A father’s journey through his son’s addiction By David Sheff Houghton Mifflin Company $24 I’ve got a grandson who, at age 22, is drawing social security benefits in the aftermath of two catastrophic drug related accidents that badly damaged him physically and emotionally. And he still smokes pot. I’ve got another grandson, 26, who finally asked to go into treatment following six years of abusing prescription drugs and marijuana and then ran away within a week leaving his father with a … [Read more...]
Sports Lover’s Guide to Recovery
Andrew L. Dieden Hazelden $14.95 Sports and recovery are similar, says Joanna M. Ceppi, a psychologist at Promises Treatment Center in California in the forward of Andrew Dieden’s book, “in that both require a person to exercise discipline, courage, and some form of surrender.” Andrew Dieden, lawyer, sports fan and a recovering drug addict develops this idea with numerous examples of high achievement taken from the lives of sports figures while weaving in his own story of addiction and … [Read more...]
What it takes to pull me through
Why teenagers get in trouble and how four of them got out. By David Marcus (Houghton Mifflin) “Something began to churn inside Burns. It was a raw mixture of rage and fear and guilt—he didn’t know what to call it, but it was so intense that his heart pounded wildly. He felt dizzy. As he read, he lost count of how many sexual partners Mary Alice had during the month she’d kept the diary. Mary Alice herself couldn’t keep track.” In this illuminating and thoroughly engrossing non-fiction book … [Read more...]
Emotional Sobriety
From Relationship Trauma to Resilience and Balance Tian Dayton, Ph.D. Health Communications, Inc. January 2008 $14.95 We humans are neurologically wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain, says author Dr. Tian Dayton, and this is another reason why we are prone to self medicate with a variety of addictions. It’s also why, given a couple of months to get used to it, many of us stick with a 12-Step program. Because, to summarize the Steps, trusting God, cleaning house and helping others becomes a … [Read more...]
Alcoholism and Addiction Cure
A Holistic Approach to Total Recovery How to heal the underlying causes How to end relapse How to end suffering By Chris Prentiss Power Press, $15.95 Chris Prentiss, who operates a pricey treatment center in Malibu called Passages, has been running numerous spots on TV urging people to buy his book, The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure. Concerned about what seemed to be extravagant claims inherent in the title, I bought the book on Amazon and settled down for a read. My conclusion? It’s … [Read more...]
