Book Review: 7 Tools to Beat Addiction

nBook Description

nDO YOU WANT A LIFE WITHOUT ADDICTION? Whether you are battling drugs, nicotine, alcohol, food, shopping, sex, or gambling, 7 Tools to Beat Addiction is a hands-on, practical guide to overcoming addiction of any kind. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction but do not find that twelve-step or other treatment programs work for you, this book can help. In , internationally recognized expert Dr. Stanton Peele presents a program for addiction recovery based on research and clinical study and grounded in science. His program utilizes proven methods that people actually use to overcome addiction, with or without treatment. 7 Tools to Beat Addiction offers in-depth, interactive exercises that show you how to outgrow destructive habits by putting together the building blocks for a balanced, fulfilling, responsible life. Dr. Peele’s approach is founded on the following tools:nn•Valuesn•Motivationn•Rewardsn•Resourcesn•Supportn•Maturityn•Higher GoalsnnThis no-nonsense guide will put you in charge of your own recovery.

nPublisher Description

nIn this straightforward self-help guide, psychologist and addiction therapist Peele (The Truth about Addiction and Recovery) argues that, contrary to popular belief, the best way to overcome addiction is not through treatment in rehab centers or in formal groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, but rather through self-efficacy and self-reliance. "Successful therapies," he writes, "place the responsibility for changing your addictive behavior on you." Citing statistics from numerous studies, such as one that looked at heroin-addicted American soldiers in the Vietnam War, Peele points out that people quit addictions every day without any professional assistance. In fact, he says, research shows that alcoholics who do not enter treatment programs are more likely to quit abusing alcohol than those who do enter treatment. (Groups such as AA, Peele says, endorse themselves by telling members that there is no recovery without their programs, and so when members believe that they cannot successfully beat their addictions alone, they quickly relapse once they stop attending meetings.) Emphasizing a person’s own sense of responsibility as the driving force behind overcoming addiction, Peele’s book outlines seven tools that can serve as a foundation for successful recovery—Values, Motivation, Rewards, Resources, Support, a Mature Identity and Higher Goals—and includes exercises to help readers design their own program. The ultimate goal: to replace the "immature gratifications" of addiction with a "fulfilling, meaningful life" that includes a strong support structure. Peele tells readers that they have the power to create their own world of health and responsibility. His message will no doubt anger the countless Americans who have been helped by AA and other treatment programs, but could prove useful to those reluctant to seek outside help for their addictions.