Reviews (5)

helpful background
in depth history of aa beginnings, including much insight into the formative reasons for the successes and failures of this program. very helpful for someone new to aa, trying to grasp the essence of the program.

Not God
Wonderfully insightful for all. Splendidly illustrates the history and formation of AA and it's painstaking growth through the early formative years of AA.
Inciteful history that provides a good read.
Not God provides an inciteful and thoughtful study of the history of AA.It will provide the experienced 12 stepper further understanding of their program.Additionally, readers not already conversant with the subject will learn and grow from this introduction. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Self-Help    2. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism    3. Twelve-Step Programs    4. Drug addiction & substance abuse    5. Self-Help / Substance Abuse   

Reviews (1)

A Tool for Growth
I don't think we as human beings actually recognize the power of daily reading, meditation, and reflecting.Practicing these powerful principles allows us to remain mindful of the moment and reflect upon the deeper question in our lives.To devote ourself to a daily meditation and to journal on these quiet times is priceless and will certainly aid in the evolution of our soul.For me this practice has allowed an awakening to take place and opens my life up to all the opportunities that are available in this universe.Please give this practice a try!This book will help you in your journey of living and cultivating an active consciousness in your daily life.
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Subjects:  1. Devotional calendars    2. English    3. Journal Writing    4. Meditation    5. Meditations    6. Prayer-books and devotions    7. Religion    8. Self-Help    9. Twelve-step programs    10. Women    11. Gift books    12. Mind, body, spirit: mysticism & self-awareness    13. Self-Help / Substance Abuse    14. Worship   

Reviews (2)

Order more than one copy!
I read this book in one afternoon, the most informative, educational, and well-spent afternoon in months.This book should be a must-read for anyone who's living with a close friend or family member suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction.This book provided SO MANY answers for me to all those questions that anyone in my situation would ask.This book will be kept close for future reference, a gem that I am extremely happy to have found. I plan to order copies for other family members, as I don't intend to part with mine!

An essential resource for parents of addicts
Addict in the Family is a helpful guide for parents of addicts.Conyers reviews what is known about drug use today, including detailed information about the effects of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and heroin, without using 'scare tactics.' Using personal stories, she demonstrates some of the characteristics of addicts (lying, manipulation, denial, etc.).Most important, she provides a blue print for parents to work on their own recovery.As selfish as it appears, the work parents do on themselves also helps the addict.As a coach helping parents of children with addictions, I will recommend this book to all my clients. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alcoholics    2. Drug addicts    3. Dysfunctional Families    4. Family Relationships    5. Rehabilitation    6. Self-Help    7. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism    8. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    9. Coping with drug & alcohol abuse    10. Illness & addiction: social aspects    11. Self-Help / Substance Abuse   

Reviews (13)

An alternative approach to sobriety
I've been recovering from alcholism for about 9 months now, and after a stint in an AA-oriented rehab I've been attending meetings on a regular basis.The problem is, I'm just not wired for all of the spirituality that's necessary for an AA recovery (according to AA, that is).I've got nothing against AA, I think it's a great organization; however, it's just not doing the job for me.
So simple it works
Everywhere we are bombarded with false statistics that are invented and propogated by the AA followers.The fact remains that the MOST sucessful people to quit their addictions do it on their own-please see the Harvard News Letter. Good book - does it work?
You've read the reviews. And if you're interested in this book all you really want to know is "does this book contain something that will help me stop drinking?"

Subjects:  1. Alcoholics    2. Alcoholism (Psychiatric Aspects)    3. Rational-Emotive Therapy    4. Rehabilitation    5. Self-Help    6. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism    7. Coping with drug & alcohol abuse    8. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (2)

Nicely written and practical
This has greatly improved my understanding and practice of providing psychotherapy and case management services to those individuals who suffer from severe and persistent mental illness. I definitely recommend it.

Author's advice: Get the Skills Illustration Video + book

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Subjects:  1. Handbooks, manuals, etc    2. Mental Illness    3. Prevention    4. Psychology    5. Psychopathology - Addiction    6. Reference    7. Rehabilitation    8. Rehabilitation Therapy    9. Schizophrenia    10. Schizophrenics    11. Substance abuse    12. Training of    13. Abnormal psychology    14. Illness & addiction: social aspects    15. Psychiatry   

Reviews (3)

Basic Text of SCA, not SAA
Just as claraification: This book was written by anonymous members of the group Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA) and is the basic text of that group.I am a member of SCA and I have found this book extremely helpful.I would recommend it to anyone, both on the basis of a standalone book and and a possible introduction to what SCA is about.

It's not the basic text of SAA
I was checking out some recovery books on Amazon and noticed this review about "Hope and Recovery".I'm a member of Sex Addicts Anonymous and "Hope and Reovery" IS NOT the basic text of that fellowship.It is read, but it's not the basic text.If you read the Steps and Traditions in the book, and really the rest of the book, nowhere is Sex Addicts Anonymous ever mentioned in those pages.I'm not saying "don't read Hope and Recovery," I just want to make it clear that it's not the basic text of SAA. A very in-depth tool book of recovery for sexual addiction.
Hope & Recovery is the current basic text of SAA (Sex Addicts Anomyous, a twelve-step group for sexually recovering people). The book is designed for individuals who feel that they are sexually compusive and are looking for information on the addictive disease and "tools" to use to become and remain free from sexual addiction. Each of the twelve steps is explained in detail on how they can be lived daily for sexual recovery. A number of individuals tell their own experiences of how they lived their disease, discovered the hope of the program, and how they are currently living a life of recovery. The book is well written, sensitive, hopeful, and a continual must read through the journey of recovery. Definately Hope & Recovery. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Compulsive Behavior    3. Mental Illness    4. Psychosexual disorders    5. Recovery    6. Self-Help    7. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Sexual    8. Twelve-Step Programs    9. Mental health services    10. Self-Help & Practical Interests    11. Self-Help / Substance Abuse   

Reviews (12)

Wonderful Resource
This is an incredible book that I bought in my early recovery and it has been with me along the journey and will stay with me for the continuance of my sober path.Its a great resource for those getting sober, staying sober, and clinicians who work in the field of addictions.I highly recommend that you grab a copy and keep it close to you.

the recovery book
very educational for someone who knows or is close to an addicted person. Gives a great alternitive to other self help programs. well written and easy to follow.

Great!
This book does not allow for excuses, it answers every question you may have, and addresses every fear.By far the best book on recovery I have ever read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alcoholics    2. Drug addicts    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Recovery    5. Rehabilitation    6. Self-Help    7. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    8. Coping with drug & alcohol abuse    9. Self-Help / Substance Abuse   

Reviews (6)

MM-Responsible Drinking
Anyone who has questioned or been surprised about the amount they drink will not feel alone after reading this book.

Good, not great.
AA is not for everyone, despite what you may hear.If the 12-step cookie cutter approach leaves a bad aftertaste, this book may help.
Finally answers the question: What is responsible drinking?
How many people actually know what a standard drink is? Or, how much alcohol is safe to consume? Or what acceptable drinking behavior is? Very few. In our neo-puritan, abstinence-only society, there are few guidelines for sensible, pleasurable indulgence.
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Subjects:  1. Self-Help    2. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism    3. Coping with drug & alcohol abuse   

Reviews (9)

This was a life saver
This book helped me see who I am.The way I think, is clearly in this book.I can't remember part of my childhood and I thought I was abnormal. Reading this book, I have come to find outthat I am quite normal for a child of an alcoholic.If you are a adult child of an alcoholic, I urge you to read this book and see if it helps you too.

A very good start
The ideal book if you are beginning your journey of recovery due to alcoholics. It give many answers to initial questions. It does not give any lasting answers to the great mysteries of life but that is not its purpose anyway.So...a good start

shocked
About ten years ago I was in a book-store in Cambridge, Ma. and happened to browse through that book. Just reading a few questions and answers wasone of the greatest shocks in my life. Reading the truth when you alwaysthought that you are so strange, noone else can image, is not easy. I washardly able to go to the cashier and pay for the book. This was the firstday of a new life for me.Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult children of alcoholics    2. Alcoholics    3. Alcoholism    4. Family relationships    5. General    6. Miscellanea    7. Recovery    8. Self-Help    9. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism    10. Treatment    11. United States    12. Coping with drug & alcohol abuse    13. Psychology & Psychiatry / General   

Reviews (2)

Quick 101 education
This book has the basis information a person needs to quit their addiction.Is the same basic principles that rehabilitation programs used.Except that in the rehab you have a team a people that help you and the AA/NA meetings are all day.

Turning away from alcohol and/or drugs
The workbook allows one to view his/her compulsion to drink and/or use drugs from multiple perspectives, to better realize the consequences and to make a reasoned choice about whether or not to embrace sobriety. It then gently guides one into early recovery, giving tips and support for making important changes in life so as not to return to alcohol and/or drugs. Fanning writes in short, clear sentences so that the book is very easy to understand, and shows great compassion for those who are burdened by the terrible compulsion that is addiction.
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Subjects:  1. Alcoholics    2. Alcoholism    3. Drug addicts    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Recovery    6. Rehabilitation    7. Self-Help    8. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism    9. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    10. Treatment    11. Coping with drug & alcohol abuse   

Reviews (22)

Absolutely Recommended
This book is a great resource for clinicians, survivors, and anyone who knows a survivor.

Still classic and gay affirmative
This book is one of the first books I read which includes examples of gay men sexually abused as children without including homosexuality as the result of sexual abuse. If you are a gay man and are looking for an affirmative book on sexual abuse which does not pathologize your gay identity, look no further. Lew has written it and you have found it!
The best book for Survivors.
My copy of Mike Lew's book is well worn, most pages have sections underlined and notes written down the margins.
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Subjects:  1. Abuse - General    2. Abuse - Sexual    3. Adult Child Sexual Abuse Victims    4. Adult child sexual abuse victi    5. Incest victims    6. Male sexual abuse victims    7. Mental Health    8. Psychology    9. Recovery    10. Self-Help    11. Sexually abused boys    12. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    13. Family & Relationships / Abuse   

Reviews (1)

Substance abuse Counseling: Theory and Practice
The book is well written.It provides the reader with an easy reading experience while still providing the necessary information about substance abuse. I definately recommend it for anyone who is looking to learn more about substance abuse.
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Subjects:  1. Counseling - Crisis Management    2. Counseling of    3. Education    4. Patients    5. Psychopathology - Addiction    6. Recovery    7. Self-Help    8. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    9. Substance abuse    10. Treatment    11. Counselling    12. Drug addiction & substance abuse    13. Education / Counseling / Crisis Management   

Editorial Review

Psychiatric drugs are prescribed to more than 20 million Americans. This book aims to convince us to stop taking these drugs, and to show us how to do it safely. The authors contend that after 15 minutes with a physician or psychiatrist, Americans are prescribed medications that we may take for years or a lifetime, which can do more harm than good. We're irritable, anxious, emotionally numbed, physically fatigued, and mentally dulled. Yet when we stop taking the drugs, we encounter a whole new set of problems and setbacks.Read more

Reviews (40)

Thank you, Peter Breggin
I'm glad Peter Breggin is telling the truth about the dangerous drugs that are being pushed on more and more of us.The drugs that are supposed to "fix" people are turning them into zombies, and more of our children are drugged each day.
Down from 32 to 5 pills a day
My wife has reduced her medication from 32 pills a day to 5 a day using the gradual reduction approach described in this book.She was withdrawn and unable to interact with the children at all before.Now she is her children's "Mommy" in a much more real sense and can actually experience real joy from time to time (not possible shen emotions are suppressed by the drugs).This author may seem extreme, but if you want to try reducing you medication, get the book and follow the advice whether you agree with the reasons for wholesale criticism of psychiatric meds or not.

life saver!
This is a very good and honest book, helping people overdiagnosed and overmedicated.I am one who read this after being told I would do terrible if not taking psychiatric drugs over 5 years ago and I read this book, changed counselors, and was able to come off psychiatric medication that was making it difficult for me to function.I am doing fine now, dealing with problems in a sensible way, getting along well with others, working, and enjoying life, with no psychiatric treatment, only compassionate counseling that I find is helpful.I recommend it for anyone prescribed psychiatric medication or studying psychology.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Health Care Issues    3. Mood Disorders    4. Psychology    5. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Drug Dependence    6. Coping with drug & alcohol abuse    7. Coping with illness    8. Psychiatry    9. Health/Health Care   

Subjects:  1. Handbooks, manuals, etc    2. Planning    3. Practice Management    4. Problems and Exercises    5. Psychology    6. Recovery    7. Self-Help    8. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    9. Substance abuse    10. Substance-Related Disorders    11. Treatment    12. therapy    13. Addiction & therapy    14. Psychology / Practice Management   

Reviews (3)

This book is life altering if you are ready to recover
I was shocked to see that there were actually negative reviews on this book.
Food is not alcohol
I spent years going to OA meetings, diligently working the program and wondering why I was still a hopeless victim of food cravings. Excellent 12 Step Companion Book
Being in recovery in OA for 6 years and reading the OA and AA 12 & 12's NUMEROUS times, I was looing for something new and fresh to read.This book truly fit the bill.The author really breaks the steps down intomany subcategories and delves into issues deeply.Not a substituute forthe AA or OA 12 & 12 by any means, but a great "study aid" tothe 12 steps. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Compulsive eating    2. Eating Disorders - General    3. Overeaters Anonymous, inc. (U    4. Psychology    5. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    6. Self-Help    7. Treatment    8. Twelve-Step Programs    9. Diets & dieting    10. Self-Help / Substance Abuse   

Reviews (1)

The tragic story of a rock star's fall from grace
Alice In Chains was one of the premier hard rock alternative bands of the last three decades. But lead singer Layne Staley couldn't handle many of the pressures that were associated with being a huge star on display to the world. He died an early and tragic death of an accidental overdose of heroin and crak in 2002.
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Subjects:  1. Recovery    2. Self-Help    3. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General   

Subjects:  1. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    2. Social Science    3. Social Work    4. Sociology    5. Sociology - General    6. Substance Abuse    7. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    8. Drug addiction & substance abuse    9. Political Science / Social Services & Welfare    10. Social welfare & social services   

Reviews (7)

If you want to stay in denial, don't read this book.
This is a straight-forward, no BS, book about addiction and you don't have to be a doctor to understand it.What it covers includes:addiction & the addictive personality defined, in detail; how folks tend to become addicted; things they tend to try to do about it that don't work; thoughts/beliefs etc to watch out for that undermine recovery (and realistic ways to deal with them); things that DO work to help a person out of addictive thinking/behavior; and what the person in recovery can look forward to as a result of their efforts.It's good not only for those addicted but for those dealing with an addicted loved one.
Great book; negative review below misses the mark
I rarely write reviews of books I've read but had to chime in with the previous reviewer to say that this is a TERRIFIC book for anyone who finds himself/herself ashamed or frustrated by the inability to stop an addiction. It's more than I've gotten from 12-step meetings because it delves into the creation of an addiction from a neuropsychological point of view.That has really helped me recognize what's going on in my head, so I can appreciate the fact that from a physiological point of view, I REALLY AM ADDICTED to some things, and need the group process to fight the battle.

A deeper perspective on addiction
I disagree with the last reviewer.This book offers an unusual, and highly useful, perspective on the causes and treatments of addiction.Typically, the goal of most self-help books on the subject is abstinence from use.The present book considers abstinence only the first step in the life-long process of addiction recovery.The book focusses on addictive behaviors and personality traits, how they originate, why they lead to addiction. It gave me terrific insight into why I can quit smoking, but tend to relapse after a few months.Highly recommended to any thinking person interested in understanding and recovering from their addiciton. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Compulsive behavior    2. Psychological aspects    3. Psychopathology - Compulsive Behavior    4. Recovery    5. Self-Help    6. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    7. Substance abuse    8. Treatment    9. Coping with personal problems    10. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (1)

teaches kids how to tell
I'm really impressed with this book. It's told in the first person by a little girl who is sexually abused by her uncle in terms that a young child can understand. It discusses how she is supported by her family, and how it is seeing a psychologist. It really does a good job of destigmatizing sexual abuse. It also encourages children who have been (or are being) abused to keep telling trusted adults about it until someone helps them. In the back it also provides a fairly long list of people who it is okay to tell. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sexually abused children    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Social Issues - Sexual Abuse    4. Child abuse    5. Self-Help / Substance Abuse    6. Sexual abuse    7. Children: Grades 3-4    8. Child molesting    9. United States    10. General    11. Juvenile Nonfiction    12. Juvenile literature   

Reviews (14)

awakening
This book was recommended by my therapist and after reading it I gave it to a friend who is also an adult child of an alcoholic.I haven't got the book back so I'm buying another copy for myself.I NEED to read it again and again. It opened my eyes and put a lot of the pieces of the puzzle together for me. Although it's hard to face some of the realities this book points out, I believe it to be one of the vital steps I am taking in trying to change my life for the better. It's never too late.

accurate and helpful
claudia black is a respected author in the field of addictions.she writes for adults and children for both alcoholics and their families.i have read many books in this area and she is one of my favorite authors.the book is short, accutate,compassionately written, and forever timely. worth reading!

Excellent Insight into Who I am and Why
I read this book AFTER reading ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS by Janet Woititz.Both provided me with insight into a problem I only recently realized I have.However, Black's book is both easier to read and has more detailed analysis.She divides ACoAs into four categories:The Responsible One, The Adjuster, The Placater, and "Acting Out".I fit the profile of Responsible in every way.I now understand myself better, and am beginning therapy for the first time in my life at the age of 55.Thank you, Dr. Black, for opening my eyes! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Children of Alcoholics    2. Personal Growth - Happiness    3. Self-Help    4. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism    5. Coping with drug & alcohol abuse    6. Drug addiction & substance abuse    7. Self-Help / Substance Abuse