In this unprecedented book, A.J. Adams uses self-deprecating humor, entertaining anecdotes, and frank descriptions to introduce readers to the complete Alcoholics Anonymous '"undrunk'" lifestyle. Beginning with the story of his first AA meeting, he takes the mystery out what goes on behind closed doors, in order to encourage addicts who are reluctant to get help walk through them. "My eyes wandered around the room, taking in the strange collection of humanity seeking to claim me as a fellow sufferer. If variety is the spice of life, this crowd was the jambalaya of affliction."

Adams addresses the journey through detox and treatment, offering his own struggle of coming to terms with his alcoholism. He then presents a user-friendly history and introduction to AA, the Steps and Traditions, all punctuated by honest descriptions of his own transformation to "getting" the program. Included are translations of AA lingo designed to put newcomers at ease.

"Undrunk" was written for reluctant newcomers and those who think they might have a problem, dispelling misconceptions that AA is cult-like, secretive, campy, earnest, religious, or lowbrow. It offers family members of alcoholics an accessible tool to encourage their loved ones to get help, and it gives AA members a handy means to encourage newcomers to come back.

Your trusted guide to value yourself and break the patterns of codependency Codependency For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the most comprehensive book on the topic to date. Written in plain English and packed with sensitive, authoritative information, it describes the history, symptoms, causes, and relationship dynamics of codependency. The majority of the book is devoted to healing and lays out a clear plan for recovery with exercises, practical advice, and daily reminders to help you know, honor, protect, and express yourself. New to this edition are chapters on working the Twelve Steps to recover from codependency and how therapists/coaches/nurses are affected by codependency. Codependence is primarily a learned behavior from our family of origin. Some cultures have it to a greater degree than others some still see it as a normal way of living. Yet the costs of codependence can include distrust, faulty expectations, passive-aggressiveness, control, self-neglect, over-focus on others, manipulation, intimacy issues, and a slew of other harmful traits. Codependence causes serious pain and affects the majority of Americans not just women and loved ones of addicts. Codependency For Dummies, 2nd Edition offers authoritative and trusted guidance on ways to raise your self-esteem, detach and let go, set boundaries, recognize healthy vs. dysfunctional relationships, overcome guilt and resentment, and much more. * Helps you break the pattern of conduct that keeps you in harmful relationships * Provides trusted guidance to create healthy boundaries, coping skills, and expectations * Offers advice for eliminating feelings of guilt, blame, and feeling overly responsible * Explains the difference between care-giving and codependent care-taking If you're trapped in the cycle of codependency and looking for help, Codependency For Dummies, 2nd Edition offers trusted advice and a clear plan for recovery.

Before you were ever earth born, you were 'Bliss Full'-perfect and perfectly loved. Then came 'Bliss Fall'-life on earth began. Relax on Impact brings the reader through a journey many share. Well-meaning, imperfect parents offer imperfect love. Addictions, power struggles and emotional unavailability build walls that block true vision. Each generation seems doomed to teach past mistakes. Marriages built between the disempowered who seek their 'other half' create repeated divorces and added pain, rather than increased intimacy, love and spiritual clarity. Expressed in parable form, Jill Haire describes and guides relationship communication while supporting various Twelve Step recovery programs. Inner children and teachable adults will discover the solid connection between body, mind and spirit.

“At twenty-one I was as far from hopeful as anyone could get. Maybe as far as you are now.”

These are the words of Christina Baker as she considered her traumatic life: from childhood abuse to troubled teen years, to a descent into substance abuse, she resonates with a lost world who understands first-hand how easy it is to lose hope. Then, just as she was about to go to jail for drug possession, the Hero of Hope, Jesus Christ, came into her life and set her on a completely new path.

If you are weary and doubting, Christina understands. Hope in 60 Seconds will help you to:

• Be encouraged and empowered by someone who has been in a similar place of discouragement and discovered Christ’s authority and love
• Learn how Jesus establishes hope and begin to experience it first-hand in the darkest of circumstances
• Grow in your ability to connect with Jesus and find the hope you have longed for all of your life
• Prove that a connection with Jesus is the ultimate source of hope

The message of Cristina’s life is Jesus, the hope we need and hunger for—a hope that will stand secure in the face of brokenness, loss, sickness, abuse, a brain tumor diagnosis, injustice, and death. In Hope in 60 Seconds, she shares the steps of her journey to encounter, receive, and walk in the hope of Jesus, and offers readers powerful wisdom for how they can take the same journey for themselves.

Asperger Syndrome and Alcohol exposes the unexplored problem of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) using alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with everyday life. Alcohol can relieve the anxiety of social situations and make those with ASDs feel as though they can fit in. Ultimately, however, reliance on alcohol can lead the user down a path of self-destruction and exacerbate existing problems. Utilising their professional and personal experience, the authors provide an overview of ASDs and of alcohol abuse, and explore current knowledge about where the two overlap. Tinsley explores his own personal history as someone with an ASD who has experienced and beaten alcohol addiction. He discusses how the impact of his diagnosis and his understanding of the condition played a huge part in his recovery, and how by viewing his life through the prism of autism, his confusion has been replaced by a greater understanding of himself and the world around him. This inspiring book on an under-researched area will be of interest to professionals working with people with ASDs, as well as individuals with ASDs who may be dealing with alcohol or substance misuse, and their families.

Acclaimed author and screenwriter William G. Borchert explores the life and times of Lois Burnham Wilson, the spirited creator of Al-Anon and wife of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson. From her privileged childhood in turn-of-the-century New York City to her socialite status as the 'Wall Street Wife' of the charismatic Bill in the roaring '20s to the couple's audacious crosscountry motorcycle excursions in the 1930s, Lois was every bit the adventure-seeker. But nothing could have prepared her for the chaos, anguish, and loss caused by Bill's seventeen-year descent into the depths of alcoholism.
In this moving story, Borchert reveals how the couple rose from a life of despair to institute one of the twentieth century's most important social movements, and how Lois created a legacy of hope for millions of families devastated by addiction through her uncommon love and unshakable faith.

Borchert drew from a series of exclusive personal interviews with Lois Wilson to write this definitive biography.
"Bill Borchert came into my life during our astounding screen collaboration in "My Name is Bill W." What a joy to revisit this friendship in his new achievement, "The Lois Wilson Story." Bill Borchert will always be a seminal part of my life and now millions of others will get to appreciate his selfless devotion to the woman who founded Al-Anon and her mesmerizing story. Bravo, my friend."
Emmy A ward-winning actor ("My Name is Bill W.") James Woods
"Bill Borchert shares the intimate recollections of Lois Wilson in an authentic and powerful tale of helplessness, hope, and fulfillment. This view of Lois' life with Bill Wilson and the birth and nurturing of the Twelve Step movement is awesome and rewarding. It is a page-turning read and a tribute to Lois, cofounder of Al-Anon, and her passion to bring healing to everyone affected by the family disease of alcoholism."
Johnny Allem, President/CEO
The Johnson Institute

The misuse of drugs continues to cause suffering and worldwide economic turmoil. In response to these problems, many have devoted their lives to preventing the misuse of mind-altering substances. Addiction and the Making of Professional Careers focuses on the need for enhanced understanding of professional careers in the addiction field. The spectrum of professionals involved is wide and includes treatment personnel of every kind.

Some of the questions examined here include: Why do some people decide to dedicate their lives to responding to drug problems? How do and should we select, train, mentor, support, inspire, and nurture the young career aspirant? What makes for the most effective use of talent? Is every personal case different or can general conclusions be reached?

After a foreword by William Miller and an introduction by Griffith Edwards, the book includes interviews with Joseph Brady, Louis Harris, Conan Kornetsky, and Robert DuPont, all of whom were pioneers in the behavioral pharmacological analysis of addiction. Commentary chapters are written by Kerstin Stenius, Ilana Crome, Peter Anderson, and Jonathan Chick.

Alcohol, opiates, cocaine and marijuana, among other drugs, have been used and abused for millennia. Prior to the disease model approach to drug addiction, which posits that addiction is a psychological and biological problem and that sufferers are victims, societies had a workable solution: let people consume what they want, and let informal cultural controls reinforce responsible behavior. Legal sanctions were reserved for any use that affected the safety of others. Blowing Smoke proposes an approach to the war on drugs that returns us to the pre-disease-model era. Dr. Reznicek asserts that addiction is not a medical problem to be treated in rehab or by prohibiting substance use. Rather, he debunks the disease model, arguing that it has exacerbated the problem by telling drug abusers that they are not responsible for their behavior, that they are sick, that they are not to blame. He skillfully argues for a new approach to drug use and abuse that requires a shift in the way we fight the war on drugs. Dr. Reznicek provides a new framework for understanding drug abuse: the habit model. Habits are practiced as long as they provide comfort, and are abandoned when they cause pain. The habit model is more consistent with current neuroscientific knowledge and it accounts for the widely observed phenomenon that most substance abusers don't change until they "hit bottom," the point where the consequences of drug use finally outweigh its benefits. Using the habit model, Dr. Reznicek suggests the solution to the drug problem is to turn back the clock, and to take lessons from societies that use social controls and consequences to deal with addiction and drug abuse. He recommends the legalization of drugs for adults, the implementation of social practices to dissuade abusers, and the end to the use of rehab as a way of handling addiction. Blowing Smoke shows how such an iconoclastic approach can work for us today.

A former drug addict turned behavioural neuroscientist reveals how drugs work in the brain ― and what we can do to fight addiction.

Judith Grisel was a daily drug user when she began to consider that her addiction might have a cure, one that she herself could perhaps discover by studying the brain. Now, after twenty-five years as a neuroscientist, she shares what she and other scientists have learned about addiction, enriched by captivating glimpses of her personal journey.

In Never Enough, Grisel reveals the unfortunate bottom line of all regular drug use: there is no such thing as a free lunch. All drugs act on the brain in a way that diminishes their enjoyable effects and creates unpleasant ones with repeated use. Delving into the science of one of the world’s most pressing health problems, she reveals what is different about the brains of addicts even before they first pick up a drink or drug, and highlights the changes that take place in the brain and behaviour as a result of chronic using.

With compassion and clarity, Grisel describes what drove her to addiction, what helped her recover, and her belief that a ‘cure’ for addiction will not be found in our individual brains but in the way we interact with our communities.

Adolescence is a developmental period marked by dramatic and rapid biological and social transformation; it is also a time of increasing rates of experimentation with substance use. This period and the risk behaviors that often accompany it cannot be fully understood from the vantage point of any single discipline, nor can they be described by focusing on only the behavioral and social problems of the period, the characteristics of normal development, or the pharmacology and addictive potential of specific drugs. Instead, a comprehensive approach requires knowledge of the brain's systems of reward and control, genetics, psychopharmacology, personality, child development, psychopathology, family dynamics, peer group relationships, culture, social policy, and more. Drawing on the expertise of leading researchers from multiple fields, The Oxford Handbook of Adolescent Substance Abuse provides the most comprehensive summarization to date of current knowledge about substance abuse during life's most tumultuous developmental stage. The Handbook is organized into eight sections covering the literature on the developmental context of this life period, the epidemiology of adolescent use and abuse, similarities and differences in use, addictive potential, and consequences of use for different drugs; etiology and course as characterized at different levels of mechanistic analysis ranging from the genetic and neural to the behavioral and social. Two sections cover the clinical ramifications of abuse, and prevention and intervention strategies to most effectively deal with these problems. The last section addresses the role of social policy in framing the problem and in addressing it, and explores its potential role in alleviating it. This volume's authoritative treatment of these issues and the breadth of its coverage make it suitable as a compendium of what is currently known; at the same time, its level of detail provides a reference text and a jumping off place for researchers already at work in the field.

The Clinician's Guide to Alcohol Moderation examines alcohol use around the world and teaches a range of behavioral health care providers how to help clients practice alcohol moderation. Excavating the current treatments available for alcohol moderation, the book offers step-by-step processes of engaging clients and their families, self-assessments, and alcohol moderation tools. In addition to using it in conjunction with Practicing Alcohol Moderation: A Comprehensive Workbook, readers would benefit from the Alcohol Moderation Assessment which predicts who may be able to successfully drink in moderation as well as developing and monitoring an Alcohol Moderation Plan. The text uses recognized alcohol moderation resources throughout the world as well as real-life case studies to address typical clinician, client, and family member questions. It challenges the traditional recommendation that drinkers experiencing problems are "alcoholics." This guide is a resource for all who overdrink or know people who struggle with their alcohol use. Through its medium, a broad range of health care providers receive a step-by-step process on how to practice alcohol moderation, how to put tools into practice, case examples, and answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Practicing Alcohol Moderation is designed to be used by clients of behavioral health care providers who have utilized The Clinician's Guide to Alcohol Moderation. This groundbreaking workbook can be used on its own or in conjunction with therapy, and additionally as a resource for family members whose loved ones are struggling with alcohol. It gives transparent, easy-to-follow, research-based explanations with questionnaires, checklists, quizzes, and worksheets. Each chapter begins with a brief overview and is interspersed with exercises and client experiences, combining research-based information with practical self-assessments, tools, and questions to answer to practice alcohol moderation. Readers can take the Alcohol Moderation Assessment to determine their likelihood of success in practicing alcohol moderation. The book provides the resources to create a personalized Alcohol Moderation Plan and suggests ways to manage its success for clinicians and general audiences alike.

Living Sober is an extremely informative book which does not offer a plan for getting sober but does offer us sound advice about how to stay sober. Basic, essential information from Alcoholics Anonymous. As the book states, "Anyone can get sober. . .the trick is to live sober."

THE NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NOW A MAJOR FILM, STARRING STEVE CARELL AND BAFTA AND GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATED TIMOTHEE CHALAMET 'What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong?' Those are the wrenching questions that haunted every moment of David Sheff's journey through his son Nic's addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic Sheff became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. With haunting candour, David Sheff traces the first subtle warning signs: the denial, the 3am phone calls (is it Nic? the police? the hospital?), the attempts at rehab. His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and the obsessive worry and stress took a tremendous toll. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every avenue of treatment that might save his son and refused to give up on Nic. This story is a first: a teenager's addiction from the parent's point of view - a real-time chronicle of the shocking descent into substance abuse and the gradual emergence into hope. Beautiful Boy is a fiercely candid memoir that brings immediacy to the emotional rollercoaster of loving a child who seems beyond help. Read the other side of Nic Sheff's bestselling memoir, Tweak. Praise for Beautiful Boy:- 'A brilliant, harrowing, heartbreaking, fascinating story, full of beautiful moments and hard-won wisdom. This book will save a lot of lives and heal a lot of hearts'. Anne Lamott 'An important book... moving, timely and startlingly beautiful.' Richard Branson

The high correlation between substance abuse and crime makes treatment for inmates a vital concern. "Free at Last" gives voice to those inmates who have escaped the prison of chemical dependency and offers a promise of hope to other inmates still bound by addiction. As Joe, serving a 45-year sentence, explains, "Even if I was never to get out of this prison, today I truly know I am free within."