Book Description
The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure contains the incredible three-step program to total recovery that is the basis of the miraculous success of the Passages Addiction Cure Center in Malibu, California, the world's most successful substance abuse treatment center. While traditional treatments have a relapse rate as high as 80% or 90%, the world-famous Passages has a cure rate of 84.4%. This revolutionary book shows how you or a loved one can follow the same successful program used at Passages with the help of health professionals right where you live. You'll learn the three steps to permanent sobriety, the four causes of dependency, and how to create your own personalized treatment program—one that gets to the real, underlying causes of dependency. The book also shows how your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs are key factors in your recovery and how you can stimulate your body's self-healing potential to be forever free of dependency.The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure will show you how to end relapse, end your craving, and end your suffering. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

The "Lower Power" at work
It never ceases to amaze me how cunning, baffling and powerful the "lower power" is.This country wants "drive thru" sanity.The only way Chris's book is going to keep you from drinking is to stuff it in your mouth.It not that people have forgotten what it is like to work hard for something, just look at all the Mercedes, Mansions and Millionaires. They are all working, drinking and drugging hard in a vien attempt to fill a God (insert God preference here) sized hole.Never at a time in our country has there been such gross materialism.

12 step programs are wonderful and they are free.If you keep going out there and beating yourself up with booze, drugs, high mortgages, gambling whatever, I'm glad.Because eventually you will scream out "God Please Help Me!"and It will be there to lift you up.

My message is simple.If you can't help an alcoholic for free, then mind your business, your heart is in the wrong place.

Book Review
This is a fantastic book for addicts as well as people whose lives are affected by living around/with an addict.I believe this is the answer. If someone really wants to quit, this is the way to do it.

Keeping an open mind is important.
I am a psychologist and a not-for-profit substance abuse treatment clinic.The clinic policy is based on 100% abstinence, the disease model, and loosely around AA core values.I treat a great deal of mandated patients and others who assert they have no problem, yet they are in my room for some "issue" involving alcohol or drugs.I have learned never to dismiss any new slant or approach to anything in science until I know it is not valid, and even then it has value.When it come to issues of maladaptive behavior, organic roots or not, the approaches to remedies will very likely be as varied and numerous as there are personalities.The possible permutations for "causes" of behaviors are near infinite.What works for one person does not necessarily work for another.The wide range of reaction to this book has given me reason enought to buy it.When I finish it I will certainly post my reaction.

Now that's an intelligent approach to addictions...
Truth when understood cannot be denied...this therapeutic approach is comprehensive & effective in that it addresses the heart of addictive issues as opposed to a cure for the symptom(s). Anyone of us who are not living life to the fullest might check the closet for unaddressed addictive behavior (I've a few of my own.)Ahhhhhhh that this love cure could be bottled and prescribed. Addiction is a route we choose for various reasons in order to cope.... yet are oft unaware of why we made this (these) choice(s), nor of the ultimate price of these choices.

To acknowledge the choice(s), sincerely repent , identify the root and discover higher ground in the process is nothing less than love in motion. The painful road of thispath less chosen is cushioned with gems of equal or greater opportunity. Gratefully, the path for Pax and the choices he made were well seasoned with an intrinsic love and purpose.May others discover the love that resides in each Spirit and brings us to our true purpose.

I've a niece, not yet 16, who has walked this rocky road for years. The financial well is tapped and the symptoms persist.I've sent this material to her mother and am hoping that the message might somehow unveil a light that shines, the true beauty of this young woman.

There is Hope
Very well written and encouraging. Gives us HOPE -Hope for the addict, hope for the family members. I finally feel there is a light shining at the end of the tunnel.We have implemented two of the recommendations for two weeks now, and I see improvement - baby steps nevertheless, but improvement.Wish we could afford "Passages" but we can't, so we are trying Chris Prentiss' theory to get to the "why" issues.I couldn't put the book down.It arrived on Friday and I stayed up til 2 am reading. ... Read more

Book Description
If alcoholics and addicts won't accept help until they're ready, what gets them ready?This book provides an answer in clear, concise terms.Dispelling two damaging myths -- that an addict has to hit bottom and that intervention must be confrontational -- the authors' proven approach puts love first and shows families, step by step, what to do next. "A convincing new approach to intervention that puts love and respect first." Jack Canfield, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul Series "Building a team, choosing a chairperson, anticipating objections, using checklists, and rehearsing for the intervention itself -- the reader will find it all here!" Robert M.Morse, M.D., Professor emeritus, psychiatry, Mayo Medical School and Former director of Addictive Disorders Services, Mayo Clinic. "Love First is destined to become the new classic on intervention for alcoholism and drug addiction.The most comprehensive book available on the life-saving technique of intervention, Love First will save lives!A worthy successor to Vernon JohnsonTomorrow." --Kathy Ketcham, Coauthor, Beyond the Influence and The Spirituality of Imperfection "Love First provides the most detailed account yet of how intervention works.A significant contribution to intervention literature.An empowering antidote to the disease of addiction." --William l.White, author Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Love First:Opened my eyes to the truth about addition
This book really opened my eyes to drug and alcohol addiction.With great care the authors help the reader understand what addiction truly is, and then arm the reader with pertinent information and tools to help the reader rethink how to approach a loved one who has an addiction.Great book.

Love First
I found this to be one of the best books to help a person struggling with a loved ones addiction.I have read many, many books, but this book has to be one that I recommend to everyone with this type of problem in their life.

Great
This book is great for anyone interested in learning about addiction.It gives a well rounded and educated approach for an intervention.Although, I would probably use more books than just this for a reference if you're going to try an intervention, but that is just from experience.

Hazelden?? Be Very Afraid..
If you have an addiction...Dont choose Hazelden as a place to start your recovery. I'm a Graduate of Tiebout and stayed at the Hotel Jelinek. They will try to brainwash you by using meds.

Immeasurable!
This book is an INCREDIBLE help - even if you don't end up doing an intervention for your loved one.It's title derives from the term "Tough Love," and theorizes putting LOVE FIRST. It gives clear and concise explanations of every aspect of addiction and treatment to those who aren't quite understanding the whole picture.If you are, or are dealing with, friends and/or family of an addict, this book is a must-read.If you do choose to do an intervention, it gives step-by-step instruction on how to do it with love, and includes all the organizational tools you'll need. ... Read more

Book 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 (33)

A Great Educational Tool On Alcoholism
This is an extremely educational book for anyone who is an alcoholic or works with them.

Although I am not an alcohol addict, I have worked with hundreds of them over the years in correctional facilities.I used to be of the opinion that alcoholism was caused by a weakness or character flaw in the individual.I have not believed that for a long time.This book is one of the reasons for that.

Many people reject the disease concept for alcoholism.That is unfortunate as that lack of knowledge is counterproductive to treatment.An alcoholic is not physically capable of processing alcohol normally.Not only is it a disease, but it is progressive and if untreated is most likely fatal.

The costs of alcoholism to our society are massive in terms of finances, health, death, relationships, and more.It is a huge problem and one that everyone should be educated about.

This book is not only good on explaining the physiological nature of alcoholism, it is also excellent on cross addiction.A related and often underlooked problem is when physicians who are ill informed about addiction prescribe narcotic pain medications, muscle relaxers, tranquilizers, and sedatives to alcoholics.That exacerbates the problem considerably.

If you are an alcoholic, know an alcoholic, or work with alcoholics, this book is an indispensable reference.

Why this book is SO very important for families of alcoholics
I train counselors and counsel families of alcoholics, and when a family member is having a very difficult time (even though she is trying hard) to understand that this is a disease----I refer her to this book.This helps her to see so well, that his rage is because alcohol excites the rage-centers of the brain.And because she now understands this, she knows, then, that the crazymaking coming out his mouth is the disease talking.Does not mean that she is not in pain from his behavior---but this book does help to take the edge off it.And this book helps her to spot the alcoholism in her children, too, because she now knows how very genetic this disease is.
I see that one of the inside-cover endorsements for this book is by Toby Rice Drews---the author of the "Getting Them Sober, you CAN help" book.Her book is my 'sister book' to Milam's book!Together, these two books are lifesavers in my home. My counseling clients tell me that when they read "Getting Them Sober", their family lives change for the better within three days!I feel that these two books are 'sister' books because Milam (in "Under the Influence") explains the entire physiological body/brain effects from alcoholism----and Drews (in "Getting Them Sober, you CAN help") explains in detail, exactly how to makechanges in one's relationship with the alcoholic (whether or not you live with him)------ so that the alcoholic has an 80% better chance to get sober.(The cover-endorsements for the book are by 'dear Abby', Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, and Melody Beattie, author of 'Codependent No More', who says that "Getting Them Sober is the BEST book for the family of the still-drinking alcoholic".)Getting Them Sober: You Can Help! (Getting Them Sober)

I didn't understand all about the disease until I read this
The author clearly defines the progression of the disease. He describes the scientific physiolgical effects of alcoholism on an alcoholic. Milam describes in scientific detail the neurological impact of alcoholism on the frontal lobe. Race/culture rates are described. If people don't understand that alcoholism is a disease I say, read "Under The Influence". There is no question after reading this book that it IS a disease. The moral/willpower issue should long have been disolved. This book is a myth buster for alcoholism. This is truly an enlightning must read for everybody.

Interesting information
I find this book fascinating. Having worked in the treatment field for a long time and having worked at Lakeside-Milam (which Milam started) I feel comfortable recommending and discussing this material.

I've met Dr. Milam and used to listen to him lecture. Interesting guy, soft-spoken, and full of knowledge. He is a true pioneer.

I've also been fortunate enough to work at Schick Shadel Hospital. If you like the work of Dr. Milam, I would invite you to check out the work from Dr. James W. Smith. Dr. Smith has been practicing addiction medicine since 1960. He is Board Certified in Family Practice and certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).

Dr. Milam was a pioneer, Dr. Smith is a legend. Knowing both approaches I'm excited to move forward in my body of knowledge.

Excellent information!
I feel empowered with information.I can seriously say that for the first time, I am empty of judgement.On the cover it says "A life-saving approach to alcoholism" and that's the point I'd stress. ... Read more

Book Description
Alcoholism: The Cause & The Cure is not only the mostcomprehensive book providing the techniques used to heal addictivebiochemistry through addressing the root alcoholism cause with anaggressive alcoholism treatment, and the research and science whichvalidates the supremacy of orthomolecular alcoholism treatment over allothers, but is the most advanced holistic treatment you can find in a book,retreat, or rehab. Successful completion of The 101 Program not onlydetoxes you in a healing, nourishing way by correcting nutritionaldeficiencies known to those suffering the physical and mental effects ofalcohol addiction but takes your quest for sobriety to the next level andguides you through the process of healing your addictive biochemistry,freeing you from the symptoms of alcoholism and the compulsive desire todrink through addressing the well- researched genetic influences thatencourage addictive biochemistry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Chatty's review
This was not an easy read.In fact I have not finished reading because content was not what I expected.

Excellent book
This book is one of the best I have read for really getting to the bottom of addiction especially alcohol. The book is not an easy read and contains alot of information but if you think about the millions of lives lost from and the amount of money spent on the problems associated with alcoholism you appreciate why the author takes the time to educate those of us who are looking to live fulfilled lives that we were meant to live and that deep down we want to.
It is a book that provides information to assist the whole person, spiritually, mentally and physically to become in tune with the healer within so that they can get better.A concept I know most of us who are used to conventional medicine and healthcare believe to be a myth because we are used to being dissapointed and settling for just getting by. I recommend this book and the program highly to anyone who is seriously interested in getting better. It took me almost a year to follow through and I can honestly say it has saved my life.

Helped me become complete and whole again.
I dont think any other author covers recovery and the approach the same way. Im left with not only a new better self, but a better understanding of how to improve other aspects of my health. ... Read more

Book Description
The first in a series of three recovery guides for the first three years of sobriety, First-Year Sobriety uses the voices of many women and men who are struggling in the often baffling territory of their first year of sobriety to show that despite their differing experiences, all are united in the process of giving life without alcohol or other drugs a chance.These are people who are alternately amazed, appalled, delighted, depressed, illuminated, disturbed, or simply thrown by their first days, weeks, and months of sobriety.Kettelhack explores the challenges all seem to face: learning to break through loneliness, isolation, and fear; finding ways to deal with anger, depression, and resentment; and learning how to deal with a new and sometimes overwhelming happiness.Guy Kettelhack has written seven books on recovery.He is completing a Master's degree in psychoanalysis, and is an analyst-in-training at the Boston and New York Centers for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies.A graduate of Middlebury College, Kettelhack has also done graduate work in English literature at Bread Loaf School of English at Oxford University.He lives in New York City. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

great choice
I purchased this for a relayive who is just out of detox.She found this extremely interesting and helpful to guiding her through the trials and challenges she is currently facing.She feels it is a must read for everyone experiencing sobriety and family members too to understand the first year and first time sobriety.
So I give it 5 stars and a review of excellence!

Valuable reading
My first year of recovery has been a real roller coaster of emotions.This book has helped me make sense of them.It made me feel not so alone.I'd highly recommend it, to anyone in their first year of sobriety.

133 page drunkologue
This book will probably be informative and helpful to anyone that is very new to sobriety and the 12 step program especially if you are having a hard time attending your first meeting - to them I highly recommend this book andAA, the experiences of others is a powerful tool when newly sober.Howeverif you have attended more than a dozen AA meetings this book is nothing short of redundant; you will have heard it all before.Despite the author'simpressive resume and alcoholic 'street' credibility he adds very little insight to the issues involved in recovery, and for good reason; people in AA are loathe to add anything to the sacred cannon of approved AA texts. I am dissapointed that the big book has become such a sacred document that few dare to update or add new insight to its message.

Here is my opinion of this book:
This book was surely a good edition to my recovery library.During my early recovery, I am reading as much as I can.I need to learn all that I can about this challenging time of early recovery.No one ever told me in rehab that I was going to have all these....FEELINGS!Alcohol really and truly made me numb for quite some time.I did not realize this until I got sober and began to feel again.As the feelings flooded in, I began to think that I was crazy-sober or not.This book helped me to realize that everything I was/am going through is normal.It is all OKAY.Many, many other people who have gone before me have felt the same exact feelings.This book speaks to the reader as casually as a speaker at a meeting will speak.It is easy to "get"...easy to understand and I breathed a sigh of relief everytime I could identify myself in the pages.Thank God for all of the written materials dealing with the subject of recovery.I devour these books.I recommend that you do too.Good buy.

Why not
This is a great book. In early recovery the more you read and learn about your disease the better. This book uses peoples own experiences to point out things you never hear about. It doesn't use complex ideas or concepts just simple ideas and language, plus I read the whole book in two days. Keep it Simple and this book does. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Inaccuracies and assumptions
While I applaud the author in tackling this subject, I found his book to be full of inaccuracies and assumptions.Alcoholism is a complex disease.Some explanations for myths were somewhat accurate.However, there were many that were not.For instance, Myth #66 "He's probably just a harmless big talker," illustrates his overuse of assumptions and inaccuracies.He states about Hugo Chavez (the Venezuelan President, which the author calls,"the megalomaniac de facto dictator"), "While there is no definite confirmation yet of alcoholism, he is known to drink ten espresso coffees per day.Unpublished studies seem to suggest a very high correlation between alcoholism and an ability to sleep despite drinking large quanities of caffeine at or near bedtime.There's a possibility that like Adolf Hitler, he uses stimulants to get up and barbituates, alcohol in pill form for the alcoholic, to come down."I'm not a supporter of Chavez, but I will not condone assumptions and inaccuracies made by the author.He does a similar dissecting of Bill Clinton in Myths #49 and 59, by basically saying "Bill Clinton's adolescent-like misbehaviors are strongly suggestive of alcoholism."He has no evidence to support his claim and is making assumptions based on limited exposure to Clinton's life.I do not recommend this book.There are other books on this subject that prove to be more helpful in understanding alcoholism.

This book is like a dictionary for alcoholism
Reading one myth after another, I find them quite interesting.
I especially like the chart of myth #7.While I already have a general idea about it, the chart makes it quite clear and easy to follow.The most educational part is about maintaining and increasing the BAL.
At page 40, I started to get bored.Things started to be repetitive in a way.I flipped through the rest of the book, and was surprised to find that it is all myths!(not happily surprised at this point)
As I flip through the rest of the book, while it appears that most of the myth headlines do not relate to people I know, but some do!Then I decided to just read the headlines, slowly this time.What I found out is by reading just the headlines; it started me thinking about things that I did not notice before.Headlines I did not think concerns me started to look very different.
This book is like a dictionary for alcoholism.It helps one to look for clues of alcoholism when you don't even know what you are looking for.Then it helps you to understand and deal with it properly.

My Opinion on "Alcoholism Myths and Realities"
I found the article on "Alcoholism Myths and Realities: Removing the Stigma of Society's most Destructive Disease" to be quite helpful. I truly believe that this book will also help anyone that has a family member or friend with any kind of addiction or personality problem. Just because a person has another kind of personality problem doesn't mean that it isn't as destructive as alcoholism. My daughter is a control freak. Her problem has caused many hurtful problems in our relationship. I've been told that I have to be firm when dealing with her, but her manipulation made it so hard. For years I have walked on eggshells around her. Since reading this article I now know that it isnot only okay for me to be firm with her, but it is also essential if I want things to improve. I now have more hope for good relationship in our future.

The Unexplainable...Explained!!!
Anyone who has a drinking problem or is associated with someone who has a drinking problems will benefit enormously from reading this book.Many people who deal with alcoholics live in a world fraught with uncertainty and illogic.This book attempts and succeeds in making sense out of the senseless.Thorburn does a masterly job of identifying the problem and explaining the chain of events which occurs in alcoholics' livers, central nervous systems and brains.

This book also does a great job of identifying the resulting behaviors and misbehaviors while explaining their underlying causes.To put it overly-simply: the alcoholic's behavior is the result of distortions in perception because he has turned his brain into a toxic waste dump.Once the alcoholic has gotten enough clean-time for the toxins to filter out of his system, many of the behavioral abnormalities disappear.

Thorburn also offers practical advice on how to deal with alcoholics.Basically, get tough, stand your ground and be prepared for the alcoholic to try to manipulate anything and everything to his own advantage. Once you have a basic grasp of the inner-workings of alcoholism, you will know that the most helpful thing you can do for them is to let them reap the consequences of their delusional behavior.Beyond that, you really are powerless to do anything else.

If for no other reason, this book is a priceless tool for spotting typically alcoholic behaviors.Many of the personality traits common to most alcoholics manifest themselves in surprising and subtle ways which most people would not suspect as being indicative of an addiction problem (e.g. - self-favoring memory recall).Recently I have avoided two potentially disastrous relationships (one business and one personal); subsequent events confirmed addiction problems which no one else suspected at the time.

I am an alcoholic in recovery and I have learned more from this book than anything else I have read (and that's a long list).The complex concepts are explained clearly and simply without compromising the subject matter.

An important book that will open your eyes.
Alcoholism Myths and Realities contains and refutes over 100 incorrect statements about alcoholism, some of which you have probably said yourself. The two primary themes of this book are (1) alcoholism is caused by biology rather than environment or bad morals, and (2) alcoholism can explain a great deal, perhaps most, of the misbehaviors we observe in people around us.

Even when alcoholism is obvious to all, people often do not identify alcoholism as the cause of the alcoholic's other misbehaviors, but instead take both to be manefestations of some immorality. However, the biology of alcoholism shows us that some people are born with livers that process alcohol differently than most people do, and consequently are able to build up a much higher concentration of toxic chemicals in their brains before they feel sick. These chemicals shut down and eventually damage the neocortex of the brain, leaving nothing to moderate the instinctive, aggressive impulses of the limbic system. With this in mind, it makes more sense to assume that the alcoholism is the cause of misbehaviors, rather than another kind of misbehavior.

If someone repeatedly misbehaves but alcoholism is not obvious, it still makes sense to assume that alcoholism is the cause of these misbehaviors. For one thing, it gives that person the benefit of the doubt, and for another, 10% of people in the US are alcoholics, so you have a pretty good chance of being correct anyway. It may seem strange to suggest alcoholism for someone who may be young, charming, successful, or even idolized by millions; this confusion is resolved when it is understood that alcoholism is a progressive disease. It can take decades for chemical dependancy to develop to such a degree that the alcoholic can no longer hold a job or put up appearances of leading a healthy life. Before this, he likely would have been drinking copiously for many years but was able to keep his excessive use hidden. (Sometimes the distinction is made between "alcoholics" and "alcohol abusers", based on whether or not there is a chemical dependancy on alcohol, but these are really the same people in different stages of the disease.)

When alcoholics drink, however, their behavior in ALL stages of the disease is characterized by reckless, cruel, or destructive misbehaviors, whereas when nonalcoholics drink, their behavior is not. Doug Thorburn shows that an astonishing variety of misbehaviors are associated with alcoholism. Not only were most cult leaders, serial killers, and mass murderers alcoholics (including political tyrants such as Peter the Great and Joseph Stalin), but alcoholism is also common among con men, embezzelers, politicians, racists, and ordinary violent criminals. It is estimated that 80% to 90% of incarcerated prisoners, as well as perhaps 50% of the prison guards, may be alcoholics. Alcoholism is also more common among policemen, doctors, lawers, and actors.

This and other of Doug Thorburn's writings have changed the way I look at the world. What previously appeared to be a disturbing abberation, an incomprehensible contradiction, a motiveless malignancy now seems a perfectly understandable effect of alcoholism. I know how to avoid a great danger--alcoholics are far more damaging to their friends and family than most people realize. Finally, I know not to deny or apologize for bizarre behaviors in my personal and political allies and to see such behaviors for what they are. ... Read more

Book Description
An invaluable model for making informed treatment decisions

A Volume in the Jossey-Bass Library of Current Clinical Technique

Highly recommAnded. . .for clinicians who want to understand and treat the alcoholic in a pragmatic and step-wise fashion.
--NARPPS Journal

In this comprehensive book, editor Stephanie Brown presents a model of alcoholism treatment to help you guide alcoholics and their families on the path to long-term recovery. Experts in the field give you the skills to address the myriad problems associated with alcoholism by providing up-to-date information and illustrative case examples. This book, filled with a wealth of information, will help you set specific therapeutic techniques for working with alcoholics and the families of alcoholics in a clinical setting.

... Read more

Book 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 (23)

after clarity, confusion
The authors here perpetuate the confusion that has existed all along about alcoholism, even while claiming science on their side.

Only a born alcoholic can be an alcoholic, is the strong claim on page 5.

But they go on to say that behavioral tests are still the most reliable way to predict alcoholism (p. 112).The problem is that the tests that they administer will create a "positive" for almost anyone who drinks regularly."Problem drinkers" will certainly score high on these behavioral tests.But the authors are at pains to say that many, if not a majority, of "problem drinkers" are NOT alcoholics (p. 105).In my view, "problem drinkers," with their outrageous misbehaviors, are more likely to be thought of as alcoholics than true born alcoholics who are operating in the "high-function" area between early- and middle-stage alcoholism.Although many "problem drinkers" are alcoholics, not all alcoholics present themselves as "problem drinkers."The tests would mistakenly nail the one group, and also mistakenly miss the other.Are you confused?If you're not, then you haven't been paying attention.

For me, the clarity cited in my review title comes from reading Ketcham's earlier book, "Under the Influence."It was a huge light bulb that came on in reading the descriptions of acetaldehyde in our bodies.In Milam and Ketcham's description, the distinction between the born alcoholic and the non-alcoholic centered on how early (after the first drink) acetaldehyde appeared in the bloodstream, and how long it persisted there.Born alcoholics generated more acetaldehyde in their systems more quickly, and they evacuated it more slowly.If the persistent presence of acetaldehyde in the system (with its attendant metabolic transformations) is the primary thing that leads to alcohol addiction, then that leads to an inescapable conclusion... eventually, anyone that drinks long enough and hard enough will exceed his or her ability to efficiently evacuate acetaldehyde from their system... eventually, if you drink long enough and hard enough, acetaldehyde will be present in your system, and you'll subject yourself to its addiction-causing effects... eventually, you'll become an alcoholic.

This would explain delayed-onset alcoholism.A truly "born" alcoholic could become irretrievably lost after a few short years of problem drinking.But a "problem drinker" who is not born to alcoholism might drink heavily for 20 years, give up without difficulty for a whole year (impossible if you're middle-stage or later), return to 20 years of hard drinking and finally, in retirement, be diagnosed as a late-stage alcoholic.I've seen any number of cases of this long-onset alcoholism, and it's always been puzzling, but the acetaldehyde model explains it quite well.

The inescapable conclusion of reading between the lines of "Under the Influence" was that ANYONE CAN BECOME AN ALCOHOLIC.

That conclusion is supported by the behavioral tests in "Beyond the Influence," but we're still left with the insistent claim that many "problem drinkers" will not become alcoholic, even if they continue heavy drinking throughout their adult lives, and that the distinction is black and white.

So which is it?The only reason I'm not confused is because I believe what I've read in "Under the Influence," and I believe that ANYONE CAN BECOME AN ALCOHOLIC.It may take 40 years for the full symptoms to appear, but if you abuse for long enough they WILL appear, and you WILL be an alcoholic... all you have to do is the acetaldehyde math.It's also clear that if you stay below your acetaldehyde evacuation threshold, you can stay out of trouble, but that the acetaldehyde evacuation threshold isn't that high for most of us (the problem is that we don't have reliable ways of determining our acetaldehyde evacuation threshold). That's what I believe.It's as clear as a bell, which is more than can be said for "Beyond the Influence."

"Beyond the Influence" almost seems like it pre-dates "Under the Influence."It features less science and more behavior."Beyond the Influence" should have benefited from almost 20 years of hindsight and improved technology.Instead, the lines are fuzzier, not clearer.

Oh, and one last thing.Ketchams's been right all along about one thing.However you got there, if you're an alcoholic, once you're there, it's definitely physiological.

Beyond the Influence is not a sequel to Under the Influence
In Under The Influence Dr. Milam clearly outlines the physiological causes of alcoholism, the progressive nature of the disease, and the solution.

The authors of Beyond the Influence have done a great disservice to anyone struggling with this disease by taking the valid evidence from Under The Influence and tossing in erroneous "causes" of alcoholism. This mishmash of ideas only serves to throw the struggling alcoholic back into the confusion that makes successful recovery nearly impossible.

The brilliance of Under The Influence is this: When the alcoholic understands the true nature of the disease, all the guilt and remorse resulting from the life led "Under The Influence" vanishes. Without the weight of this guilt and remorse recovery is easily attainable. The alcoholic understands that they did not cause their disease any more than they caused their hair color. If only the rest of society would catch up with what Dr. Milam wrote in 1981.

The authors of Beyond the Influence say:

"Alcoholism is caused by biochemical/neurophysiological abnormalities that are passed down from one generation to the next or, in some cases, acquired through heavy or prolonged drinking."

and:

"Over a period of several years and sometimes decades, the social drinker is irreversibly transformed into an alcoholic."

The guilt is back. They are saying the alcoholic caused the disease. This Is A Lie. This lie has killed countless alcoholics and will continue to do so aided by Beyond the Influence.

We live in a culture that has been overcome by the concept of "Fair and Balanced." That in order to discern the truth both sides of an issue must be presented. It is not Fair and Balanced to mix lies in with the truth. The truth stands alone.

It was not necessary to "update" Under The Influence. It is important for anyone concerned about the devastating impact of alcoholism to read Under The Influence. The authors of this "sequel" should have re-read it.

Dr. Milam's first book, The Emergent Comprehensive Concept of Alcoholism, and his more recent position papers can be read or downloaded from his website Alcoholism Again http://www.alcoholismagain.com.

A must read
This is an awesome book for anyone who wants to really understand the disease of alcoholism.As a recovering alcoholic it helped me through a difficult time.It also helped my family members understand what I was going through. It explains what is going on chemically inside the brain of an alcoholic.It addresses many of the issues we go through.I even bought one for my doctor.

back to school
I was so impressed with the service and the quality of my purchase that I will come here first for all my college books. I am so grateful to have found a place where it is easy and priced right to find my textbooks without any hassle. Thanks Amazon

AA Bait
If you are seeking alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous, this book is useless to you & a waste of your money.It is nothing but 12-step promotion under pseudoscientific guise.The research is sloppy (the average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar per year [p. 222] is only off by 100 pounds or so, the story on p. 259 about the United flight forgets the fact that the guy had a digestive virus, & p. 288 misspells the name of the Northrop Corporation [now Northrop Grumman]).

Save your money & buy something else.This is just expensive propaganda that is no new information to a Twelve-Stepper & no alternative to those looking outside AA. ... Read more

Book 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 (1)

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

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

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

Book 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:

• tend to become alcoholics themselves, or marry alcoholic partners

• confront addictive behavior, including alcoholism

• recognize symptoms

• openly discuss drinking with their own children

Filled with invaluable techniques for reversing destructive patterns and extensive information on therapy and peer support groups Children of Alcoholism offers objective, sympathetic advice on how to come to terms with the past and how to seek additional help if necessary.

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book!
After dealing superficially with my own depression, I finally read this book and started confronting some of the issues in my life that were rooted in my upbringing with an alcoholic parent.This was a break-through point in working toward my own healing.Very readable.Not a lot of psychobabble. ... Read more

Book 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 (3)

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

Book Description
Drink less, crave less and nip your problem drinking in the bud with the easy Drink/Link Moderate Drinking Program in this book!Drink/Link has helped thousands of drinkers worldwide to control drinking and prevent alcoholism since 1988.Over 80% of the drinkers who have completed this program have either cut their drinking in half or significantly reduced it!No meetings, drugs, belief in a higher power or professional help are required for you to succeed.

First, you learn five healthy drinking guidelines.Then you're given clinically-proven strategies and techniques to help you stay within those guidelines.You'll learn to manage alcohol craving, how to slow down and pace your drinking, pre-plan for drinking occasions, learn from you slips and resolve issues that drive you to drink so they don't lead to binge drinking. Alcohol will become less important to you and you'll automatically drink less.

Drink/Link is the first moderate drinking program registered with the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has been recognized in many publications, including Time Magazine, ABCNews.com, the New York Post, Esquire and the Scripps Howard News Service. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Thank you Donna Cornett and Drink/Link
I've really cut down on my drinking with this book! This program was simple, easy to follow and you don't have to take drugs to drink less. I've read several other moderate drinking books but this is the best one.
The other ones were too vague or wanted you to take prescription meds(which I think is ridiculous)to be successful with their programs. Not for me.
As a mom and professional woman I would have a lot to lose if I developed a serious drinking problem.This book showed me the way so I can have a couple of drinks, enjoy myself, but never worry about drinking too much.Thank you Donna Cornett and Drink/Link!

Best Book To Improve Drinking Habits!
This is the best book I've read about moderate drinking and how to get there.

Most of the time I don't have a problem with alcohol but sometimes it takes
over and I drink too much.I have found the suggestions in this book invaluable,
especially pre-planning my drinking behavior with the tips in the program,
eating while I'm drinking and watching the clock to slow down my drinking.
That's just for starters.Cornett gives lots of tips and also works on your
attitude about alcohol and its importance in your life.

I think this book could change the world and have given it to friends who
drink too much.

Not for hard drinkers
The book is well written and includes good guidelines to follow if you are not a serious drinker.

Problem Drinker or Alcoholic?It Doesn't Matter!
I don't know if I was a problem drinker or alcoholic.I don't care - I'm not into labels.But I do know I wanted to drink less and become less dependent on alcohol.And 7 Weeks helped me.One message in the book is you've got to take responsibility for your drinking instead of chalking it up to genes or a bad childhood or whatever.Another message is you can change if you want to.And Cornett gives concrete tips to cut down.

Who care if you're a "problem drinker" or "alcoholic"?If you want to drink less and have a healthier relationship with alcohol, 7 Weeks is for you.I'd pay twice the price for this book if I had to do it all over again.

A Winner for Anyone Questioning Their Drinking
This book has been a lifesaver for me. For years I enjoyed social drinking without problems, but the last couple of years I've questioned if I was drinking too much. This program showed me how to pace my drinking, how to make a drinking plan in advance before I started drinking(which really worked)and how to stick to my limit fairly easily. It also made alcohol less important to me - a huge step in the right direction to get back on the healthy social drinking path again. I recommend this book to anyone questioning their drinking. It's a straightforward approach to drink less and drink appropriately. ... Read more

Book Description

"I knew about drunk, but did not know anything about living sober. I hadn't really been sober for fifteen years. It wasn't enough that I stopped drinking. I had to learn how to live."

The journey from alcoholic insanity to sobriety -- and the pivotal role of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in navigating that transition -- is the focus of Last Call. Using powerful first-person narratives like the one above (composites of many anonymous speakers), psychotherapist Jack H. Hedblom provides compelling insights into the minds and hearts of addicted drinkers, from bizarre behavior and denial to the moment of "hitting bottom" and seeking change.

Hedblom covers the process of getting sober, from diagnosis to detox to sobriety. He focuses on the challenge of learning to live without drinking -- a long-term goal, Hedblom asserts, that is best achieved by regular participation in AA.

Hedblom's vivid descriptions reveal AA meetings as gatherings of fellowship, compassion, tears, and laughter. In relating the history of the organization, he describes the role of sponsors, elaborates on the Twelve Steps and the Promises, emphasizes the importance of spiritual development in recovery, and refutes the common misconceptions that equate spirituality with organized religion.

Through the stories of people who have escaped the tyranny of alcoholism with the help of AA, Hedblom shows that the road to recovery is a journey of self-discovery, change, and hope.

Customer Reviews (1)

Last Call ..Alcoholism and Recovery by Jack H. Hedblom, MSW PhD
The "Last Call" was a book difficult to get into.I would not recommend this book as a first book towards recovery of Alcoholism.However, after attending several meetings of AA and understanding a great deal more about the process of the meetings and recovery using the 12 step program, I would strongly recommend this book.With easy language to read from chapter 2to the end, Mr. Hedblom explains the process of recovery involving all three:mind, body and spirit.By using stories from recovering alcoholics, the author has easily brought the reader to the understanding that recovery from this disease is more than the physical abstinence from alcohol.

The final chapter "The Road to a Life Well Lived: The Promises" is very well written.He writes "The Steps, in their inclusion in life, become more in 'Sum Total' than they are separately.""Each step is a part of a progression leading eventually to greater spiritual awareness.""It is...spirituality reflected in interaction with one's fellows based on honesty, kindness, and a sense of empathy.One has a sense of having made peace with one's self...." Further Mr. Jack Hedblom explores "The freedom that the Promises talk about... the freedom from the tyranny of alcohol and its attendant compulsions and miseries.It is happiness derived from a sense of self-worth...."

The author's departingwords of wisdom: "As the Big Book says: We have ceased fighting anything or anyone -- even alcohol.And, finally, We have entered the world of the Spirit.Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness."

As an alcoholic who became sober 26 years ago, I have found that the 12 step program has brought me to a greater awareness of the Spirit within and without and reflected in all of life that I have and will encounter.The Last Call...Alcoholism and Recovery reflects well the steps I took toward that healing of mind, body and Spirit ...and that I continue to do so, "One Day at a Time."

Kathleen ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Anger, Alcoholism, and Addiction
I love this book because anger is one of the most frequent unresolved issues in early recovery that lead people to relapse. This book explain the meaning of anger and it relationship with addiction and recovery and teachus how to deal with a part of our inner self in a constructive way. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In recent decades, many of those studying alcoholism have come to see it 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 HealthRecovery Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, discovered a series of nutritional deficiencies in alcoholics, and found that with proper dietary adjustments, they could help almost three-quarters of their patients kick the bottle for good. Seven Weeks to Sobriety is the updated version of the less interestingly titled Alcoholism--The Biochemical Connection, which was published in 1992.Book 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

A good starting point.
Everyone's journey in conquering this terrible condition is different - here is mine and how it relates to this book.

1st, throughout 2006, I was an 8 beer a day drinker on average - particularly during the weekends.It was to the point where I watched the clock from when I woke up to when I could have a beer, reasoning in my mind that noon was the guilt-free cutoff.So when I came across this book in January 2007, I figured it couldn't hurt to try.

1 year later, I am clean accept 1 time I jumped off the wagon and had a beer.For about the 1st 3 months, I took all of the supplements as the author recommended.There are a LOT of them.I easily spent $150.00 in the first month, and I could have spent a great deal more.I also stuck to the diet for that time, which as other reviewers will indicate, is not easy.

I'm pretty much off of that now.I don't take any supplements, and I don't shy away from eating products with wheat flour and sugar.I still have my coffee.

The bottom line is, for me - the challenge was getting over that initial hurdle, and once I cleared it - it allowed me to get rid of alcohol andbegin to address any other issues I have.It is not a magical transformation, and I'm not sure if all of these supplements even had that much of an impact, but I guess - judging by the results - the fact that I'm not drinking anymore, and the fact I'm not miserable on a day-to-day basis, the book served it's purpose.

I should also mention that I have tried just to quit cold-turkey before and have even attended 'AA' meetings, but my sobriety with those solutions was much more short term.

The Book AA Doesn't Want You To See
We were given this book for a family member by our M.D., it worked and is still working 12 years later. Excellent reference book for general health as well as substance abuse. Success where AA failed, several times. I highly recommend this book.

Sobriety
This book is helpful.I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the advantages of getting sober by means of the biomedical approach.

Wish there was a more recent edition!
I believe in nutritional "treatment" for most illnesses.I searched for something in that area to help my two daughters and myself.This is the ONLY book I found that addresses the biochemical basis for the illness of alcohol addiction.It gives clear, easy-to-follow directions, resources for the tests you may need to fine-tune your nutrion "prescription".True, she does plug her own mega-pack and in fact sells them on the HRC website ( http://www.healthrecovery.com/ ).Also, the doses are not weight- and age- specific.Those are very minor issues which a sensible person would work out with their own healthcare provider.Another detraction is the age of the book;researchers have identified more accurate effects and doses of supplements since 1997.Having said all that, this book is a genuine MUST HAVE in the library of anyone suffering from the disease of alcoholism.

seven weeks to sobriety: the proven program to fight alcoholism through nutrition
although i have not finshed the book yet...i was so excited by just skimming that i falied to send it off to the one i ordered it for.i found the information very logical and deeply supportive...on multiple levels.the loved one who(finally) received the book is equally excited and eager to begin his road to recovery and more importantly wellbeing.
as a registered nurse, this book also gives me a great deal of hope for the future wellbeing of many who suffer with addiction/depression/ loss of authentic self.finally analternative that is physically supportive, which will inturn inspire mental and spiritual wellbeing ... Read more

Book Description
In 1972, Tom Batiuk created a comic strip about high school student Funky Winkerbean and his pals.Today the characters are adults and the comic strip explores sensitive, real-life issues such as breast cancer, teen pregnancy, and addiction. ' My Name I Funky' .and I'm an Alcoholic ' chronicles the three-year plot line of Funky Winkerbean's slide into alcoholism and his eventual recovery.Readers see how Funky's marriage, friendships, and work begin to suffer as drinking takes center stage in his life.Readers also learn about how an intervention works when Funky's friends confront him and urge him to seek addiction treatment.Readers also get a glimpse into what happens in a treatment program, how Twelve Step meetings work, and just how easy it is to relapse.In the end, readers experience the promise of recovery by witnessing Funky's commitment to living one day at a time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A postscript teaches readers about the basics of alcohol addiction and offers real-world references
My Name is Funky ...and I'm an Alcoholic: A Story about Alcoholism and Recovery is not a typical newspaper comic strip collection. Instead of the usual gaggle of lighthearted laughs, My Name is Funky collects a series of strips in which the title character confronts some literally life-changing obstacles - troubles in his marriage to Cindy Summers, and a drinking problem that gets worse and worse, exacerbated by his tendency to drive while drunk, until it threatens to completely destroy him. With the help of friends and professionals, he finally has to confront his addiction to alcohol. Even after months of sobriety, he learns the hard way that staying on the wagon is no small feat. "'Why didn't you call when you wanted to have that first drink?' 'I dunno... I guess I thought I could deal with it. I thought that by now I was tough enough.' 'Tough guy, huh? We tend to bury a lot of those.'" My Name is Funky also touches upon other serious matters, such as the soul-searching, and the question of what higher power one can believe in. Yet despite the profound subject matter, My Name is Funky spins everything with humorous edge that makes reading every panel enjoyable, even poignantly bittersweet. A postscript teaches readers about the basics of alcohol addiction and offers real-world references one can contact if one needs help. Highly recommended.

an important pictorial rendition of alcoholism
Tom Batiuk has never been afraid to tackle big issues in his comic strips, framing serious problems like teen pregnancies, Alzheimer's Disease, cancer, and now alcoholism within a gently humorous context. In addition to being entertaining, he is both informative and accurate when dealing with the kinds of problems faced by every one of us at one point or another in our lives. His daily comic strips, when rendered into book form, are as good as any graphic novel out there.

Look for the drawing of Bill W's house inside this book
I've been a Funky fan since the 1970's. I had always thought it would be cool for the storyline of Funky's alcoholism to be published in a book like Lisa's Story. Humor is a key to healing from addiction. What better format than a comic strip?

It's especially fitting that Tom Batiuk is from Akron Ohio, the birthplace of AA. In one panel there's a street scene where readers who are AA members will recognize Bill W.'s house. Overall, the story is sensitive, respectful, realistic, and has the rare ability to make you laugh with a catch in your throat. Read it for yourself or if you're concerned about someone you love.

My Name is FunkyAnd Im An Alcoholic: A Story About Alcoholism and Recovery
Disappointing that the book was all cartoons...which I didn't realize it was going to be. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Alcoholics Anonymous has a 12 percent recovery rate, but what about the remaining 88 percent? "Waiting for the right time to quit, the motivation? Well, there is none," writes Susan Powter in her characteristically direct but chatty style. It's the Powter magic that makes accessible--even persuasive--what has been known in the field for almost 40 years: alcoholism is a biochemical disease. If that's the case, Powter asks in Sober ... and Staying That Way, then why the adamant belief that alcoholism is incurable? Powter's combination of personal disclosure, exposé, and a program for lasting recovery looks soberly at the biochemical and psychological components of alcoholism.

Powter's national prominence as a fitness expert and author of Stop the Insanity! made her disclosure all the more difficult. But it's when Prowter recollects her famous struggle with obesity, drawing from the lessons of goal setting and values searching, that Sober acquires credibility. There was not, she remembers, any instant cure, nor should there be for alcoholism. Recalling the discipline and self-education that preceded her dramatic weight loss, Powter discovered a vitamin-based nutrition program with an 80 percent recovery rate.

Powter presents facts unforgetably: "Did you know that alcohol is one of the richest foods known to man?... This stuff is amazing. It's got calories, it's a food, it gives you energy, but ... it's a food with only calories, nothing else.... Malnutrition. You and I are malnourished." Smart and upbeat--a combination of Powter's triumph over her ordeal with the biochemical and psychological components of recovery--Sober ... and Staying That Way is like a 12-step personal trainer.Book Description
Stop the Insanity!, Susan Powter's first bestselling book, changed the way millions of people look at the diet-and-fitness industry and helped them get lean, strong, and healthy. Now, is Sober...and Staying That Way, Susan once again shares a practical and proven program: the missing link in the treatment for alcoholism.

This book isn't written just for alcoholics. It is written for everyone who wants to participate in the solution to a problem that affects us all. Alcoholism is the number-one killer of young adults in the United States, and the third-largest killer in our country. If you are interested in the missing link, you must:

* Make the alcoholism-and-disease connection

* Understand the biochemistry of alcoholics

* Make the political, profit, and powerful lobby connections to you and your sobriety

* Wipe out the morality, weakness-of-will, and powerlessness thinking of current recovery programs

You will be able to:

* Heal the damage that's been done

* Support the biochemical environment for sobriety

* Balance your glucose-deprived brain

Sober...and Staying That Way will show you how to get away forever from the shame-based sobriety programs, and how to work toward integrating nearly four decades of well-established research with information that is now available to you and to those you love for the treatment of the disease of alcoholism.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

This may kill people who really need help...
...like me. I read this book back a few years ago when i was looking for ways to get and stay sober. I believed this book and spent a bunch of money on the nutritional supplements and went to an MD and a medical detox. Combined, I thought it would work. It didn't. Neither did the Reiki, the naltrexone, the hypnosis, or the affirmations, etc. Finally, three and a half years later, I have tried the only thing that actually works for someone like me who has the disease of alcoholism rather than just a condition of alcohol dependence, which may be what Susan had.

For those with alcohol dependence, but not the disease of alcoholism (there's a subtle difference in ways to tell which you have, but a huge difference in how to treat it), this method may well work. But, for those with true alcoholism, there really does need to be intervention from a higher power to overcome it. The reason AA has such a low success rate is because a person has to choose and adhere to the lifestyle, or the disease creeps back up. The very nature of the disease itself makes this choice very difficult to make and then adhere to. But, if the directions are followed, success is assured.

However, psychology and nutritional supplementation will not cure or even bring into remission, the disease of alcoholism. Nutritional supplementation can definitely help bring the body back into decent shape after abstinence, but cure alcoholism? I really doubt it. Believe me, an alcoholic will try everything under the sun to fix their problem to avoid doing the one true thing that will actually work, the 12 steps. And, if they make it through all those scenarios alive, hopefully then they'll make it to a 12-step program. Because if you have this disease, nothing else works. If you have what looks like alcoholism but isn't (and is merely alcohol dependence), then this program may well work. Just please, please, please don't fool yourself into thinking this will work if you have the real deal.

I just hope Susan is still sober, whether she's using the method in her book, or a 12-step program.

Stupid, self-serving, dangerous
12% success rate? Defined by whom? No reliable statistics exist on this point. After her own alcoholism got beyond deniability, Powter dried out and got back on the self-promotion bandwagon, her grandiosity and dangerous ignorance unchanged.

Her advice on nutrition is just another rehash of the crazy, paranoid/conspiracy minded quackery of con artists like Adele Davis and Gary Null. Please check out Dr. Barrett's comments on these two at http://quackwatch.com

I Ms Powter's looney advice has an 80% success rate, where is her Nobel Prize? And for that matter, where is she? Did the secret cabal of 'powerful lobbyists' assassinate her?

Take a walk, eat real food sensibly, go to AA, take what you need, leave the rest. The "AA" described by quacks like Powter is a straw man. Real people can and do get and stay sober without lining the pockets of creeps like this woman.

She's smart & funny and offers a lot of good advice
I read it cover to cover in one sitting and then passed it on to the person I had purchased it for.Then I bought another copy for someone else.I'm just trying to understand this desease and the size of this beast, and the horrible things it's done to people I care about. She got me a long ways toward that understanding.Fault it any way you want, by and large it was a good read, good life skills, good common sense.It was a good kick in the [rear] and I hope everyone I share it with gets as much out of it as I did.It may not be the only answer, but she moves you forward in the right direction, and hopefully healthier and better able to tackle this monster.

It's good...Even for men
I know this may sound weird in light of the fact that Powter has been labeled fem-nazi and the like, but she has a new male convert in me due to the Sober and Staying That Way.It completely changed my view of her. I read the book non-stop from front to back.I immediately identified with the sugar/caffeine cravings whenever I tried to stop drinking.I knew/know from personal experience that eating/being healthy really helps me not drink.And I readily identified with her observations about current recovery programs.I was in some shock over the connections she makes between the government and big business, but that was naive on my part.This book really simulated a response from me on many levels.It may have saved my life and possibly my marriage.

This book saved my life
Susan's voice and mannerisms are annoying. So what? She has little formal education and sometimes mispronounces words. Who cares?She charges for the information rather than giving it away. Not important.

She can do research; she has passion; she is motivated to communicate what she learns; she does not pussyfoot around. And she saved my life.

Although recovered now, I was an active alcoholic for most of my adult life, taking my first drink at age 22 and quickly becoming addicted. For the next 25 years, with brief sober periods, my evenings and weekends were spent drinking.

Like many alcoholics I was able to keep a good job, moving up the management ranks--but could not manage the rest of my life.

I went to AA several times but never felt part of it. I was embarrassed, and the prospect of publicly confessing my sins before strangers and loved ones was anathema to me. AA is a decent organization. (It worked for my dad.) Still, the 12-step process only works for twelve percent of the people who try it; did you know that? I was one of the eighty-eight percent for whom it did not work.

By December of 1997 I was a late-stage alcoholic, certain that there was no way I would ever get sober, and that I probably had less than a year to live. In truth, this was OK with me.

Then I found Susan Powter's book. The first night I managed to read a couple of chapters before passing out. The second night I started the book again, read it from beginning to end in one sitting, poured out my entire supply of alcohol, and have not wanted a drink since. I bought the audiotape and listened to it during my daily commute for a month, to ensure that the information was burned into my brain.

I created a concise, 2-page summary of what I learned, both in Susan's book and through additional research, and have shared the information with many people...who have shared it with their own loved ones. All this from Susan's book! ... Read more