In this extended essay, experts address both the recovery and the long-term goal of healing from addiction, arguing that a full cure from drug addiction or habitual addiction can be achieved. Combining both the principles of systemic therapy and experience gained through years of counseling, they have developed a unique model called “in-depth systemic” therapy, which extends the classic model by introducing and expanding on the mental dimension. The central point of this work is the thesis that addicts themselves have to reorganize and restructure their own habitual ways of perception and cognition, with Vipassana meditation serving as the instrument to realize this transformation. Vipassana comprises an ethical lifestyle, concentration of the mind through meditation, and working progressively on one’s one mental-somatic models, offering a unique and successful approach to the treatment of addiction.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can’t change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. Maybe you’ve just started on the road to recovering from addiction. Or you’ve tried to stop abusing alcohol or drugs before, but haven’t been successful. Perhaps you’re making progress in a support group or 12-step program, but want to add an approach grounded in science. No matter how far you’ve come, how far you still have left to go, or which path you’ve chosen, this book can help you end your struggle with addiction. The Wisdom to Know the Difference is an addiction recovery workbook based in acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT. Research shows that ACT is a powerful treatment for alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, and other issues, and it can be used alone or in combination with any 12-step program. On this particular path, you’ll learn to accept what you can’t change about yourself and your past and commit to changing the things you can. You’ll overcome your addiction by focusing on what you value most, like your talents, friends, career, relationships, and family. There’s no need to wait any longer. This book will help you find the serenity, courage, and wisdom it takes to leave substance abuse behind for good.

"This wise book provides practical exercises that will help us to develop conscious awareness and inner understanding, and the ways and means to free us from unsatisfying habits, addictions, and unconscious behavior patterns. I recommend it highly." --Lama Surya Das, author of the bestselling Awakening the Buddha Within "Anyone interested in finding a kind, spiritual guide to recovery that focuses on flexibility rather than the 'one true way' will benefit from this enjoyable and helpful book." --Maia Szalavitz, coauthor with Joseph Volpicelli, M.D., of Recovery Options: The Complete Guide In Mindful Recovery, you'll discover a fresh and effective method for healing from addiction that can help you handle important challenges, from managing anxiety and resisting cravings to dealing with emotional and physical imbalance. Drawing on both ancient spiritual wisdom and the authors' extensive clinical psychological work with their patients over many years, Mindful Recovery shows you how to use the simple Buddhist practice of mindfulness to be aware of-- and enjoy-- life in the present moment without the need to enhance or avoid experience with addictive behaviors. Mindful Recovery guides you step by step through ten powerful "doorways" to mindful recovery, giving you specific strategies that can help you cultivate a sense of calm awareness and balance in your life. Filled with personal stories of recovery, practical exercises, instructions for meditation, and more, Mindful Recovery accompanies you on a journey of exploration and healing that will help you find the strength and the tools to change, leading you to a fresh new experience of everyday living.

This compassionate and helpful book educates both the mind and heart in the power of addiction and the way to help others find healing. When a family member or friend is addicted to drugs or alcohol the situation can feel hopeless and confusing. In this book, David Stoop and Stephen Arterburn help readers develop a plan of action by offering: • Insight into brain chemistry and addiction • Real-life ideas for encouraging healthy choices • Guidance in how to help without enabling • The connection between depression, ADD, and trauma Stoop and Arterburn have helped thousands of people around the country understand chemical addiction and how to love someone well in the midst of this gripping disease.

This original, eloquent, compassionate, and timely book offers all healthcare practitioners interested and involved in addiction practice a powerful account of an addiction psychiatrist’s journey of professional and personal growth, thereby offering readers a unique opportunity to learn deeply from the author’s insights, experiences, and struggles in becoming a patient-centered empathic healer. Through sharing and exploring clinical experiences in addiction practice, this fascinating title delves into the lead author and his mentee’s personal, professional, and ethical challenges and weaves together science and humanism, offering a wealth of experiential wisdom and tools that have the power to transform our understanding of therapeutic work with people with addictions. Written with empathy and humility, Humanizing Addiction: Blending Science and Personal Transformation provides a compelling argument and framework for integrating humanism with empirically grounded practices. This important book is an invaluable resource for healers from a range of backgrounds: physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, social workers, case managers, patient navigators, clinical and health psychologists, pharmacists, counselors, graduate students, and medical trainees involved in clinical care of people with addiction and substance use problems.

Addiction Unplugged: How to Be Free acknowledges that for far too long, we have all been playing out a victim consciousness, convincing ourselves that dependency and powerlessness are absolutely fundamental to the human condition. Nowhere is this belief more deeply ingrained than in the world of addiction and in the traditional treatment and recovery programs available to the masses. Drawing on modern-day scientific discoveries, ancient spiritual wisdom, and real-life testimonies, John Flaherty presents readers with the practical means to move beyond the drama of addictive behaviors; leading the way out from victim mentality and into a more compelling, spiritually liberating, and empowered way of living. Warm and inspirational, this profound message comes into your life when you need it desperately. It brings you to a new level of conscious awareness and helps you uncover the judgments, beliefs, and thoughts that have kept you fearful, limited, and suppressed. Addiction Unplugged: How to Be Free, a book for the twenty-first century, is now available in English, German, Spanish, Polish and Romanian. It offers a radical departure from the traditional ways of treating addictions, presenting revolutionary new insights and groundbreaking processes which open the way to an entirely different experience of yourself. http://www.beawarebealive.com/books/

Motivation is key to substance use behavior change. Counselors can support clients' movement toward positive changes in their substance use by identifying and enhancing motivation that already exists. Motivational approaches are based on the principles of person-centered counseling. Counselors' use of empathy, not authority and power, is key to enhancing clients' motivation to change. Clients are experts in their own recovery from SUDs. Counselors should engage them in collaborative partnerships. Ambivalence about change is normal. Resistance to change is an expression of ambivalence about change, not a client trait or characteristic. Confrontational approaches increase client resistance and discord in the counseling relationship. Motivational approaches explore ambivalence in a nonjudgmental and compassionate way.