Publisher's Synopsis
Reading Hugh's book gave me a lot of insight into myself and my own addictions even though I'm not an alcoholic nor have I done a 12-step program. Just learning about Hugh's own story has been so inspiring, and also the self-acceptance theme alone makes this book well worth reading. JJ, Toronto.......... It is my greatest hope that anyone who reads this book will have new and wonderful insights into themselves. Insights into addiction that will open up a whole new world for the reader as they have for me. The book comes from my experience as I journeyed through the quagmire I once called my life. For me it is a knowing gained from doing. For you I feel it will add to the knowledge you have about yourself that will take you to your own knowing. Knowing comes from your experiences. Knowledge comes from someone else's experiences. Addiction is enslavement in its simplest form. The main concepts coming from the facts of my experience are, addictions are mechanical in their very nature and that it's not your fault or anyone's fault. It's just a mechanical process of self-preservation. What I found was, to me, rather amazing: All addictions come from the same place! This is a pretty bold statement, considering what all the experts say about addictions. The so-called experts only look and work on the effects. There is a universal law of cause and effect. Effects come after the cause and when working on the effect, no long-term solutions are real or lasting. Addictions, ALL addictions, like alcohol, drugs, TV, food, video games, sports, working, self mutilation, iPods, cell phones, texting, cigarettes, coffee, sugar, exercising, shopping, internet, reading, or whatever it is you do to excess, are all effects. We cannot change the "cause" of anything by working on the "effect." But when we work on the "cause" it automatically changes the "effect." How could it be any different? Hence Newton's Third Law of Relativity states that "To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction." The "effect" is shown here by Newton's "opposite reaction." The initial "action" in Newton's Law is the "cause" which always comes first. By working on the part that comes second the "effect" nothing can possibly be changed in the part that comes first. You cannot go back in time once the "cause" happens the "effect" is automatic. So "effects" happen after the "cause" and working on something after the fact can never change something that comes before it. For anything real and lasting to occur one must work on the "cause" which by Newton's Law changes the "effect" automatically. Addictions, ALL addictions, are "effects," not the "cause," so to work on the addiction directly will not make any real and lasting changes without massive amounts of forced self discipline that are extremely prone to relapse. Just look at the statistics of any 12 step program. May God send his grace to everyone that reads this book if they are in need of freeing themselves from addictions of any kind.
