Publisher's Synopsis
You've finally reached the pivotal moment in your life to get clean and sober. I welcome you to join me as I share my quest for addiction recovery and sobriety. This book is hopeful and encouraging. It is a must read for the fellow addict that deserves a new chapter in life. I wrote this book with the burning desire and a passion for reaching out to fellow addicts as a resource for them to possibly utilize some of my experiences and methods for recovery and relapse prevention. The book encompasses my life journey from my early teen years into adulthood as an addict, which details some of the painful aspects that encouraged me to turn to substance abuse as a coping mechanism. This book also alludes to my experience with the recovery process which I share many of the self-researched and time-tested techniques that helped me cultivate my successful rehabilitation process. Addiction exerts a long and powerful influence on the brain that manifests in three distinct ways: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences. While overcoming addiction is possible, the process is often long, slow, and complicated. The word "addiction" is derived from a Latin term for "enslaved by" or "bound to." Anyone who has struggled to overcome an addiction - or has tried to help someone else to do so - understands why, and ultimately, we can understand that addiction is a "dis-ease". From my experience, addiction is also a disease of isolation. The question of whether addiction is a disease or not has perplexed clinicians and scholars and researchers for decades. At one point, addiction was easily called the disease. At other points in time, there was considerable debate about how to classify these phenomena. I think it's best to talk about the disease of addiction. The word "addiction" is derived from a Latin term for "enslaved by" or "bound to." Anyone who has struggled to overcome an addiction - or has tried to help someone else to do so - understands why, and ultimately, we can understand that addiction is a "dis-ease". From my experience, addiction is also a disease of isolation. The question of whether addiction is a disease or not has perplexed clinicians and scholars and researchers for decades. At one point, addiction was easily called the disease. At other points in time, there was considerable debate about how to classify these phenomena. I think it's best to talk about the disease of addiction. My story is like so many others who chose to foolishly abuse alcohol and drugs...most of us were unaware that we had these addictions that are conveniently labeled as a "disease." However, the fact is that each one of us is a unique individual with our own story to tell. Usually, the suffering alcoholic/ addict hits a point called "rock bottom" in their lives where they choose to get better or turn for the worse. When this happens, life-changing events usually transpire to test the person's character and integrity. Hitting "rock bottom" was my personal alarm clock for realizing I had a serious substance abuse problem. There was a defining moment in my life that turned a page, sending me in a new direction. Making the transition from being actively addicted to being in recovery is a complex physical and psychological process. There is a lot to learn in recovery and we have to make a lot of changes internally and externally. Writing this book has given me a wholesome and hopeful perspective on life and the world we live in. I find that I spend more time embraced in bold prayer and meditation which grants me the influence to believe in miracles for others. I trust that there are great people in this world that contribute to making a significant difference, consequently making the world a better place for all of us to live in. Composing this book was my contribution to 'pay it forward' in a positive way. I am honored.
