Coping with / advice about addiction Books

Book SynopsisMany people blame sugar cravings on lack of willpower rather than accept that sugar is highly addictiveeven more so than cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol. The problem isn't just dessert, but the fact that sugar is everywhere. Approximately 80% of products in supermarkets contain sugar, so it's unsurprising that many people struggle to eliminate it from their diets. In Sugarless, Dr. Nicole Avenaa pioneering neuroscientist on food addictionspells out the substance's detrimental effects on the brain and body. She empowers readers with an easy 7-step program to help them find the hidden sugars in their foods, control their sweet tooth, and break the vicious diet cycle for good. Sugarless also includes 30 sugar-free recipes.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most devastating aspects of addiction is the damage it causes to relationships--with intimate partners, family, friends, or colleagues. But recovery programs often recommend that you focus solely on sobriety and donât emphasize the need to rebuild relationships. Psychologist and addictions expert Kelly Green wants to change that. Through her work with hundreds of clients, Dr. Green has learned that social support is key to the recovery process. This compassionate, judgment-free guide shares powerful tools you can use to recognize the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships, set and maintain boundaries, reestablish emotional intimacy, communicate your feelings and needs, and end harmful relationships respectfully. With inspiring stories and easy-to-use worksheets (you can download and print additional copies as needed), this book lights the way to a life untethered from addiction--and filled with positive connectionsTrade Review"One of the most important parts of recovery is reconnecting with other people. Drawing on many years of experience, Dr. Green helps you explore your emotions and assumptions about relationships, build healthy connections, and break free of toxic ones. The book is filled with sensitive and insightful exercises, information, and strategies. Everyone in recovery should take this workbook along on the journey!"--Carlo C. DiClemente, PhD, ABPP, coauthor of Changing for Good "This excellent workbook provides evidence-based tools and tips to help you recover relationships as part of your recovery journey. What I love most about this book is the flexibility to pursue a range of different goals and the challenging of many myths about addiction and the recovery process. Dr. Green’s compassionate and caring approach is likely to help many people who are seeking to change."--Katie Witkiewitz, PhD, Regents’ Professor of Psychology, University of New Mexico "I isolated myself for a long time due to severe alcohol dependency--and this workbook shed light on relationship recovery skills that I hadn’t even considered. The exercises in each chapter promote deep self-reflection and help you take action for personal growth. The chapter on emotional intimacy was the most useful information I’ve read so far in my recovery journey. For anyone looking to create more meaningful relationships--both new and old--this workbook is for you."--J.W., Dallas, Texas-Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Getting Started 2. Understanding the Interplay between Relationships, Addiction, and Recovery Efforts 3. Identifying Barriers to Working on Relationships and Staying Motivated 4. Exploring the Unhealthy and Healthy Aspects of Your Relationships 5. Developing Your Communication Skills 6. Providing and Seeking Validation 7. Being Honest with Yourself and Others 8. Rebuilding Trust 9. Setting and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries 10. Ending Relationships Appropriately 11. Building Emotional Intimacy 12. Monitoring Your Relationships and Relationship Skills Resources Index

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Book SynopsisA reissue of the 2014 edition, featuring a new foreword from the authors.Do you count down the minutes to wine o'clock? You are not alone. When it comes to alcohol, plenty of people find it hard to exercise moderation and become stuck in a vicious cycle of blame, guilt and addiction.If you want to take back control and stop being defined by alcohol now is the time to join The Sober Revolution.In this empowering book, addictions counsellor Sarah Turner and life coach Lucy Rocca examine women's relationship with alcohol and offer insight and advice into overcoming this addiction.The Sober Revolution explores the myths behind this socially acceptable yet often destructive habit and, through personal accounts of alcohol abuse and its impacts on relationships, careers and finances, you are invited to examine your own relationship with alcohol and its impact on your life. Read it now. Regain control and lead a happier, healthier life. Call time on wine o'clock forever.

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Book Synopsis'The disease he has is addiction,' Nina Renata Aron writes of her boyfriend. 'The disease I have is loving him.' Their affair is dramatic, urgent - an intoxicating antidote to the lonely days of early motherhood. But soon, K starts using again. Even as his addiction deepens, she stays, thinking she can save him. It's a familiar pattern, developed in an adolescence marred by family trauma - how can she break it? If she leaves, has she failed? In this unflinching memoir, Aron shows the devastating effect of addiction on loved ones. She also untangles the messy ties between her own history of enabling, society's expectations of womanhood and our ideas of love. She cracks open the feminised phenomenon of co-dependency, tracing its development from the formation of Al-Anon to recent research in the psychology of addiction, and asks uncomfortable questions about when help becomes harm, and when we choose to leave.Trade ReviewIncredible ... so well written and loving that once you pick it up, you'll read it in a couple of sittings. * Stylist *A bleak, brutal and brilliant account of the devastation addiction can wreak on a relationship * i Paper *This book is an essential read * Washington Post *Dark, gorgeously narrated * Publishers Weekly *A beautiful, nuanced portrait of living alongside addiction * Booklist *A scorching, unvarnished memoir * EW *This book is an essential read. It shows us that addicts are more than statistics, their co-dependents more than "snivelling, whimpering, and brokenhearted." These are real people, rendered by Aron with eye-opening complexity and dynamism. In this book, the underrepresented & overlooked world of the codependent emerges from the bargain basement of self-help and shopworn homilies into the realm of love and loathing, birth and death, blood and urine. Into the realm, in other words, of the literary. -- Rebekah Frumkin * Washington Post *From the title to the final sentence, a wildly imaginative, feminine and feminist book with a palpable energetic power that feels as much incantation as memoir. -- Emma Forrest, author * Your Voice in My Head *Has given us language to feel the depth and devastations of love, to pay respect to the gnarled and beautiful ways we grow. -- Chanel Miller, author * Know My Name *What a marvel this book is, that such a harrowing subject can be rendered with such tenderness. ... I have no doubt that this will be one of the best books of 2020. -- Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, YesAt turns wild and punk rock, redemptive and heartfelt, I couldn't put it down. -- Chelsea Bieker, author of GodshotNina Renata Aron's prose is masterful and her piercing insight into her own story makes this a sharp-edged and dazzling read. ... a remarkable achievement. -- Carvell WallaceA whip-smart addition to the literature of addiction and an intimate look at the beating heart of codependency. It's a propulsive story of empathy, desire, recklessness, and the things we risk for love-I couldn't put it down. -- Kimberly King Parsons, author * Black Light *Aron's dark, gorgeously narrated memoir of destructive codependency will captivate readers. * Publishers Weekly *In Aron's candid and heart-wrenching memoir, the gnarled knots of love and addiction are untied and tangled and tied again. ... A beautiful, nuanced portrait of living alongside addiction." * Booklist (starred review) *No matter what your relationship to addictive behavior might be, Aron offers a fresh and sometimes shocking perspective that has been sidelined since the beginning of the recovery movement. ... Whether she's describing her mental state...or the landscape of addiction ..., each page of Aron's memoir glints with hard-won truths. * LA Times *'Incredible ... This is also a deeply feminist book that highlights the patriarchal structures that keep women in such damaging relationships. If this all sounds heavy - it is - but it's so well written and loving that once you pick it up, you'll read it in a couple of sittings.' * Stylist *[A] scorching, unvarnished memoir * Entertainment Weekly *Unflinching...Aron writes in gripping prose about the thrills and dangers of her own substance use and relationship with K - their weak-kneed passion and wolfish needs, as well as her guilt-ridden enabling and savior-complex optimism. * San Francisco Chronicle *So powerful and so beautifully written -- Katherine Heiny

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Book SynopsisFor over three years Jacqueline Doherty has been watching her rock star son''s messy descent into drug addiction. Every step of the way has been charted by a hungry media. And every step of the way has been agony for a loving mum. Pete Doherty''s celebrity means that his addiction has become public property. But Jacqueline is a private person and her painful account is that of any mum - or any parent - trying to help a child in trouble. This is the compelling story of Pete''s childhood, his burgeoning talent, his success as a musician and his drug addiction, set against the backdrop of his loving relationship with his mother and his family. It is a moving memoir of how a happy, middle-class family is coping with a family member opting to love drugs more than he loves them, or himself. It is a memoir that will offer hope to other mothers and families in a similar situation.Trade Review'A great book.' * Sun *A great book. * Sun *'The book, tenderly and honestly written, provides an astonishing insight into the devastating impact of her son's addiction... It will hold deep resonance for thousands of parents who have seen their children seduced by the twisted glamour of drugs.' * Daily Mail *'The book, tenderly and honestly written, provides an astonishing insight into the devastating impact of her son's addiction... It will hold deep resonance for thousands of parents who have seen their children seduced by the twisted glamour of drugs.' * Daily Mail *'An extraordinary book... A frank and moving portrait.' * Mail on Sunday *'An extraordinary book... A frank and moving portrait.' * Mail on Sunday *'A heartbreaking tale.' * Heat *'A heartbreaking tale.' * Heat *'[A] heart-rending, loving and sometimes amusing book.' * Scotland on Sunday magazine *'[A] heart-rending, loving and sometimes amusing book.' * Scotland on Sunday Magazine *

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Book SynopsisEdited and with contributions by Lois Badey''I have a secret. Secrets can be dangerous. They make tell lies. You can lie to others, but mostly, you lie to yourself...'' - JanetDrawing from his 35,000-member strong community, one of the country''s most successful sobriety coaches, Simon Chapple brings us real, raw, relatable stories from individuals who''ve found joy in an alcohol-free life. Powerful, healing, resonant and true, the experiences in this unforgettable book will make a real impact on anyone who is exploring their relationship with alcohol, or who needs support, inspiration, or a reason to go sober. Featuring contributions from some of the most well-known personalities in the Sober Space, sharing their own extraordinary journies, some of these stories are shocking, some are moving, some will make you cringe and others will make you laugh out loud; all are inspiring and powerfully motivating. The hope is that readers will see their ow

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Book SynopsisTo accompany the SOBER LIFE STORIES and HOW TO QUIT ALCOHOL, Sheldon Press is publishing THE SOBER LIFE JOURNAL, a new format to take advantage of the popularity of journaling – particularly in the sober space. Authored by Simon Chapple, the JOURNAL can be used alongside his other books on the road to sobriety, or in a stand alone fashion. The journal includes plenty of writing prompts, guided exercises and space for reflection with the intention to create something lasting and meaningful for those for whom the road to an alcohol-free life is part of a journey in self-discovery. 

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Book SynopsisDaily inspiration year-round to help end the cycle of yo-yo dieting and food addiction from the author of Bright Line Eating.Day by day, week by week, Susan Peirce Thompson, author of the New York Times best-selling Bright Line Eating, draws on the latest scientific findings to help you to make consistent progress toward the life you envision.Whether you do Bright Line Eating, you’re a member of a 12-step program for food addiction or compulsive overeating, or are charting your own path of freedom from food obsession, you will feel guided and inspired as you work to: live in a state of peace around food develop lasting self-compassion  profoundly heal your body and mind practice the habits that make recovery hum  unleash the meaning and purpose in your life beyond food and weight With these practical words of wisdom, inspiration, and encouragement, you will have a daily reminder that your future is indeed Bright.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most devastating aspects of addiction is the damage it causes to relationships--with intimate partners, family, friends, or colleagues. But recovery programs often recommend that you focus solely on sobriety and donât emphasize the need to rebuild relationships. Psychologist and addictions expert Kelly Green wants to change that. Through her work with hundreds of clients, Dr. Green has learned that social support is key to the recovery process. This compassionate, judgment-free guide shares powerful tools you can use to recognize the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships, set and maintain boundaries, reestablish emotional intimacy, communicate your feelings and needs, and end harmful relationships respectfully. With inspiring stories and easy-to-use worksheets (you can download and print additional copies as needed), this book lights the way to a life untethered from addiction--and filled with positive connectionsTrade Review"One of the most important parts of recovery is reconnecting with other people. Drawing on many years of experience, Dr. Green helps you explore your emotions and assumptions about relationships, build healthy connections, and break free of toxic ones. The book is filled with sensitive and insightful exercises, information, and strategies. Everyone in recovery should take this workbook along on the journey!"--Carlo C. DiClemente, PhD, ABPP, coauthor of Changing for Good "This excellent workbook provides evidence-based tools and tips to help you recover relationships as part of your recovery journey. What I love most about this book is the flexibility to pursue a range of different goals and the challenging of many myths about addiction and the recovery process. Dr. Green’s compassionate and caring approach is likely to help many people who are seeking to change."--Katie Witkiewitz, PhD, Regents’ Professor of Psychology, University of New Mexico "I isolated myself for a long time due to severe alcohol dependency--and this workbook shed light on relationship recovery skills that I hadn’t even considered. The exercises in each chapter promote deep self-reflection and help you take action for personal growth. The chapter on emotional intimacy was the most useful information I’ve read so far in my recovery journey. For anyone looking to create more meaningful relationships--both new and old--this workbook is for you."--J.W., Dallas, Texas-Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Getting Started 2. Understanding the Interplay between Relationships, Addiction, and Recovery Efforts 3. Identifying Barriers to Working on Relationships and Staying Motivated 4. Exploring the Unhealthy and Healthy Aspects of Your Relationships 5. Developing Your Communication Skills 6. Providing and Seeking Validation 7. Being Honest with Yourself and Others 8. Rebuilding Trust 9. Setting and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries 10. Ending Relationships Appropriately 11. Building Emotional Intimacy 12. Monitoring Your Relationships and Relationship Skills Resources Index

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Book SynopsisDon''t Count Me Out chronicles the life of Bruce White from the beginning of his drug use in elementary school through criminal acts fueled by his need for drugs, to his miraculous recovery three decades later and involvement in the treatment of addicts, where he is now a leader in the rehabilitation field.Rafael Alvarez''s recounting of White''s journey should inspire those dealing with the fallout of addiction. Alvarez, a journalist and screenwriter, allows the reader to get inside the head of an addict who was stealing alcohol from his parents at the age of nine, selling drugs and tripping on LSD and PCP by the time he hit seventh grade, and hooked on morphine before he turned fifteen. Bruce White? I thought he was dead? is a response encountered in many of the interviews Alvarez conducted. Don''t Count Me Out shines a spotlight on an improbable and stunning miracle. Though this is just one person''s story, the contributing factors of earTrade ReviewDon't Count Me Out: A Baltimore Dope Fiend's Miraculous Recovery is a compelling, informative, thought-provoking, and ultimately inspiring read from first page to las * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Anybody Can 1. The Most Interesting Book the Old Man Had Ever Read 2. Birth / School: Before It Got Ugly 3. Skipping Stones / Getting Stoned: Grade School 4. Failing the Seventh Grade 5. Ninth Grade in the Psych Ward (Until They Threw Him Out) 6. Last Chance High: The Baltimore Experimental High School 7. Spanish Harlem: There Could Have Been Blood 8. Big Fucking Indian 9. Bonnie and Clyde 10. Shootout on Ready 11. The Stolen Carpet and the Fat Girl: State of Maryland Inmate No. 215–799, March 1991 to August 1994 12. Misadventure En Route to the Underworld: 1995 through 1998 13. Frank White / Inmate Junkie 14. Free to Go 15. Third Time a Charm 16. College / Career / Shirt and Tie 17. One Promise 18. The D Train Epilogue: A Day in His Best Life, Thanksgiving Weekend 2020

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Book Synopsis'If you want to give up gambling, then buying this book will be the best money that you ever spend.' - Paul Buck, recovered compulsive gambler, Founder and CEO of Epic Risk ManagementAddiction to gambling and its consequences can be devastating - and can affect anyone, from any age or background.This book is designed to help you - or a loved one - stop gambling forever. It will help you, or them, to recognize the phases of problem gambling, and to understand the release that happens when you create, and hit, rock bottom. As you come to learn more about this illness, you'll learn how to deal with the urges and start the path back towards dignity and self-respect. You'll also understand, once and for all, the futility of gambling and the cruel facts about this cruel industry.Himself a recovered compulsive gambler, Phil Mawer has created an effective therapy that has helped countless people break out of their gambling prison and start enjoying life again - and his book will help you, too.Trade Review"If you want to give up gambling, buying this book will be the best money that you ever spend. [It] helped me understand my gambling addiction, it helped my family come to terms with my gambling addiction and it put me on the road to recovery. Phil understands gambling, has lived it, knows what you are going through, and knows how to make a difference." * Paul Buck, Founder and CEO, Epic Risk Management *"Phil's book helped me understand in the early stages of my recovery that the cause of gambling harm isn't simply faults with individuals, but addictive gambling products and a culture of liberalisation. This gave me both the outlook and the confidence to campaign successfully against Fixed Odds Betting Terminals." * Matt Zarb-Cousin, Campaign for Fairer Gambling *"Phil's book is honest, emotional and makes sense of one of the most complex addictions. This moving, true story offers a genuine coping strategy to overcome an addiction which proves to be devastating, not only to the gambler, but to all of those closely connected." * Jason Ratcliffe, Professional cricketer 1988-2002, former PCA Board Member *"For someone who is struggling with a gambling addiction this is an excellent step by step guide to having self-control over their issues they are facing.For someone who has not experienced gambling addiction it demonstrates how powerful a draw gambling can be and comparisons with other addictions (ie quitting smoking) allows the reader to really appreciate the depth of the problem." * Carolyn Harris, MP *

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Book Synopsis'A masterclass in understanding' ANNIE GRACE, author of This Naked MindTen questions to ask yourself, right now:* Do you have a sense that something is wrong, but you don't know what it is?* Do you have a feeling that you are hollow inside, that you are empty or have a void within?* Do you react badly to rejection?* Do you often feel sad, unhappy or down for no obvious reason?* Would you describe yourself as highly sensitive?* Do you have problems with relationships and intimacy?* Do you engage in addictive behaviour - alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, food, sex, work, exercise?* Do you have low self-esteem or self-worth - are you not 'good enough'?* Do you have a sense of being numb to your feelings?* Do you rarely experience true joy and happiness?If you have answered 'yes' to most of these questions, there is a strong chance you have experienced emotional neglect or trauma as a child. An emotionally neglected child may struggle to form strong and secure attachments as an adult. They may feel hollow or empty, worthless (or overly important), judge themselves harshly and struggle with addictive tendencies - drinking, eating or exercising too much, for example. If this describes you, Heal Your Inner Child will change your life and give you back the love, compassion and authenticity you needed as a child, and deserve as an adult.Fomer heavy drinker turned sobriety coach Simon Chapple is - like you - a survivor of childhood trauma. His unique brand of straight-talking, practical yet reflective and relatable advice has helped thousands of people quit drinking, and he can help you now to move on from childhood emotional neglect to a place of happiness free from past trauma. How to Heal Your Inner Child is a stepped and safe approach to confronting your past, with space for reflective and supportive strategies that will help you to foster self-compassion and break free from the destructive behaviours that have blighted your life. Clinically endorsed and verified by a psychotherapist, this deeply personal, unflinchingly honest exploration is designed to unlock your own epiphany and support you as you journey to a happier, less troubled and more authentic self.Trade ReviewSimon takes [readers] by the hand and walks them through the incredible process of change. * Annie Grace, Author of 'This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness and Change Your Life' *Incredibly important... a great resource for anyone looking to be more whole, healed and fully alive! * Jenn Kautsch, Founder, SoberSis *Packed full of wisdom, understanding and practical techniques that help readers to recognize and release their inner child... A hugely important book. * Robert Sanders, Therapist and Coach *Simon Chapple has done it again... clear and powerful, a book that guides us expertly as we learn to navigate our own landscapes of healing and growth. * Rob Wolman, Recoverfreedom.org *For a long time I felt like something was missing, that I was stuck... I've read many self help books without seeing much progress, but this one is different. It's packed full of practical tips that genuinely work; a brilliant, straightforward approach. I can't recommend this book highly enough. * Sarah O., London *How to Heal Your Inner Child provides everything required to help readers find understanding, purpose, peace and happiness in their lives by gently unpacking and making sense of their past. Filled with useful tactics and delivered in an easy-to-digest style, this book will help transform your life. * Lou Lebentz, Trauma Thrivers *Masterfully written and relatable; a must read for anyone seeking help with addiction, alcoholism, substance abuse, dysfunctional relationships, career loss, or ongoing problematic situations. * Lois Badey *Honest, self-aware and warm. * Katya Lamb *

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Book SynopsisThe candid autobiography of all-star pitcher “Sudden Sam” McDowell, whose alcohol-fueled life quickly and famously spiraled out of control, and his ultimate redemption as a counselor for other athletes suffering from addiction. Sam McDowell seemed to have it all. Considered by many to be the next Sandy Koufax when he signed with the Cleveland Indians, Sam boasted one of the fastest arms in major league baseball. But on the inside, he was playing in an alcoholic fog, beset by addiction, depression, narcissism, and thoughts of suicide. The Saga of Sudden Sam: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Sam McDowell is the fascinating autobiography of the six-time American League all-star pitcher and self-admitted “worst drunk in baseball.” Sam holds nothing back, sharing the pressures he felt as a young baseball phenom, his frustrations over a lack of coaching to help develop his talent, the pitfalls of his dangerous alcoholic lifestyle, and his attempted suicide. When “Sudden Sam” finally hit rock bottom, certain he had been defeated by alcoholism, he instead found hope, rehabilitation, and sobriety. After extensive education and training, he emerged as the first successful counselor in major league baseball. Sam helped to turn around the lives of players who, just like him, had fallen into the abyss of addiction or faced psychological and emotional problems that were destroying their careers. With details of his own severe battles with depression and addiction told alongside the struggles of players who came to him for help, The Saga of Sudden Sam offers special insight into the longstanding addiction issues that plague Major League Baseball. It also provides understanding and hope to anyone struggling with addiction and shows that recovery is attainable.Trade ReviewI've known Sam since 1962 when I was a 17 year old assistant clubhouse manager for the Angels. Of all the players I've known throughout the years I've respected Sam the most. He has been a very close friend, mentor and literally saved my life. To know him and see him turn his life around and save so many hundreds of players’ lives is truly a miracle -- Bob Case, business manager for Casey Stengel and Mickey Rooney

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Book SynopsisAn experimental account of one woman’s quest to shed addictive substances and behaviors from her life—which dares to ask if we’re really better off without them.In January 2021, Freda Love Smith, acclaimed rock musician and author of Red Velvet Underground, watched as insurgents stormed the U.S. Capitol. It felt like the culmination of eight months of pandemic anxiety. She needed a drink, badly. But she suspected a midday whiskey wouldn’t cure what was really ailing her—nor would her nightly cannabis gummy, or her four daily cups of tea, or any of the other substances she relied on to get through each day. Thus began her experiment to remove one addictive behavior from her life each month to see if sobriety was really all it was cracked up to be.With honesty and humor, Smith describes the effects of withdrawal from alcohol, sugar, caffeine, cannabis, and social media, weaving in her reflections on the childhood experiences and cultural norms that fed her addictions to these behaviors. Part personal history, part sociological research, and part wry observation on addiction, intoxication, media, and pandemic behavior, I Quit Everything will resonate with anyone who has danced with destructive habits—that is, those who are “sober curious” but not necessarily sober. Smith’s experiment goes beyond simply quitting these five addictive behaviors. Moved by the circumstances of the pandemic and the general state of the world, she ends up leaving an unsatisfying job for more meaningful work and reevaluating other significant details of her life, such as motherhood and the music that defined her career.More than a simple sobriety story, Smith’s book is an exploration of passion, legacy, and what becomes of our identities once we’ve quit everything.Trade ReviewPraise for Freda Love Smith's I Quit Everything:“Reading I Quit Everything is like having a heart-to-heart with your smartest friend—cups of spearmint tea steaming as the conversation goes from personal disclosure to pop-culture analysis to philosophical inquiry and back. Freda Love Smith writes at one point that this is an "anti-self-help" book, and it does offer much more than your average bullet-pointed guide past a midlife crisis. But it helped me, because as a sometimes impulsive, often self-critical, always curious woman at midlife, I related so much to Smith's desire to both reset her life and celebrate all she's lived through. Heartening and challenging.” —Ann Powers, author of Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music“To what extent are our habits addictions? What would it take for us to give them up? What would be left of us without them? Freda Love Smith asks these questions and many more and takes action to answer them. She quits alcohol. She quits sugar. She quits weed. She quits caffeine. She quits social media. What does the withdrawal feel like? Does their absence amount to addition or subtraction? Is this a temporary experiment or new life direction? Smith is such an engaging, probing writer that you’re hanging on tight for this brisk ride, as each question begets a bigger question that she investigates as well as lives. Should she quit drumming too? What about her academic job? Where’s the healthy balance among quitting, moderating, and starting over? The one thing you can’t quit is reading I Quit Everything.” —Mark Caro, author of The Foie Gras Wars and host of the Caropop podcast“Searching for the sweet spot between excess and deprivation, I Quit Everything explores the challenges of our immoderate times. Quitting can be revelatory, Smith concludes, even when it’s temporary.” —Eula Biss, author of Having and Being Had“In general, quitting things has a negative connotation. But for Freda Love Smith, the decision to cut out alcohol, sugar, caffeine, cannabis, and social media ended up being a positive. Full of illuminating insights and unsparing self-reflection, I Quit Everything celebrates the personal liberation that comes after shedding detrimental habits. Smith examines the roots of her reliance on unhealthy substances, and then uses disparate secondary sources (scientific studies, Greek mythology, the sociology book Getting Loose: Lifestyle Consumption in the 1970s, Gregory Bateson’s influential article about Alcoholics Anonymous) to draw conclusions about her behavior. By the end of the book, quitting has emboldened Smith to carve out new life paths and embrace different dreams. A classic example of addition by subtraction, I Quit Everything provides an abundance of helpful advice—and hope—to anyone feeling stuck in their ways and looking for a change.” —Annie Zaleski, author of a 33 1/3 book on Duran Duran’s Rio, and illustrated biographies of Lady Gaga and Pink“I’ve said it a thousand times. So have you: I’m going to take care of myself. Smith actually does it, with clarity, humor, and deep interrogation into the societal complexities and personal histories of alcohol, weed, caffeine, food, and social media—the things that save us and, at the same time, drain us dry. I Quit Everything doesn’t ask us to quit; it asks us to pay attention, to listen to our bodies, to find what serves us and hold on like the holy goddamn grail. I loved it.” —Megan Stielstra, author of The Wrong Way to Save Your Life"A humorous, insightful memoir of self-improvement." —Kirkus Reviews"More thoughtful than one expects from a chronicle of a midlife crisis, this personal reckoning makes for compulsive reading, providing much food for thought and spurring considerable discussion." —Booklist, starred review"Fun." —Publishers Weekly"Written with both poignancy and humor, the work could be considered part memoir, part self-help manual, and part sociological study in that it looks at the origins of her addictions while contextualizing them." —Forbes"Freda Love Smith's memoir I Quit Everything is powerful and wise, a book as insightful as it is entertaining." —Largehearted Boy"The book is far from a 12-step manual or even a how-to guide on recovery. . . But the memoir explores the power of quitting everyday habits." —Axios ChicagoPraise for Freda Love Smith's Red Velvet Underground:"These are sweet, unsentimental scenes from the ever-evolving life of a woman of many shifting and balancing roles: mother, wife, drummer, student, teacher, friend, daughter, food enthusiast. It’s all tied together with tantalizing recipes that have been lovingly improvised and tweaked into a life-affirming doneness." —Juliana Hatfield, musician"Red Velvet Underground is not only a rock memoir and recipe book but also a poignant work of personal self-discovery and the challenges yet joys of parenting." —David Chiu, Huffington Post"This memoir is filled with twists and turns, rises and falls—all chronicled with Freda’s characteristic charm and seductive wit. You might call it Eat, Play, Love. . . a wealth of road stories and recipes to share." —Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor at Rolling Stone"Thoughtful and wry, [Smith]'s a storyteller who doesn't scrub out blemishes but reminds readers just how much being an individual still matters, even in adulthood." —Mark Guarino, Chicago Tribune"Freda Love Smith and I share three great passions: music, writing, and food. She deftly combines them here, adding an incisive view of motherhood, an inspiring capacity for joy, and a winning dash of Midwest humility. Love and deliciousness suffuse every page of this tender, delightful book." —Ira Robbins, music journalist and cofounder of Trouser Press“Freda Love Smith titled her memoir Red Velvet Underground: A Rock Memoir, with Recipes, and it’s hard to imagine a better one for this rock musician who became a mother and dedicated home cook.” —The Boston Globe“In the quietly compelling Red Velvet Underground, Freda weaves together stories of her salad days as a musician, reflections on raising her two sons, and meditations on how the act of cooking can heal and nurture. Anyone who can come off with such lovable sincerity while describing searing and eating her own placenta is a winner in our book.” —Paste Magazine"The book is a surprisingly heady mix of omnivorous backstory and refreshingly unfussy recipes that managed to bring me out of a serious pre-empty nest cooking funk." —Lisa Bralts Kelly, Innocent Words"You will find yourself literally and figuratively hungry for more after every chapter." —Len Kasper, broadcast announcer for the Chicago Cubs"Red Velvet Underground covers a lot of ground. . . in a poignant and elegant voice. It’s just another example of how food not only sustains us but also finds a way to weave into our lives and connects us with other people." —David Chiu, Brooklyn Based"Freda manages to elevate the personal to the universal with deeply relatable stories. Themes of food, family, and music are woven artfully together with wisdom, warmth, and humor. I found myself alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) inspired to cook, play guitar, kiss my kids, and call my friends. And eat!" —Tanya Donelly, musician"The former Blake Babies drummer's stories of food, music, and family resonate with warmth and humility." —largehearted boy"This book has a lot of heart, capturing what it’s like to be caught between the nostalgia for the life you led in your 20s and the sobering responsibilities of being a parent of a kid now reaching that same golden age.” —Bill Janovitz, musician and author of Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell the Story of the Rolling Stones"A gritty rock club and a modest home kitchen might seem like opposite ends of the earth. But in Freda Love Smith’s new book, Red Velvet Underground, the two are deliciously twined." —Susannah Felts, Chapter 16"An appealing choice for readers who are looking for a humorous take on parenthood and food." —Derek Sanderson, Library Journal“Her book deftly stitches together family life, stories from her stints as the drummer in The Blake Babies, Antenna and The Mysteries of Life, and personal food-related memories.” —InsideToronto.com"Smith shares her own story with honesty and integrity." —Frank Valish, Under the Radar"Just like flavors in a recipe, this book is an interesting fusion of ingredients that make up the life of [Freda Love Smith]." —WGN-TV Lunchbreak"We're digging Freda Love Smith's Red Velvet Underground super hard." —Emily Taylor, NUVO"Freda Love Smith writes an honest and moving memoir about the very food of life—the music, meals, and mistakes we make; the roads we do and don't take; the lessons we give and receive; the people we love, lose, find, and become along the way. Both on the page and behind her drum kit, Love Smith is a subtle yet powerful keeper of the time.” —Chrissie Dickinson, music journalist and former editor of The Journal of Country MusicTable of ContentsI QuitAlcoholSugarCannabisCaffeineSocial MediaEverythingBibliographyAcknowledgmentsAbout the Author

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Book SynopsisOne Week to a Healthier, Sugar-Free You Do you constantly crave simple carbohydrates like breads, desserts or sugary drinks? Do you treat yourself to "one cookie" that quickly spirals into eating the whole box? Have you tried to cut back on your sugar consumption before, but ultimately caved to your cravings? You aren't alone! Stop being controlled by your sugar addiction once and for all by following this simple, achievable one-week sugar cleanse, designed by integrative nutrition health coach and www.makemesugarfree.com founder Leisa Maloney Cockayne. This quick and achievable cleanse is made up of seven days of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes that are flavorful and satisfying enough to help you quit sugar cold turkey, without feeling like you're missing out on enjoying your meals. Choose from tasty options like: - Quinoa and Goat Cheese Burgers - Bo-ho-llandaise Poached Eggs - Coconut Chicken Dippers - Coconut and Vanilla Overnight Oats - Sage Pork Cutlets - Parma Ham and Arugula Cauli Pizza Leisa includes a bonus chapter of healthy meals to enjoy post-cleanse, to help you continue being conscientious and keep you from sliding back into unhealthy, sugar-laden habits. She also shares lower-sugar versions of your favorite desserts-because breaking your sugar addiction doesn't mean never eating the sweets you love again! Instead, it's all about enjoying sugar in moderation, without being controlled by urges and cravings. A former sugar addict herself, Leisa will guide you step-by- step through successfully breaking your addiction and start reaping the benefits of your new sugar-free life!

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Book SynopsisA practical and evidence-based approach that focuses on family members and friends as positive, crucial instruments of change—you can help your loved one with addiction.When you have a loved one who is addicted to alcohol or drugs, their addiction impacts the whole family—emotionally, financially, and physically. And with the widespread misuse of substances today, too many family members are experiencing its devastating effects. Research also shows that family involvement in helping a loved one with addiction is a powerful predictor of positive outcome. So, how can you help someone you love overcome addiction and create a better life?From the authors of Beyond Addiction, this healing workbook offers practical, effective, and evidence-based skills for family members who want to understand what drives their loved one’s addictive behavior, learn how to discuss it without conflict, and gain the tools and strategies necessary to cope and transform the situation and their lives. This comprehensive guide will empower you to be a crucial instrument of change.Using the authors’ Invitation to Change approach, you’ll learn: ·What drives addiction, and how to address it without condemnation ·How to open lines of communication and discuss substance use without an argument ·How your behavior interacts with and changes the behavior of your loved one ·How your self-awareness and self-compassion are key to helping the person you care about ·How to reward positive change, set respectful limits, and discourage negative behavior ·How to find peace with your own complicated feelings, like sorrow and anger ·Concrete ways to help on a daily basis You don’t have to try a “tough love” approach, or wait for your loved one to hit rock bottom—two outdated strategies that often exacerbate the problem and can lead to unnecessary suffering. You can be a force for positive change on your loved one’s journey to recovery. Let this workbook help your whole family move toward greater health and well-being—together.

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Book SynopsisBreak the addiction cycle once and for all with this powerful and compassionate workbook—now fully revised and updated!If you struggle with addiction, know that you are not alone. Addictive behaviors are often the result of loss—the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or even the end of a romantic relationship. If you’re like many others, you may have turned to drugs, alcohol, or other troubling behaviors to avoid the pain of loss. But this only delays the healing process, and can ultimately lead to a destructive cycle that leaves you feeling trapped. So, how can you break free?This second edition of The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction will help you identify the root of your addictive behaviors while providing healthy coping strategies to deal with the stress, anxiety, and depression that can come from experiencing a loss. With these powerful mindfulness exercises and lifestyle tips, you will be able to replace addictive behaviors with healthy behaviors to begin healing.This workbook will help you: ·Determine the function your addiction is serving ·Develop healthy coping skills for dealing with loss ·Accept your thoughts and emotions ·Avoid addiction “triggers” ·Heal broken relationships and build a support system No matter the loss, the mindfulness skills in this workbook will allow you to process your grief and replace your addiction with healthy coping behaviors.

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Book SynopsisA WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023: BIOGRAPHYThis Ragged Grace tells the story of Octavia's journey through recovery from alcohol addiction, and the parallel story of her father's descent into Alzheimer's. Looking back over this time, each of the seven chapters explores the feelings and experiences of the corresponding year of her recovery, tracing the shift in emotion and understanding that comes with the deepening connection to this new way of life. Over the course of this seven-year period, life continues to unfold. Paths are abandoned, people fall ill, waters get choppy, seemingly impossible things are navigated without the old fixes.As Octavia moves between London, the island of Stromboli, New York, Cornwall and Margate, each place offers something new but ultimately always delivers the same message: that wherever you go, you take yourself with you.Trade ReviewAn intimate, raw, empathetic story of loss, recovery, love and human fragility. This Ragged Grace is a beautifully-written and intricately-observed masterpiece of a memoir -- DOLLY ALDERTONAn extraordinary, electrifying book about loss, chaos, addiction and death, and the wild work of staying tender in the face of it -- OLIVIA LAINGA beautifully written and intellectual account of a woman coming to terms with herself . . . Heartbreakingly tender . . . Her sensitivity to the world is what makes the writing so beautiful and, ultimately, hopeful. Death hovers on every page and yet this book is full of life * * The Times * *The intelligence of the writing is a kind of grace in itself - light and deep and beautiful -- DEBORAH LEVYThis Ragged Grace is smart and tender, and honest in that raw way that gets you at the back of your throat. It is slowly revealing of the world, and an avalanche of feeling, all at the same time. A towering act of grace, in fact -- EMILIE PINEThe tension between what we remember and what we forget is at the core of this evocative memoir . . . Regular listeners of Literary Friction, the podcast that Bright co-hosts, will be familiar with her intelligent yet deeply felt style. A lover of art as well as literature, she uses the works of Louise Bourgeois and Sigmund Freud to trace her story of healing . . . immensely poignant * * New Statesman * *How lucky we are that Octavia Bright has written this book, full of rich, subtle, hard-won, beautifully woven wisdom and love. Read this book and carry its light with you forever -- DAMIAN LeBASThis Ragged Grace is a courageous work, filled with a deep tenderness and generosity and authenticity, the voice of Octavia Bright stays with me, it is honest, intricate, raw and real. This Ragged Grace is so beautiful, so bold and so Bright -- SALENA GODDENBright transforms her and her father's story into something not just shapely and solid, but beautiful and moving, too * * Prospect * *This Ragged Grace examines the fragility of the self in exquisite detail. Generous, compelling, poignant and ultimately, life affirming; Bright has managed to capture the complexity of being human -- HEIDI JAMESLiterary, art and feminist history are woven throughout this searing book. Imbued with wit and insight, it will make you think about the risks you take, and the mysterious forces that push us all to seek out danger at times * * Stylist * *A truly enlightening read: poetic, courageous and surprising. Beautiful, intelligent prose and such a brave journey into art, family and the deep structures of an addictive personality. On top of that This Ragged Grace is a love letter to the sea and the wisdom we share with it. I loved it -- DORTHE NORSI devoured Octavia Bright's memoir . . . both poetic and robust * * RUSSH * *An intellectually astute and open-hearted account of a life-turned-work-of-art, which draws its reader into conversation with our own attempts at renewal -- ELLENA SAVAGE

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Book SynopsisWhen recovering from addiction and managing a mental illness, it can feel like both have the ability to take over your life. By applying the principles of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to the 12 Steps addiction recovery approach, this workbook equips you with the tools to regulate your emotions, develop self-management skills, reduce anxiety and stress, and feel yourself again.DBT is a combination of CBT, mindfulness, and distress tolerance skills tailored to those who feel emotions very intensely. Exploring skills and strategies drawn from DBT that work in tandem with your recovery program, this book provides a new roadmap to reduce symptoms of emotional distress and to support your sobriety and mental health.Written by clinical psychologist, Laura Petracek, this ground-breaking workbook draws on the author's clinical and lived experience of addiction recovery, bipolar disorder, and other mental health challenges.Trade ReviewThe connection between mental health challenges and addiction is strong, complicates recovery, and is regrettably still associated with much stigma. In The DBT Workbook for Alcohol and Drug Addiction, Dr. Petracek helps readers to understand their struggles with mental illness and addiction, and to address those struggles through a combination of AA/NA and DBT skills. Drawing on her own personal experience, Petracek's warmth and compassion will make these ideas and skills more approachable for those in recovery and will remind people that they are not alone on their difficult journey. -- Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, RSW, Psychotherapist, international speaker, and author of several DBT books, including The DBT Workbook for Emotional ReliefDr. Petracek provides a step-by-step guide to DBT for anyone struggling with alcohol or drug addiction. This book is accessible, comprehensive and practical. A truly valuable resource! -- Elaine Beale, author of Write for Wellness: Write Your Way to Health, Happiness and HealingLaura Petracek, Ph.D.'s work on connecting the evidence based, effective psychotherapy treatment of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous is a great addition for extra tools for people recovering from addiction. The 12 Steps are predicated on giving oneself over the process and following the program, and adding in DBT skills can help provide additional tools for supporting one's work through the 12 steps and deepening one's understanding of the Steps. The author's use of her own experience and how DBT added to her recovery is a great use of the values of AA/NA of being open, honest, vulnerable and using one's own process to allow others to take what they need and leave the rest in finding their ways through the 12 Steps. -- W. Keith Sutton, Psy.D. - Psychologist - Director of the Institute for the Advancement of PsychotherapyTable of ContentsTable of ContentsForeword by Gillian Galen, PsyDPart 1: Introduction1. Pain is Inevitable; Suffering is Optional.......................................... 2. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Explained ...................................... 3. Core Concepts of DBT and the Twelve Steps .................................Part 2: The Twelve Steps and DBT1. Step One: I Can't Stop Drinking............................................................ 2. Step Two: Hope .................................................................................3. Step Three: Surrender ........................................................................4. Step Four: Finding Courage .................................................................5. Step Five: Integrity ............................................................................ 6. Step Six: Becoming Ready ..................................................................7. Step Seven: Humility ......................................................................... 8. Step Eight: Willingness .......................................................................9. Step Nine: Taking Responsibility and Making Amends ..............................10. Step Ten: Taking Stock ......................................................................11. Step Eleven: Seeking Prayer and Meditation .......................................... 12. Step Twelve: Carry the Message and Practice the Principles .....................Conclusion: A Life Worth Living Beyond Your Wildest Dreams ......................... Acknowledgements ...........................................................................

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Book Synopsis‘A natural storyteller with a Sedaris-like eye for black humour. There are sharp splinters of comic relief … compelling and nuanced.” Edel Coffey, Irish Times Quick-witted, charismatic and generous; angry, vicious and hurt; in pubs all over Cork City, Noelle McCarthy's mother Carol rages against her life and everything she has lost. Soon after leaving college, in the early years of the millennium, Noelle flees. Even on the other side of the world, with fame and success within her grasp, Noelle cannot escape an appetite for self-destruction. Life spirals out of control until she too is in danger of losing everything. At thirty, she pulls back from the brink.Over a decade later, Carol is dying. Finally, it seems, mother and daughter will make peace. Except Carol has no interest in admitting her own mortality - she will die as she lived, entirely on her own terms. If there is any reckoning to be done between past and present, Noelle will be doing it on her own.Grand is the deeply moving and surprisingly funny outcome of Noelle's yearning to understand her mother, and to make sense of their lives, together and apart. Most of all, it is a dazzlingly honest memoir about becoming a modern woman._____2023 Non-Fiction Winner at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards‘Exquisitely written … profoundly moving. And like all great memoirs it is hilarious in parts. If, like, me, you love the personal essays of Sinéad Gleeson and Emilie Pine, you’ll adore this’ Sunday Independent'Desperately funny, hysterically sad, so beautiful and so humane. All of life is in it' Meg Mason'Hooked me like a fish' New York Times‘A really vivacious account of frayed family relationships across the decades and around the world’ Financial Times Podcast Trade ReviewA natural storyteller with a Sedaris-like eye for black humour. There are sharp splinters of comic relief . . . compelling and nuanced -- Edel Coffey * Irish Times *Desperately funny, hysterically sad, so beautiful and so humane. All of life is in it. I utterly adored it -- Meg MasonGrand hooked me like a fish . . . a tale of recovery and growth [and] deep, deep love * New York Times *Exquisitely written . . . profoundly moving. And like all great memoirs it is hilarious in parts. If, like me, you love the personal essays of Sinéad Gleeson and Emilie Pine, you'll adore this * Sunday Independent *A really vivacious account of frayed family relationships across decades and around the world * Financial Times *Remarkably funny, honest and often sad . . . there's a whole pile of un-maudlin heart and a whole lot of love here * Sunday Independent *A searingly honest memoir, as close to the bone as it is to the heart -- Maia DunphyDeeply moving and surprisingly funny * Irish Examiner *I loved it! The writing is stunning. Noelle McCarthy has an incredible knack for sharing the darkest of memories with a lightness of touch. You won't want to put this book down, but once you do, every gorgeous word will haunt you. Beautiful and compelling -- Tara FlynnSavagely brilliant * Business Post *A fierce and sometimes hilarious reflection on the maddening endurance of love between mother and daughter. McCarthy's prose sparkles in the darkness of addiction, shame, and inherited trauma. I devoured this book -- Aingeala FlanneryGrand is a love story and occasionally a hate story too. A vital, unexpected love letter to family, flaws, and the fact that none of us is perfect. McCarthy writes to remind us that sometimes you have to pull at the threads, perhaps unravel completely, to find your way back to a life a little less undone -- Cristín LeachAn eloquent exploration of generational trauma told with immense wit and candour. Compellingly readable -- Hilary FanninA rich, unsettling read - a bit like jumping on a moving train as it speeds through shifting landscapes. Enthralling, unnerving and above all, honest -- Lia MillsI really loved this book . . . beautifully endearing and candid -- June CaldwellHumane and wryly funny . . . so readable, relatable and ultimately uplifting -- Elizabeth BoyleAlready acclaimed in New Zealand, it doesn't hold back any punches in describing a difficult relationship with her alcoholic mother (and is insightful about the restraints imposed on an intelligent woman of her mother's generation living in conservative, Catholic Ireland.) * Irish Examiner *Terrific energy . . . sparkling and evocative -- Alannah Hopkin * Irish Examiner *

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Book Synopsis'A process for healing from paralyzing grief, addiction and emotional wounds.' - Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD, New York Times bestselling author.Healing from addiction can be an intensely painful process as decades of frozen grief are unpacked. This book is written to help recovering addicts to work through old wounds including bereavement, abandonment, betrayal, and abuse. It uses effective mindfulness practices to complement long term recovery and to help process sometimes-overwhelming feelings. Mindfulness is also recognized as a powerful tool in relapse prevention. Interspersed with personal reflections from the author's own experience, and stories from those with similar experience, this book balances insight and support with practical strategies and mindfulness tools.Covering everything those recovering from addiction might need to know, including the need to grieve, coping with depression and shame, and spiritual wellbeing, it also offers a number of guided meditations as well as a variety of different exercises.For those building emotional wellbeing and peace in recovery, Drug-Addiction Recovery: The Mindful Way offers healing ways to enhance self-respect, and points the path to serenity.Trade ReviewIn Drug Addiction Recovery, Christopher Dines elegantly teaches us a process for healing from paralysing grief, addiction and emotional wounds using a mindfulness-based approach. -- Rudolph E. Tanzi PhD. Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, and multiple New York Times bestselling authorChristopher Dines' experiences and insight are shared in his book, 'Drug Addiction Recovery' for us all to learn from. -- Peter Kyle, MP for Hove & Portslade, UK

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Book SynopsisAs a psychiatrist-in-training fresh from medical school, Carl Erik Fisher came face to face with his own addiction crisis, one that nearly cost him everything. Here, he investigates the history of this age-old condition. Humans have struggled to define, treat, and control addictive behaviour for most of recorded history, including well before the advent of modern science and medicine. The Urge is a rich, sweeping history that probes not only medicine and science but also literature, religion, philosophy, and sociology, illuminating the extent to which the story of addiction has persistently reflected broader questions of what it means to be human and care for one another. Fisher introduces us to the people who have endeavoured to address this complex condition through the ages: physicians and politicians, activists and artists, researchers and writers, and of course the legions of people who have struggled with their own addictions. He also examines the treatments and strategies that have produced hope and relief. The Urge is at once an eye-opening history of ideas, a riveting personal story of addiction and recovery, and a clinician’s urgent call for a more expansive, nuanced, and compassionate view of one of society’s most intractable challenges.Trade Review‘The Urge is an absolutely brilliant exploration of humanity’s ever-present struggle with addiction, or what psychiatrist Carl Erik Fisher calls "the terrifying breakdown of reason." Dr Fisher’s firsthand experience, as both a doctor and a patient, gives The Urge a layer of insight that deepens its historical focus. Readers will walk away with a nuanced grasp of the high stakes of our broken medical system and the bias baked into our understanding of addiction and mental illness in general. This book is special — as edifying as it is electrifying, as meaningful as it is humane.’ -- Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire‘Carl Erik Fisher expertly weaves his own story of addiction into a comprehensive and fascinating narrative. The Urge is an engaging read that also helps us gain a fuller picture of our own nature and how society has capitalised on it to drive addiction. Even as an addiction psychiatrist and researcher, I learned a great deal from this book.’ -- Dr Judson Brewer, PhD, author of Unwinding Anxiety‘Thoughtful, moving, and wonderfully informative, Carl Erik Fisher’s The Urge arrives just in time to help us, as a nation, rethink our failed war on drugs. In telling his own story, that of a young physician wrestling with both alcohol and rehab, Dr. Fisher humanises the struggles that ensnare so many of us. Addiction, this marvellous book makes clear, is confounding, seductive, and elusive. In facing it without prejudice, we can learn a lot about ourselves.’ -- Dr Mark Epstein, author of The Trauma of Everyday Life and Advice Not Given‘This thoughtful, wise, and thoroughly researched book is sure to be a crucial contribution to our understanding of addiction — a crisis that demands a deeper, more truthful conversation.’ -- Johann Hari, author of Chasing the Scream‘Carl Erik Fisher’s The Urge is the best-written and most incisive book I've read on the history of addiction. In the midst of an overdose crisis that grows worse by the hour and has vexed America for centuries, Fisher has given us the best prescription of all: understanding. He seamlessly blends a gripping historical narrative with memoir that doesn't self-aggrandise; the result is a full-throated argument against blaming people with substance use disorder. The Urge is a propulsive tour de force that is as healing as it is enjoyable to read.’ -- Beth Macy, author of Dopesick‘The Urge is an insightful, thought-provoking, and beautifully written book that stands to revolutionise our understanding of one of medicine’s — and society’s — most challenging problems. Carl Erik Fisher is a masterful physician-writer who is equally attentive to the grand sweep of history and the subtleties of each individual’s experience of addiction. A remarkable achievement.’ -- Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies ‘This courageous, urgent book tells the story of addiction, narrating its history, the author's own mêlées with alcohol and stimulants, and the narrative of other people’s struggles, which he has grappled with as a clinician. In poignant, episodic accounts, he describes historical conflicts that remain alive today, when we view addiction sometimes as a social circumstance, sometimes as a biological disease, and sometimes as a personal failure. Fisher has undertaken the difficult but necessary job of reconciling these multiple points of view.’ -- Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree and The Noonday Demon‘This is a brilliant, fascinating, important book. Combining riveting cultural history and cutting-edge neuroscience with his own searing experiences with (and recovery from) substance abuse, Carl Erik Fisher has produced a work that deserves a place alongside volumes by fellow physician-writers Oliver Sacks, Kay Redfield Jamison, Siddhartha Mukherjee, and Abraham Verghese. Full of insight and wisdom, this is a profound meditation on the nature of addiction and what it means to be human.’ -- Scott Stossel, author of My Age of Anxiety‘Fisher … makes a striking debut by skillfully combining a cultural history of addiction with his own story of recovery. He first looks to ancient philosophers and thinkers … Along the way, he shares plenty of moving stories of the scientists, preachers, and patients on the front lines of addiction and movingly recounts his own struggle with alcohol and Adderall addiction while he was a physician in Columbia's psychiatry residency program … There’s as much history here as there is heart.’ * Publishers Weekly, starred review *‘Fisher, a psychiatrist and a patient recovering from addiction, wonders, “Is everyone somewhere on the addiction spectrum?” What factors — biological, psychological, social, cultural — play a role? A unique perspective on a frustrating, often devastating problem.’ * Booklist *‘A compelling history … Fisher, an addiction physician and a recovering addict, illustrates the ‘terrifying breakdown of reason’ that accompanies the condition by drawing on patients’ anecdotes and on his own experience.’ * The New Yorker *‘Doggedly researched, layered with empathy, The Urge pulls back multiple curtains at once in examining an ailment that will likely never go away … The Urge contains a wealth of such research and insight, rendered with a gimlet eye and a physician’s care. Addicts who make it to the other side often feel they have survived to fulfill a higher purpose. The Urge qualifies as just such an accomplishment, an inspired dive into a condition that, in one way or another, touches us all.’ * The Boston Globe *‘Eye-opening, humane, and meticulously researched.’ -- Caitlin Allen * Reaction *‘Carl Erik Fisher takes the reader on a vivid tour over several thousand years of multiple cycles of science, medicine and literature, woven together by the thread of the author’s own alcohol and amphetamine addiction and treatment. It is made even more emphatic and moving because he is also a psychiatrist who treats such patients … [The Urge] is thorough and revealing … [and is] a mature view of the topic from someone with immense experience of it.’ -- David Nutt * The Guardian *‘This compassionate history urges us to leave behind moral panic and the temptation to stigmatise drug victims, and find more than one solution to a very human problem.’ -- Robyn Douglass * SA Weekend *‘Thought-provoking.’ -- John Meagher * Irish Independent *‘I devoured [The Urge] … Drawing on his experience with addiction, as well as his training in medicine and bioethics, Fisher has produced a meticulous history of addictions — exploring why, across time and place, we pursue our compulsions and obsessions unto grave consequences.’ -- Zachary Siegel * The Baffler *‘[A] marvellous gift of hope … Fisher’s work is a challenge and an invitation to discard narrow conceptions, abandon punitive strategies, and “free ourselves to look instead at the full variety of interventions available to help.” … We are fortunate that his book is here, now, within reach of policymakers, prosecutors, family members, people who are suffering from addiction, and those in recovery.’ * American Scholar *‘Fisher’s writing glows with compassion … The Urge is an ambitious book.’ -- Catherine DeMayo * The South Sydney Herald *‘Addiction is variously described as a brain disease, a personal demon, and an epidemic. This compelling history holds that it is simply “part of humanity.” Fisher, an addiction physician and a recovering addict, illustrates the “terrifying breakdown of reason” that accompanies the condition by drawing on patients’ anecdotes and on his own experience. He also highlights the ways in which stigmas — such as the “firewater” myth, which held that Native Americans were uniquely vulnerable to alcohol addiction — have provided “ideological cover” for policing certain groups.’ * The New Yorker *‘Dr Carl Erik Fisher’s impressive debut tackles the cultural history of addiction, offering a nuanced, personal perspective on a health crisis that remains stigmatised and misunderstood … The Urge is several excellent books in one: a complete and sweeping history of addiction, a compassionate doctor’s approach to treating people with addictions, and a blistering critique of outdated, draconian government policies around drug use and addiction.’ -- BookPage, starred review

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Book SynopsisMillions of us suffer from addiction, including psychiatrist and recovering alcoholic Carl Erik Fisher. But where does this centuries-old behaviour come from and how should we treat it? As a young doctor, Carl Erik Fisher came face to face with his own addiction crisis, one that nearly cost him everything. Now, in The Urge, he investigates the history of this condition; how we have struggled to define, treat, and control it; and how broader understanding and compassion could change people’s lives. The Urge is at once an eye-opening history of ideas, a riveting personal story of addiction and recovery, and a clinician’s urgent call for a more expansive, nuanced view of one of society’s most intractable challenges.Trade Review‘Carl Erik Fisher takes the reader on a vivid tour over several thousand years of multiple cycles of science, medicine, and literature, woven together by the thread of the author’s own alcohol and amphetamine addiction and treatment. It is made even more emphatic and moving because he is also a psychiatrist who treats such patients … [The Urge] is thorough and revealing … [and is] a mature view of the topic from someone with immense experience of it.’ -- David Nutt * The Guardian *‘A compelling history … Fisher, an addiction physician and a recovering addict, illustrates the “terrifying breakdown of reason” that accompanies the condition by drawing on patients’ anecdotes and on his own experience.’ * The New Yorker *‘The Urge is an insightful, thought-provoking, and beautifully written book that stands to revolutionise our understanding of one of medicine’s — and society’s — most challenging problems. Carl Erik Fisher is a masterful physician-writer who is equally attentive to the grand sweep of history and the subtleties of each individual’s experience of addiction. A remarkable achievement.’ -- Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies‘The Urge is an absolutely brilliant exploration of humanity’s ever-present struggle with addiction, or what psychiatrist Carl Erik Fisher calls "the terrifying breakdown of reason". Dr Fisher’s firsthand experience, as both a doctor and a patient, gives The Urge a layer of insight that deepens its historical focus. Readers will walk away with a nuanced grasp of the high stakes of our broken medical system and the bias baked into our understanding of addiction and mental illness in general. This book is special — as edifying as it is electrifying, as meaningful as it is humane.’ -- Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire‘Carl Erik Fisher expertly weaves his own story of addiction into a comprehensive and fascinating narrative. The Urge is an engaging read that also helps us gain a fuller picture of our own nature and how society has capitalised on it to drive addiction. Even as an addiction psychiatrist and researcher, I learned a great deal from this book.’ -- Dr Judson Brewer, PhD, author of Unwinding Anxiety‘Thoughtful, moving, and wonderfully informative, Carl Erik Fisher’s The Urge arrives just in time to help us, as a nation, rethink our failed war on drugs. In telling his own story, that of a young physician wrestling with both alcohol and rehab, Dr Fisher humanises the struggles that ensnare so many of us. Addiction, this marvellous book makes clear, is confounding, seductive, and elusive. In facing it without prejudice, we can learn a lot about ourselves.’ -- Dr Mark Epstein, author of The Trauma of Everyday Life and Advice Not Given‘This is a brilliant, fascinating, important book. Combining riveting cultural history and cutting-edge neuroscience with his own searing experiences with (and recovery from) substance abuse, Carl Erik Fisher has produced a work that deserves a place alongside volumes by fellow physician-writers Oliver Sacks, Kay Redfield Jamison, Siddhartha Mukherjee, and Abraham Verghese. Full of insight and wisdom, this is a profound meditation on the nature of addiction and what it means to be human.’ -- Scott Stossel, author of My Age of Anxiety‘This thoughtful, wise, and thoroughly researched book is sure to be a crucial contribution to our understanding of addiction — a crisis that demands a deeper, more truthful conversation.’ -- Johann Hari, author of Chasing the Scream‘Carl Erik Fisher’s The Urge is the best-written and most incisive book I’ve read on the history of addiction. In the midst of an overdose crisis that grows worse by the hour and has vexed America for centuries, Fisher has given us the best prescription of all: understanding. He seamlessly blends a gripping historical narrative with memoir that doesn't self-aggrandise; the result is a full-throated argument against blaming people with substance use disorder. The Urge is a propulsive tour de force that is as healing as it is enjoyable to read.’ -- Beth Macy, author of Dopesick ‘This courageous, urgent book tells the story of addiction, narrating its history, the author's own mêlées with alcohol and stimulants, and the narrative of other people’s struggles, which he has grappled with as a clinician. In poignant, episodic accounts, he describes historical conflicts that remain alive today, when we view addiction sometimes as a social circumstance, sometimes as a biological disease, and sometimes as a personal failure. Fisher has undertaken the difficult but necessary job of reconciling these multiple points of view.’ -- Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree and The Noonday Demon‘Fisher … makes a striking debut by skillfully combining a cultural history of addiction with his own story of recovery. He first looks to ancient philosophers and thinkers … Along the way, he shares plenty of moving stories of the scientists, preachers, and patients on the front lines of addiction and movingly recounts his own struggle with alcohol and Adderall addiction while he was a physician in Columbia’s psychiatry residency program … There’s as much history here as there is heart.’ * Publishers Weekly, starred review *‘Fisher, a psychiatrist and a patient recovering from addiction, wonders, “Is everyone somewhere on the addiction spectrum?” What factors — biological, psychological, social, cultural — play a role? A unique perspective on a frustrating, often devastating problem.’ * Booklist *‘Doggedly researched, layered with empathy, The Urge pulls back multiple curtains at once in examining an ailment that will likely never go away … The Urge contains a wealth of such research and insight, rendered with a gimlet eye and a physician’s care. Addicts who make it to the other side often feel they have survived to fulfill a higher purpose. The Urge qualifies as just such an accomplishment, an inspired dive into a condition that, in one way or another, touches us all.’ * The Boston Globe *‘Eye-opening, humane, and meticulously researched.’ -- Caitlin Allen * Reaction *‘This compassionate history urges us to leave behind moral panic and the temptation to stigmatise drug victims, and find more than one solution to a very human problem.’ -- Robyn Douglass * SA Weekend *‘Thought-provoking.’ -- John Meagher * Irish Independent *‘I devoured [The Urge] … Drawing on his experience with addiction, as well as his training in medicine and bioethics, Fisher has produced a meticulous history of addictions — exploring why, across time and place, we pursue our compulsions and obsessions unto grave consequences.’ -- Zachary Siegel * The Baffler *‘[A] marvellous gift of hope … Fisher’s work is a challenge and an invitation to discard narrow conceptions, abandon punitive strategies, and “free ourselves to look instead at the full variety of interventions available to help.” … We are fortunate that his book is here, now, within reach of policymakers, prosecutors, family members, people who are suffering from addiction, and those in recovery.’ * American Scholar *‘Fisher’s writing glows with compassion … The Urge is an ambitious book.’ -- Catherine DeMayo * The South Sydney Herald *‘Addiction is variously described as a brain disease, a personal demon, and an epidemic. This compelling history holds that it is simply “part of humanity.” Fisher, an addiction physician and a recovering addict, illustrates the “terrifying breakdown of reason” that accompanies the condition by drawing on patients’ anecdotes and on his own experience. He also highlights the ways in which stigmas — such as the “firewater” myth, which held that Native Americans were uniquely vulnerable to alcohol addiction — have provided “ideological cover” for policing certain groups.’ * The New Yorker *‘Dr Carl Erik Fisher’s impressive debut tackles the cultural history of addiction, offering a nuanced, personal perspective on a health crisis that remains stigmatised and misunderstood … The Urge is several excellent books in one: a complete and sweeping history of addiction, a compassionate doctor’s approach to treating people with addictions, and a blistering critique of outdated, draconian government policies around drug use and addiction.’ -- BookPage, starred review

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Book SynopsisA remarkable debut collection about identical twin sisters and their parents’ struggle with addiction "I am busy seeing," declares the reverent and ever-curious speaker of Mustard, Milk, and Gin. In this haunting debut, Megan Denton Ray unflinchingly sifts through the sediment of a girlhood ruled by service. Everything in these poems sweats—the sunflower working hard for its first pair of leaves, the sister feeding her twin like a father, the men and women working in a community ravaged by the opioid crisis. With tender restraint, Ray's poems question the infallibility of devoutness while finding solace in the classification of the natural world. What results is a powerhouse voice that chooses preservation above all else. No poppy, wild carrot, or honeycomb is too small a treasure as Ray weaves stories of loss and mercy through both dreamscapes and domestic scenes alike. The forgettable and forgotten ignite—these poems are gifts of curiosity and care. Mustard, Milk and Gin is the winner of the 2019 New Southern Voices Poetry Prize as selected by G.C. Waldrep.Trade Review"Mustard, Milk, & Gin belongs to the poetic genre of Southern feminist noir, running perhaps from Judy Jordan down through Carolyn Hembree and Melissa Range. What distinguishes Megan Ray’s lyric gift is her eye for the perfect telling detail, “My grease” (after a shower) that “calls out I am, I am, I am,” or the claim (later in the same poem) that “Here, / God holds his candle to my candle, a leopard-print votive / with the fizz of a damp rocket.” These are ecstatic poems, not poems that proceed from ecstatic experience, rather poems that conjure their own difficult, often violently flawed ecstasies through the power of language and voice." -G.C. Waldrep, author of Feast Gently and 2019 contest judge "The poems in Megan Denton Ray’s gorgeous debut Mustard, Milk, & Gin bear witness to the natural and unnatural worlds with kind translucence: to swirling bees and begonias, to lost mothers and their jewelry, to the earth and the things we carefully take from it. It’s almost impossible to hold the divine and the earthly in the same hand, but these poems do so, balancing the need to sing with the need to wonder inside of their lyric murmurations. All the while these delicate poems make a litany out of the world around us, bringing our hearts and ears into the terrestrial rustlings." —Adrian Matejka, author of Map to the Stars "Surviving “the splinters of [her] crib,” the near-starvation of an “orphaned” girlhood marked by parental addiction, the speaker of these poems declares, “I’m hungry,” and proceeds to feed herself, taking the biblical injunction to “taste and see” seriously. To read Megan Denton Ray’s debut is to feast with all the senses; in her hands, memories—even painful ones—burst with metaphor, each poem lush with colors, sounds, flora, and flavors. Raw okra, lemon curd, milk, piles of plums, egg yolks, macaroni and cheese in jadeite bowls—the speaker looks upon her body’s desires for these and other things and finds them good, asking, “Is my hunger not made by God?” Persisting past trauma into joy, Ray takes the world on her tongue and crafts a theology of resurrection from a shattered Eden." —Melissa Range, author of Scriptorium

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Book SynopsisThe Home Group: Heartbeat of AA, the 30th Anniversary Edition is a collection of previously published stories from AA Grapevine, the International Journal of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA members share moving experiences about the importance and joys of belonging to an AA group. This updated anniversary edition includes extra stories and a brand-new chapter on virtual meetings, showing how members have adapted to meet new challenges. A great way to start an AA meeting.

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Book SynopsisThe problem with pornography addiction has never been worse. Tens of thousands of young people—as young as seven and eight years old—are finding that pornography has control over their life. Fortify: The Ultimate Fighter's Guide to Overcoming Pornography Addiction, authored by the hip non-profit organization Fight the New Drug, is a complete guide to helping young men and women find the tools, gain the education, and uncover the resources necessary to help themselves and others overcome this addiction. Using research and advice from addiction recovery specialists and therapists, Fortify explains why pornography acts like an addictive drug. The book arms teens and young adults with the tools and confidence they need to fight the addiction by guiding them through a basic training program for themselves and others around them. By fortifying themselves, their relationships, and their world against pornography addiction, readers are ready to join with other fighters in the stand against pornography and its harmful effects.Trade Review" . . . arms young people with the knowledge and tools necessary to see pornography for what it is—harmful, addictive, and completely unnecessary." —Jill C. Manning, PhD, author of What's the Big Deal about Pornography "This book will help to stem the tide of one of the greatest epidemics that has ever plagued our society." —Kipp Dana, MA, Executive Director at High Country Behavioral Health, Addictions Therapist"Young adults concerned about the power that pornography holds over their generation are sure to appreciate Fortify, a recovery program that is the product of campus discussions around the growing addiction. These easy-to-follow, interactive pages are full of encouraging and practical advice for turning away from porn.'Our society [has] become sexually hijacked,' declare the unnamed activists who compiled the week-by-week exercises that make up Fortify. Early chapters assert that reliance on porn is absolutely an addiction: it leads to chemical reactions in the brain; it sets up false needs and makes them increasingly harder to meet; and it has a negative impact on the day-to-day lives of those who make use of it. In the name of sexual health and productivity, the book therefore encourages young adults to unplug and reevaluate.The program in Fortify is designed to be easy to follow. Its challenges are incremental and self-reflective, beginning, in the tradition of recovery programs, with the simple acknowledgment that a problem exists. Boxes throughout these page propose actions—busying oneself to avoid empty time; identifying loved ones with whom struggles can be safely shared—and are followed by space to prompt meditation on their implementation.A 'battle tracker' is provided, affording those who undertake the program to follow their successes and challenges in a calendar format. The 'battle tracker' language is recurrent. Porn addiction is, at various points, treated with the metaphors of a storm, hungry wild animals, and going to war. The serious tone with which the authors treat pornography is balanced by the conversational, even jaunty, tone with which they deliver proposals: 'Don’t expect it will all be kittens, rainbows, and skipping through golden wheat fields (although that is a pretty sweet visual!).'Youthful language makes this a project best suited to the college-age group that compiled it—fortuitously, the same group that Fortify suggests is most at risk. Fortify is not a radical approach to addictive habits; its tried-and-true methods are, however, appealing and logical, and its eternally hopeful tone stands to continually persuade. Teenagers and early adults distressed by the sway that pornography holds over their lives will certainly benefit from interacting with Fortify." —Foreword Reviews

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Book SynopsisAn unforgettable memoir about the turmoil of antidepressant withdrawal and the work it takes to unravel the stories we tell ourselves to rationalize our suffering—all unfurled against a global backdrop.Brooke Siem was among the first generation of teens to be prescribed antidepressants. Initially prescribed a cocktail of drugs at fifteen years old, she and her mother accepted the recommended ""solution"" with no understanding of how the chemicals might change her developing mind or how she might stop the drugs down the road.A decade and a half later, still on the same set of drugs, Brooke was contemplating suicide. If the antidepressants were working, then why did she still want to take her own life? And if the drugs weren't working, who might she be without them?May Cause Side Effects is the gripping story of what happened when, after fifteen years and 10,000 antidepressants, Siem was forced into harrowing antidepressant withdrawal when an opportunity to travel around the world dropped into her lap.An illuminating memoir for those who take, prescribe, or are considering drugs to blunt the pain and experiences that shape our reality, May Cause Side Effects is an honest reminder that the road to true healing and happiness is not found on a prescription pad, but in deep self-work that pushes us to the agonizing edges of who we are.

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Book SynopsisBrain on Fire meets High Achiever in this “page-turner memoir chronicling a woman’s accidental descent into prescription benzodiazepine dependence—and the life-threatening impacts of long-term use—that chills to the bone” (Nylon). As Melissa Bond raises her infant daughter and a special-needs one-year-old son, she suffers from unbearable insomnia, sleeping an hour or less each night. She loses her job as a journalist (a casualty of the 2008 recession), and her relationship with her husband grows distant. Her doctor casually prescribes benzodiazepines—a family of drugs that includes Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan—and increases her dosage regularly. Following her doctor’s orders, Melissa takes the pills night after night until her body begins to shut down. Only when she collapses while holding her daughter does Melissa learn that her doctor—like so many others—has over-prescribed the medication and quitting cold turkey could lead to psychosis or fatal seizures. Benzodiazepine addiction is not well studied, and few experts know how to help Melissa as she begins the months-long process of tapering off the pills without suffering debilitating, potentially deadly consequences. Each page thrums with the heartbeat of Melissa’s struggle—how many hours has she slept? How many weeks old are her babies? How many milligrams has she taken? Her propulsive writing crescendos to a fever pitch as she fights for her health and her ability to care for her children. “Propulsive, poetic” (Shelf Awareness), and immersive, this “vivid chronicle of suffering” (Kirkus Reviews) and redemption shines a light on the prescription benzodiazepine epidemic as it reaches a crisis point in this country.Trade Review“In this raw and captivating debut, journalist Bond chronicles her volatile descent into a benzodiazepine addiction... Pairing her unsparing candor with the same deep compassion she finds in the physician who helped her level out, Bond’s narrative casts a burning light onto the hazards of overprescribing and the threat it poses to vulnerable people. This cautionary tale stuns.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)“A harrowing memoir about a class of drugs as dangerous as opioids… Bond’s sharp critique of big pharma and the broken American health care system sounds an urgent alarm. A vivid chronicle of suffering.” —Kirkus Reviews“Bond's story, with lines like ‘the blood orange night turns red and screams through my eyes,’ is an eloquent cautionary tale.” —Booklist “A page-turner memoir chronicling a woman’s accidental descent into prescription benzodiazepine dependence – and the life-threatening impacts of long-term use – that chills to the bone.” —Nylon “Deeply personal insight into the ongoing benzodiazepine epidemic.” —AV Club“In her propulsive, poetic memoir, Blood Orange Night, Bond narrates her experience in harrowing detail… Told with a journalist's commitment to fact and a poet's touch.” —Shelf Awareness“An engaging testament to the powers of self-advocacy and resilience written with lyrical clarity and heart. This cautionary tale will help many understand how prescription drug dependency can happen and the strength and courage required to overcome it. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal“There is a line in this evocative memoir that I will not forget, for it so perfectly sums up the effect that benzodiazepines have had on millions of lives: ‘Benzos are the thief that steals everything you own a piece at a time.' In Blood Orange Night, Melissa Bond writes of the thief that crept into her life with the narrative skills of a fine novelist.” —Robert Whitaker, author of Anatomy of an Epidemic and Mad in America“Blood Orange Night is a beautifully written and exceptionally moving firsthand account of Melissa Bond’s struggle with addiction to benzodiazepines. It should be read by anyone considering taking or prescribing medication for insomnia.” —Irving Kirsch, PhD, author of The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth“This is the best-written and most immersive personal story on benzos that I have read. Melissa Bond summarizes the benzodiazepine crisis that is invisibly growing in the shadow of the opioids when she writes: ‘Benzos dismantle the brain over time. Instead of a swift and sudden death by overdose, there is a slow slide into disability.’ Immersed in her deeply personal story and peppered with pulsating prose, Blood Orange Night shows the terrifying but not uncommon consequences of using these drugs long-term as prescribed.” —Bernard Silvernail, Co-founder and President, The Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices“Blood Orange Night has it all: sex, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, brutal addiction that’s not addiction, and outright beauty (not necessarily in that order). There’s also a hilarious kiddo with Down Syndrome lighting the book from the inside, but he’s just the cherry on top of a magnificent cake of a book. If we were at a dinner party together and you asked me about it, I’d tell you to get the thing; get this book now and devour it. It’s that good.” —Stephanie Wilder Taylor, author of Sippy Cups are not for Chardonnay“With the unblinking eye of a journalist and the highly attuned heart of a poet, Melissa Bond brilliantly lays out the abyss prescribed benzodiazepine tranquilizers opened in her life…Blood Orange Night cuts to the bone. Here, truly, is hell on earth, and I can’t help but be awed by the strength and perseverance Bond manifested to emerge intact for her own sake and for that of her children.” —Matt Samet, author of Death Grip

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Book SynopsisSubstance Use Disorder Treatment: Practical Application of Counseling Theory examines substance use disorder counseling through the lens of major counseling theories. It provides descriptions of counseling theory in action and demonstrates the application of various theories in real-world contexts.Part I of the text reviews essential information related to substance use disorder treatment, including the models of substance use, ethical issues, assessment, and diagnosis. In Parts II and III, each chapter introduces a major counseling theory, applies the theory to substance use disorder counseling, and reviews its strengths, limitations, and ethical issues. Readers develop a solid knowledge base of substance use disorder counseling, learn how to effectively intervene during sessions with clients, and develop an understanding of how to create and implement plans in support of those struggling with this condition.The second edition features new research on the correlation between neuroscience and substance use disorders, as well as updates throughout the text to align with the DSM-5. It includes fresh information on motivational interviewing--including updated terminology--and an expanded discussion of cognitive-behaviour therapy models, and theoretical integration. New or updated references and research bring the second edition up-to-date.Easy to read, compassionate, and essential, Substance Use Disorder Treatment is an ideal guide for courses in substance use disorder counseling. It is also a valuable reference for practicing counselors and those in the helping professions.

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