understand what the relationsip and marriage counselors were saying about the dangers of loving an alcoholic. Alcoholics are experts at deception and manipulation, they have shallow or stunted emotional growth, they are unable to express themselves honestly and directly, and they can tell you they love you while not caring about you at all.Although they may not become a famous writer, actor, senator or spy, they will become a highly successful con artist and if you are unaware of these traits, you could easily become their victim.

A Major Clue to Identifying the Early Stage Alcohol Addict
I must have forgotten that I'd written a review a couple of years earlier, and somehow didn't notice the duplication. I wrote this near the publication of my first book on the subject, Drunks, Drugs & Debits: How to Recognize Addicts and Avoid Financial Abuse. My review is woefully understated and didn't begin to describe how crucial it was in the evolution of my thinking. Perhaps it's because paradigm shifts in thinking take time to digest. With this in mind, here's what I wrote way back in mid-2000:

This is a phenomenally interesting work. James Graham describes the role of ego inflation in explaining behaviors in the alcoholic, something that nobody else had done before. This is extremely important, because it provides what is sometimes the only clue to alcohol addiction in the early stages of the disease-a massively inflated ego. This often results in extraordinary over achievement, even while the personal life is a shambles.

Combined with Milam and Ketcham's essential work, "Under the Influence," ego-inflation explains how the early-stage addict is often so "functional" and yet, so destructive of others. Brain poisoning occurs immediately in many cases, resulting in this other-destruction. Yet, the toll on the body can take decades, making alcoholism at this stage almost invisible to the casual observer. Most think of addicts on the street, or the obvious, stumbling drunk. This is not when they are most dangerous. Their behaviors are frequently far worse when they can build up to a .20 per cent blood alcohol level without visible signs of inebriation. While Milam and Ketcham describe the biology behind this, Graham looks at the resulting behaviors, explaining much of the troubles in people's personal and professional lives, current events and even world history.

Graham's work is one of the great, unheralded books on addiction. Highly recommended.

An unsympathetic history of alcoholism
While I don't expect any history book to heap praise on alcoholics, this book goes overboard in heaping hatred and contempt on them.I generally expect a history book to be written in a disinterested voice, this is notso unbiased.If you are concerned about your own drinking, the informationhere may convince you to quit.A word of caution, though...if you everconsidered youself as having an alcohol problem, the author will try toconvince you that abstaining will only PROVE that you are an alcoholic.Inorder NOT to be an alcoholic, you MUST drink some, but not too much.That,to me, is like telling a cigarette smoker that he/she cannot quitaltogether, because that would make you a smoker(!).

Entertaining, butdon't read it as gospel. ... Read more

Product Description
The Handbook of Alcoholism Treatment Approaches is a comprehensive, results-based guide to alcohol treatment methods. This handbook surveys the various models that have been used to define alcoholism, ending with a discussion of what the authors call "an informed eclecticism." Using this approach, clinicians develop a spectrum of treatment approaches that have proved effective in practice, then match specific clients with the treatment methods that offer the greatest opportunities for success in these specific circumstances. This new edition of this handy reference provides both practitioners and researchers with a rich source of information on treatment interventions demonstrated to be the most successful. Clinical Psychologists and Alcohol Treatment Specialists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Nice
New knowledge regarding recovery is very important in order to assist people in changing their lives.
Aaron Bryant: BSW, CSACAuthorA Synchronous Memoir of Addiction and Recovery

The Best!
If you are in the field of Substance Abuse, this is a must read.For decades confrontational style counseling has been the norm in Substance Abuse.There are finally studies to show that confrontational counseling does not work, it actually harms the client. This books points towards treatment methods that have been shown to be effective. These methods have been researched thoroughly by some of the most credentialed people in the field. Many counselors do not want to let go of the confrontation style of counseling even though research shows that it is ineffective. Unfortunately, many of these counselors are bringing their own issues into the counseling relationship, and they need the authoritarian style counseling to met their own needs. This book reviews many different modalities of treatment, and how to incorporate them into your practice.It is one of the most up to date books available to the professional in the substance abuse field.As professionals we should all practice ethically, and that means keeping up to date on the latest research in our field.That way, we are acting in the best interests of our clients.And isn't that the most important goal in the end?
READ THE BOOK!

Ethical must read material for addictions professionals
Well researched and well written.If you work in the field of addiction treatment you have an ethical obligation to read this book.If you are contemplating seeking treatment, you should know what you are getting. "Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware" should be the warningposted at the entrance of most addiction treatment centers in the US.This book offers the most up to date research which strongly suggests thattraditional treatment in the US maybe worse or no better than no treatmentat all.It has chapters outlining effective alternatives such as BriefSolution Focused Therapy, Community Reinforcement Approach, and SocialSkills Training.Frankly if you are an addictions professional in the USand haven't read this book or understand this material, you should read itor go get a job selling used cars. ... Read more

Product Description
A Revised and Expanded Second Edition. Updating andexpanding the classic Psychological Theories of Drinking andAlcoholism, this fully revised second edition incorporatesstate-of-the-art presentations from leaders in the alcoholismfield. Contributors review established and emerging approaches thatguide research into the psychological processes influencing drinkingand alcoholism. The volume's multidisciplinary approach also takesinto account biological, pharmacological, and social factors, offeringimportant insights into the development and escalation of drinkingproblems and the various approaches to treatment. Includingsignificantly expanded coverage of developmental, social learning, andcognitive theories, the book features new chapters on genetics,neurobiology, and emotions. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents a new view of the darker side of human nature. America's concern with self-fulfilment and personal identity has become a burden for many people. Overwhelmed by the demands of creating and maintaining a positive self-image, some are turning to potentially dangerous escapist practices. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Escaping the Self
I have read several of Baumeister's books.I first read "Escaping the Self" in 1992.I have re-read it several times.

I have never met anyone who "likes" this book.But I know many people who recommend it.

It is not a comforting book, and as one other reviewer noted, it does not include much in the way of remedy.

But the book is an enlightenment - often a painful one, even for someone who does not quite qualify for any of the "isms" in the title.

What I find most useful about the book is its clinical dissection of how people act out on an over burdened identity.The initial premise is that we were probably wired for a much simpler world with far fewer identity options.Now that we have more options, we find the burden of keeping up our identity a kind of constant emotional maintenance.If we have "too much" identity burden, then we bust out in one or more kinds of reactionary behavior.

The way Baumeister weaves us through the thinking is not always linear, but full of "Aha" moments.

An escape from science
So what is the self? Baumeister has an early section by that title. but his response hardly seems a clear definition. It would seem that over 2,000 years ago, Buddhism gave more thought to what the self was. And Buddhism is not scientific. One would expect a modern social scientist could do better. "Self can be understood to be a physical entity overlaid with meaning". Seem clear? Seem scientific? Baumeiser is never precise about what "self" is. He overloads it with attributions. It's self-esteem, self-control, self-image,self-whatever-its-convenient-to-call-it-at-the-moment. You know what he means. Don't you?

After all, it is what we are all escaping from, supposedly.

Baumeister discusses some behaviors: suicide, masochism, alcoholism, binge eating and religous exercise. These he asserts are evidence of escaping from the self. Rather than introduce you to these behaviors first so that you could see how the idea of "escape from the self" is derived, he talks about these in the latter half of the book. After he has elaborated on how the self he hardly defines can be a burden and how escape from whatever that self is generally works. He does this as a speculative exercise, asserting what takes place, with little or no experimental support presented. When he discusses the behaviors such as suicide and masochism, he only says a little bit about each one before asserting (a lot) how each demonstrates an "escape from the self".

Saying that it would be "reckless to try to explain all forms of behavior by ... by the notion of escaping the self", he proceeds to note as escapes such activities as distance running, surfing, skiing, and being a sports fan". So he's viewing a lot as possible "escape from self". And with the self not well defined and with escape not well defined, it becomeshard to say why he would view one behavior as an escape and not another.

"Playing a game may provide escape in the sense that one abandons consideration of one's normal identity and submerges awareness in the game". So how does Baumeister see that someone else is doing all that?

I thought science depended on good definitions, good experiments and thorough analysis, so the escape I recommend is escaping this book. Alcoholism, suicide, masochism, binge eating and spirital exercises seem behaviors worth better analysis. Even if these are "escapes from self", what then to do about each? I didn't find that addressed. Baumeister seemed content having asserted each was an escape.

A Scientific Existentialism
"Escaping the Self" is a manifestly brilliant work of social psychology and social criticism. Reading the book, I recapture the feelings of insight that originally attracted me to psychology.

The main idea of the book is that many difficult to explain behaviors, such as masochism and suicide, result from a need to escape - and that this need to escape is very specific escape from self-consciousness. Baumeister goes into detail about the various motivations for this need to escape and how they motivate different forms of escape, and also details social trends that have magnified the burden of escape from the self.

This is in many ways the kind of book I would love to write. Baumeister is able to see the implicitly accepted dogmas and flaws of the culture he lives in, much like a Nietzsche, before they are generally recognized. It's interesting that this work is out of print now - and the idea not generally appreciated by those who could best put it to work. This pattern occurs with many 'heretical' thinkers. And since the works details more the downside of our obsession with self - something we do not recognize as a choice, or something unusual - this might explain the book's status.

Easily the most interesting social/behavioral science book I have read in a long time - it also opens many new avenues for scholarship to the careful reader. Highly reccomended.

ALCOHOL, FOOD, DRUGS, MASOCHISM, WHATEVER YOUR DRUG,...
Whatever your drug of choice, read this! An amazing theorist and scientist who is an aclaimed social psychologist and accomplished writer.Roy Baumeister has taskled issues that are relevant to all of us.He is able to concisely express his theories regarding the actions of the human species...Essentially the "why" of what we do what we do.A great read for anyone, but especially valuable for those interested in psychology and people in general.An essential tool to the "future-counselor."A must read! ... Read more