The DSM-V recently was released. It redefined how we look at alcoholism and other drug issues. The field of substance use and treatment is one that continues to evolve. We have come a long way in how we assess and treat adolescents and young people with a substance use disorder. The ABC's of Getting Clean and Sober is an attempt to help young people take charge of their life and deal with their substance use disorder. It is a road map to recovery.The book is aligned with a harm reduction model as well as recovery approach. Some adolescents and young adults are not willing to give up drugs but are ready to reduce the harm that drugs may cause them.How to use this BookThis book's focus is on adolescents and young adults who have a substance use disorder. It begins with the obvious which is the admission that a problem exist. Once the admission is made the young person, with the help of others, can then decide what the next steps will be. For some it might be 12 step meetings, working with a sponsor, and working the steps. For another young person it could require outpatient or intensive outpatient counseling. Still some may need an inpatient or residential treatment. There are many case examples and case excerpts included in this book. They are contemporary, practical, and insightful. As a result, the hope is that the young person will relate to them. The more connection a person makes with the stories the greater likelihood they may take the next steps. Also, there is a chapter on poems about addiction and young people. The poems are upbeat and offer a vision and hope on how people can and do get clean. A vision of a better life coupled with hope can lead to sobriety and a new life.

The ABCs of faith is a step by step guide to walking the Christian walk and living your life in a manner that demonstrates your faith through joy, compassion, and service. This study provides examples, both Biblical and real life, of how each attribute looks and asks meaningful questions to help you consider how they apply to you.

In The ABCS of Coping with Anxiety: Using CBT to Manage Stress and Anxiety, James Cowart offers a concise collection of tried-and-tested strategies from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and makes them accessible to people who are learning to cope with their anxiety on a day-to-day basis. Anxiety is a normal part of our human nature. For spurring you to make decisions or perform, it can actually be helpful. However, an unchecked pattern of intrusive negative thoughts can escalate the severity and persistence of the level of anxiety experienced over time. As this worsens, it is not uncommon to feel an increasing lack of control - ultimately leading to a chain of self-defeating behaviors that may negatively affect all aspects of your daily life. Yet, while it is not possible to directly control our emotions (or what others think or do), it is possible to learn and apply coping skills that can help you face feared situations - rather than escape or avoid them. James Cowart's aim in The ABCS of Coping with Anxiety is to share a toolbox of CBT techniques garnered over 40 years' clinical practice that will enable you to manage your anxiety on a sustainable path toward taking back some of that control. These self-help strategies focus on developing key coping skills designed to reduce fear and anxiety, and are complemented by a user-friendly, step-by-step program of practical exercises that can be personalized to meet each individual's unique needs. Informed by his extensive experience and therapeutic knowledge, and with real-life case studies to guide you along your own journey, James's easy-to-remember ABCS approach is as transformative as it is simple: A is for accepting the thoughts and feelings you can and can't control; B is for breathing slowly and naturally to relieve and relax muscle tension; C is for countering any unrealistic or catastrophic thoughts with truth and logic; and S is for staying with it so you can face your fears and anxieties until they are reduced. Each step is explored in detail in the first four chapters, and further discussion is also dedicated to using the ABCS with different types of anxiety (including social anxiety, specific phobias, panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)) and coping with related depression, anger and impulsivity. Punctuated with research-informed insight and instruction throughout, The ABCS of Coping with Anxiety offers hope, relief and reassurance in helping you master your anxiety and work toward greater independence. Suitable for those living with anxiety and for the health professionals - including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and counsellors - working with them.

In this straightforward and funny guide, John R. interprets the philosophies and stories of the Big Book for young people. Like many alcoholics and addicts, when John R. began his recovery at age seventeen, he was given a Big Book. At first he was reluctant to wade through the old-fashioned language and the stories about people he didn't think he could relate to. But, over time, he realized that the best way to get sober--and to stay sober--is to learn from those who have gone before us. And so he read Alcoholics Anonymous and took the first step toward changing his life. Today, with more than twenty years of sobriety, John is an adolescent chemical dependency counselor, showing addicts how the core messages of AA are as powerful and relevant to them as they have been to the millions of others who have gotten help for addiction over the years. With The 12 Steps Unplugged, he makes the Twelve Steps accessible to all of us. In this simple and often funny guide, he interprets the philosophies and stories of the Big Book in straightforward language that speaks to regular people. John will help you connect with the basic messages of getting honest with yourself, accepting the help of others, and finding a relevant spiritual support.Through The 12 Steps Unplugged, you'll discover just how universal the AA program really is.

Recipient of the Hugo and Nebula Awards for his writing, Barry Longyear flexes his creative and comic chops in Yesterday’s Tomorrow. In these true stories, Longyear wanders from scenic Maine backdrops to the smoky hum of backwoods Twelve Step meetings, all while dissecting why some recoveries don’t come naturally—and why it’s okay to let down our guard and laugh. Recovery is one hell of a roller coaster. It twists and plummets, upending our stomachs, while some maniac cackles hysterically in the front car. What’s so damn funny? Besides our stomach’s contents, what are we missing? Truth is, while we all sit anxiously awaiting that next drop, Barry Longyear is enjoying the wild ride. An award-winning author and proprietor of the Life Sucks Better Clean blog, Barry has been on recovery’s ride for a while now. He understands the importance of stupid questions and sarcastic responses. He’s honest to the point of embarrassment. And he has real problems: with friends, with self-ordained recovery police, and with the god of his childhood. But he also has a strong recovery full of laughter. Despite all its ups and downs, your recovery, too, can be a good one.

Caught in the swirling momentum of the early 1970's unrest -- the Vietnam war protests, the advent of feminism, birth control, and a culture that questions all authority -- the naïve Meredith Byrne becomes entangled in an illicit relationship from which she's desperate to escape. When she meets the dazzling Robert Baird, she believes he's her way out. One night, Robert shares a dangerous secret -- one that makes Meredith doubt the wisdom of her attraction. But she chooses to bury these fears, and the pair jump into a marriage for which neither is prepared. The honeymoon over, Robert begins to recreate Meredith. Afraid he will leave her, Meredith struggles to be the perfect wife; going platinum blonde, wearing only the fashions he approves of, and even wrapping herself seductively in Saran wrap. All to no avail. When she turns to professional help, Robert suggests they see a priest for counseling. The priest, hiding secrets of his own, takes Robert's side, and when Meredith finds herself in a profound moral crisis, advises the unthinkable! Ultimately, she must choose between a life of bitterness and anger, or one in which she comes to terms with her husband, the priest, and, most importantly, herself.

The use of workbooks in therapy might represent one of the biggest breakthroughs that has occurred in decades. Using Workbooks in Mental Health: Resources in Prevention, Psychotherapy, and Rehabilitation for Clinicians and Researchers examines the effectiveness of mental health workbooks designed to address problems ranging from dementia and depression to addiction, spousal abuse, eating disorders, and more. Compiled by Dr. Luciano L’Abate, a leading authority on mental health workbooks, this resource will help clinicians and researchers become aware of the supportive evidence for the use of workbooks. Using Workbooks in Mental Health examines workbooks designed to specifically help: clients affected by dementia or depression abused women gambling addicts women who have substance-abuse addictions incarcerated felons couples preparing for marriage children with school refusal disorder and more! An essential reference for mental health professionals, graduate students, administrators, and researchers, Using Workbooks in Mental Health also explores the role of workbooks in psychological intervention over the past decade. Although workbooks are not yet part of the mainstream of psychological intervention, they are growing in popularity as their many advantages are recognized. They are easy to use by almost any client, they are cost-effective to both therapist and client in terms of money and time, they provide therapists with written assignments to use as homework for individuals, couples, and families, and they can be used in any setting, especially in computer-assisted offline or online interventions. In addition, this book shows how workbooks can be used to administer therapy to previously unreachable clients such as: people who are reluctant to talk to an authoritative figure or a stranger people who cannot afford face-to-face treatments incarcerated offenders who have not been helped by talk therapies Internet users who are searching for help via computer rather than in person