But he never forgot the "God of his youth," and a relationship that nourished and protected him when he was very young. Twenty years go by, and Michael is married and fully invested in his chosen profession, yet still angry at God. It was in the rooms of Al-Anon where Michael rediscovered his faith in a God that cares and began the challenging journey back to the "God of his youth." But God wasn't through with Michael. In 1985, having a profound spiritual experience, he rededicated his life to the Lord, accepting God's forgiveness, mercy and grace for his past indiscretions. The Scriptures became alive to him. He devoured the Scriptures at every opportunity. Since then, he has been in leadership in various churches. But God had more blessings for Michael. He hit another bottom when his attorney job ended. Shortly after that he attended Sierra Tucson for treatment of his codependency, grief and other unresolved issues. This was another turning point in his life. Michael uses his experience as a lawyer and Christian Life Coach to be of greater service to others. Since 1998, Michael runs "The Serenity Shack," a sober living home for men. Michael lives in Long Beach, CA. Taking his Australian Shepherd, Oreo, for her run is the favorite part of his (and her) day. He can be contacted at [email protected].

A premiere addiction industry trailblazer and the "father of dual diagnosis" shares the life-changing approach to end any addiction, which has helped tens of thousands of people nationwide.

"This is the addict's journey: how it happens, how it progresses, and how it ends. Fortunately, this is also the journey of recovery: how it happens, and how it blossoms. There is always hope." --"Dr. Drew" Pinsky, M.D.Heroin addiction didn't make Tim a better person. It stole more than half of his life. But he's dedicated every waking minute since walking out of prison to dealing hope to addicts and their families. By his own account, Tim Ryan shouldn't be here. But as he states, "Where there is life, there is hope." Known as The Hope Dealer, Tim is a successful entrepreneur, grateful recovering heroin addict and alcoholic, nationally ranked barefoot water skier--and truth-talking, convicted felon.*As a business leader in a high-tech industry, Tim made and lost millions. *As a father and husband, Tim introduced his own son to deadly drugs. *As a heroin addict, Tim is a walking miracle. He's overdosed eight times, was pronounced clinically dead three, and suffered two minor heart attacks. He's been arrested more than ten times and served prison time alongside known gang leaders--many of whom became his closest confidants in recovery.*As the founder of A Man in Recovery Foundation and motivational speaker, Tim's mission is to help one addict at a time transform their lives from dope to hope.Tim has been a featured thought leader in numerous national media, including USA Today, Newsweek, and "The Steve Harvey Show with Dr. Drew," and dozens of nationally syndicated radio shows. He was an invited guest by the U.S. President to the 2016 State of the Union Address. This story chronicles Tim's grueling journey into addiction, loss, and recovery. Sit with Tim in his prison cell. Walk with him as loved ones are torn from his reach. Rejoice with him as lives are miraculously recovered.

Between alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, pornography, gambling, and eating disorders, fully 25% of the population of the United States is addicted to something. Those addictions are taking a massive physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial toll on individuals, families, and communities. The problem can feel insurmountable. But there is a solution, at once ancient and supported by the latest in neuroscientific research. With an honest assessment of the facts, yet always reaching out toward hopeful solutions, counselors Chip Dodd and Stephen James explain what addiction really is, how it works, and why it is so damaging to our hearts, souls, minds, and relationships. They then take us beyond mere coping techniques that allow us to function to the real solution--restoring our broken relationship with our Creator so that we can rediscover how to live fully the way we were created to live. Each chapter includes the personal story of a recovering addict, told from the addict's point of view. The authors also include a list of books, organizations, workshops, and treatment centers people can turn to for help along the road to lasting recovery.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES and LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER “Brilliant . . . riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued.”—Beth Macy, author of Dopesick, as heard on Fresh Air This book is about pleasure. It’s also about pain. Most important, it’s about how to find the delicate balance between the two, and why now more than ever finding balance is essential. We’re living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting . . . The increased numbers, variety, and potency is staggering. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. As such we’ve all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption. In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain . . . and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives. In essence, Dopamine Nation shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.

Substance abusers, addicts with a physical dependency, and those who cannot stop some type of pleasurable activity can gain insights and practical help from the hopeful message from the Bible regarding addictive thoughts and behavior.

A concise thirty-day guide to healing from sexual addiction