Abuse Books

Doug Wilhelm's FALLING tells of teen Matt, who was expected to be the star player on his junior high basketball team - and now won't even touch a ball. Nobody knows why - until he meets Katie, becomes close to her, and eventually reveals a secret that will change more than his world.

Falling by Doug Wilhelm

If you would like to read a book that combines friendships, romantic and otherwise, in today's teenage world then I would highly recommend this book. The characters are strong, appealing, and they are dealing with the world around us in an authentic way by using the technology that surrounds us. Although we have every type of communication available to us it does not mean that we know what to say, how to react, and what decision is the correct one. The plot unfolds through the struggle the characters have with finding the right words, whether they should become involved, and the effects those decisions have on others. The theme is not uncommon, but the author's observations in how teenagers interact through computers, text messaging, and cell phones as well as keeping the story seemingly effortlessly fast paced, is truly masterful.
I would recommend Falling and Doug Wilhelm's earlier book The Revealers for every town and school library. They are extraordinary additions to our young adult sections as they touch on difficult subjects with empathy and hope.

Matt has a huge secret that causes all kinds of problems in his life.

Once the star basketball player in a small city that lives for sports, he now refuses to go out for the team. Instead, he keeps to himself and creates a barrier between himself and the rest of the world. He avoids going home after school so he won't have to deal with his older brother and his "friends."

Neal used to be the basketball star, but now he spends his days locked in his room doing drugs. Matt aimlessly walks around town after school until his clueless parents come home.

No one asks Matt to explain, until he meets a girl online. Katie goes to his school and has a passion for asking questions. Katie's hit upon something in Matt.

Soon the two of them are hanging out after school. Katie's friends balk at the idea of them as a couple. No one knows the reason behind Matt's changes, so they all assume that he's in trouble. Now Katie's asking questions, and it's only a matter of time until the truth tumbles out.

FALLING asks the question of how far would you go to protect someone you love? There also comes a time when everyone must make the decision at least once in their life: yes or no to drugs? Katie and Matt wrestle realistically with this issue throughout the book.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Falling is a compassionate book. Wilhelm never places blame, but rather presents very real situations and feelings: parents who are doing their best, people who simply get lost, and not because they are "bad." There are friends who change and evolve and who are deeply human, people who have high expectations for themselves -- and turn the hurt inward. This is so true for most of the good folks I know. This compassion is essential because we are flawed, but we need to learn, and forgive -- possibly most importantly -- ourselves.

Falling reminds us we are not alone, and that as adolescents the errors we make can be fatal or life changing. It also presents hope -- through believing in something so wonderfully symbolized (or not) in Katie's rock collection. We all have that story or object or something deep inside of us that keeps us moving forward (or we need it). Wilhelm reminds us of this,without a lecture, but by wrapping us up in the lives of these people, who we grow to love and empathize with.

This is an important book because students can identify with the characters, and see how easy it is to get lost. The very fact that Wilhelm does not place judgement on anyone, including the parents, is so important. There is also Neil, the drug user. Neil has let himself down; we cry for him the most.

How many kids out there are hiding something, and feel that they are alone? Aren't books meant to keep us bonded? Falling is this kind of book. I highly recommend Wilhelm's lastest look at adolescent life.

I want to commend Sandra Lee on speaking up on such a difficult subject to talk about in society. Everything is always hush hush. Sandra puts it all on the table in her book. Signs, symptoms and how WE, as a community can help speak up for those who are too afraid. Being a victim of incest and sexual abuse myself, I found this book to be extremely helpful in the healing process. There are alot of educational tools listed in her book to help you get the help needed to properly heal from years of abuse. She doesn't hesitate to give God the glory in helping her heal. You won't find many books written on this subject with a Christian perspective. Many children wouldn't even think of forgiving their father, brother, uncle or neighbor for this type of abuse. Because of the love of Christ, she was able to get past her emotional pain and scars and forgive the man who caused it all. For those of you who have been through this type of sexual abuse, this book has so many useful tools needed for healing. Please take the time to purchase it and read it...and pass it on to another victim. 1 in 3 girls have been abused in this manner, and 1 in 5 boys. Those statistics are outrageous! Chances are you know several victims and now is the time to step up and help by passing this book along. Very well written!

This book is extremely helpful in forgiveness to their daddy. A sexually abuse person who is struggling with their identity will find all the answers in this book. Sexual abuse is a disease that not only affects the individual abused but also the extended family. Sandra shows the reader every detail there is to know from this heinous crime that will rob a child or adult of their well being. Thank you Sandra for being bold enough to share your story and how to recover in the Lord.

Sandra tells her story to help those that may be struggling with similar situations. She shares from her heart her feelings, struggles, pain and then her emotional healing and the process that it took to obtain the forgiveness of her father. This book may touch your heart like no other!

I have completed the book by Sandra Lee and contradulate her on perservering to the acceptance of her childhood life and revealing the epidemic that has touched so many children in our country. Sandy has fulfilled a promise to assist and help others with this disease and teach others how to heal and come to the place that she is currently at in life. Hats off to this author for taking the responsibility to acknowledge her pain and the impact of this disease on her family. She will be rewarded for her continued effort to bring good from evil. A must read book to all the hurting people that have experienced some sort of abuse in their lives.
Jo Ann Tigue

Judith Kelman writes with a deliciously satirical wit and I enjoy her books, some more than others. This, however is one I thoroughly enjoyed and feel is of extraordinary caliber.

Sam & Emma, blessed with a 3-year-old son named Tyler and a daughter on the way are seeing their stars rise. Sam has been eyeing a promotion at a large hospital in Manhattan. His mentor, of sorts is Dr. Malik, a transport from Ohio.

Emma and Tyler have misgivings about the Maliks. Emma, a gifted artist has been hounded by Malik's wife to do their 10-year-old daughter's portrait; Tyler hears strange conversations from the Maliks' apartment upstairs and even Emma worries that the Maliks' daughter, Adriana is being abused.

Just as their suspicions about their neighbors are taking shape, other problems crop up. Sam has been accused of sexual assault with a member of Malik's staff; Tyler has an autistic classmate which causes another child's parents pushing to have him expelled; Emma's nephew has been diagnosed with a heart condition and Sam's father and stepmother bring their share of grief into the mix.

A kindly and very astute neighbor takes Emma and Tyler under her wing and provides some sage advice. Even so, the questions remain - is Sam guilty of what he is being accused of? Why did Dr. Malik leave Ohio as quickly as he did? Are things being covered up at the hospital where he works? And what is really behind the terrifying conversations that Tyler has overheard among the Maliks?

A taut psychological thriller that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, racing to reach the incindiary conclusion. A must read!

New York General induced Dr. Malik into leaving his present position in Cleveland by giving him a tremendous salary increase, a state of the art lab, and a new pavilion called the Malik Center for Cardio-Thoracic Diseases. Dr. Sam Colten, a resident wants to get on Malik's good side and study under him. His pregnant wife Emma is uneasy about the Maliks who live in the apartment above them. She hears him yelling at his daughter almost every night and she hears Adriana begging her father to stop.

Emma is so upset with what she hears each night that she tells her friend social worker Siena about it although Emma doesn't believe what she overheard means the child is being abused. She is more worried about Sam's interest in beautiful bombshell Dr. Suze Stitch, a colleague of Dr. Malik's. One day Sam comes home saying he was fired as Suze complained he attacked her and Dr. Malik and his assistant back her up. Emma doesn't believe the charges and vows to help Sam regain medical reinstatement not realizing that appearances are deceptive and things and people are not always what they seem.

Judith Kelman is one of the best author's writing suspense in the market today. Readers empathize with Emma who believes Sam was tried because of what she said to Siena who did call child's social services. Emma is the strong one in the marriage who holds the family together while being pregnant, working part time and taking care of an energetic three year old who doesn't want his mom and dad to have a baby. THE FIRST STONE will appeal to readers who like authors like Patricia McDonald, Andrea Kane and Jodi Picoult.

Harriet Klausner

Kelman yet again proves why she's been able to build up such a loyal following. From the first page, she lets the reader truly get to know and care about her characters. Emma Colten represents yet another complex and wonderful female protagonist, struggling with a conflict to which every reader can relate. How far must we go to support the career of a loved one? Can we turn our back on suspicions, fear, and downright alarm bells? Can we ignore the obvious danger that an alleged vocational "promised land" would present? This is, without a doubt, a must read ...

I'm not actually a fan of the mystery/thriller genre - but I couldn't put this book down. Kelman is really a master storyteller. She sets up the characters with a flowing style that leaves you with that wonderful "I-can't-believe-I-just-read-80-pages-good-lord-I'm-going-to-be-late-for-work" feeling.

The first half of the book has the kind of character development that reminds me of the best of early Stephen King. The second half has all the twists and turns you would expect from a writer of Kelman's skill and experience. Without throwing a spoiler here - I have to say I never saw the ending coming - and I pride myself on staying two steps ahead of the writer.

Kelman really hits the mark with this one. A great summer read! Pick it up and you won't be able to put it down.

This book was a god-send when I was recovering from my experience with rape and I have recommended it to countless others in the crisis intervention work that I do with other survivors. It is one of the best books available for explaining the after-math of rape to survivors and to their friends and family. This book is NOT SCARY TO READ. Far less likely to trigger fear and panic responses in survivors (especially recent survivors) than many on the market. The content is honest and comprehensive but not graphic or anecdotal. The organization of the book is such that even someone suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (whose powers of concentration may be significantly diminished) can read and digest it relatively easily - the sections are very short and the type is large. Each chapter also includes "for the friends and family" sections, which give invaluable advice about how loved ones can support the survivor and take care of themselves as well. T! his book was the first "person" to tell me that what I was experiencing was a normal reaction to what had happened to me and that I wasn't going crazy. It's a very important book for anyone who is recovering from rape or anyone who cares about someone who is.

I read this book after an experience that I had in college. It was very easy to read and also informative. "Free of the shadows" is a great book for anyone who has experienced sexual assault. It is also a good book for family and friends to read who are trying to help a love one get through a difficult time. I loaned the copy I had to a friend, who in turn loaned it to a friend. I have been looking for a copy of this book for years! Ever bookstore that I went to told me that they couldn't order it. They said it was unavailable. I am very happy to see that this very resourceful book is still in print.

This book is fantastic. My friend was raped, and I wanted to get her a book that wouldn't scare her but would answer her questions thoroughly. This entire book is a series of VERY helpful questions and answers grouped by topic in chapters. A good book for raising self-esteem and helping get on with life. I agree that it is definately NOT scary to read, and definately one of the more gentle books to read. This is an especially helpful book in my case where my friend believes it's her fault, when it really wasn't. It helped a LOT!!

At first I thought it was overly simplistic. But I think its like that for people to be able to read it immediatly after a rape. Anyway, I think its very good. As rape tends not to be something that is openly discussed amongst even close female friends, (for me anyhow) it gives the opportunity to outline some pretty basic guidelines which- sadly just arn't discussed as freely as they should be. Very good. I thought I was pretty aware, but this reinforced and highlighted perspectives that lurk in the mind, but werent addressed. Surprisingly informative. Made me realize how far reaching the effects of the rape were and how recovery from the effects of the rape were just as important as recovering from the rape/assault itself. If you are on the recieving end of unwanted sexual attention, this is a great book. I have found that there seem to be very few books about rape, which is surprising, as I have always found rapes and assaults to be far too commonplace in this society. I think the word rape puts a lot of people off, because they think it always refers to something quite extreme or violent, but sexual assaults are often not 'OTT', but can be just as scarring. -meaning the act itself is one of violence, but the rapist will not always beat people up or yell etc,. It might be a threatening act, but be equqlly as damaging to the psyce as a more voilent rape scenario.

THis book is all that I was looking for. The info is sooooo understanding and has enlightened me as to where my Brother is at with his alcoholism and drug use, as well as, his recovery.

It has also helped me as to identify my feelings and emotions while living with his addiction.

I am ordering two more books for my Mom and other Brother today!

This is too good to be true. Even Al Anon doesn't clarify as well as this book. Good luck

Most books I read on drug and alcohol abuse are either too technical or oversimplified (like the reader doesn't have a working brain and has to have everything explained at the fifth grade level). This book is the exception. It's written for adults who are experiencing real life problems and real life situations. I found it the most helpful of the many books i read when I was having problems with my daughter. I followed a lot of what the book said and it was right on.

As the parent of a wonderful adult son who became addicted to a narcotic, I have read countless books and materials on this topic. This is the single most helpful source I have found. The advice is both hard-hitting and compassionate, and the way in which it is presented is very readable and accessible (I read it in two nights in two sittings). If someone you love is addicted to alcohol or a drug, this is the book for you. Don't give up. Read this and get started. Good luck to you and your loved person.

This book helped me when I organized an intervention with the help of a counselor. I read several books at the time and this one was the best. I recommend the book and I wish you well.

Heard the taped version of GETTING BETTER by
Nan Robertson, an inside look at Alcoholics
Anonymous . . . I've often wondered about this
group, but had seen little ever written about it--in
part because of the anonymity factor.

Somehow, Robertson (a Pulitzer Prize-winning
reporter for THE NEW YORK TIMES) got permission
to write the book . . . in it, she tells the story of how a failed
stockbroker and a surgeon together found a way to stay
sober--one day at a time.

She also describes what happens at the actual meetings . . . and
that is what I perhaps liked best about the book: its
behind-the scenes view of these gatherings . . . the
fact that Robertson actually attended many of these as
a recovering alcoholic made her reporting all the more believable.

I also liked how she summarized the message of message
of AAA into these three key points: Be honest, change
yourself and help others.

GETTING BETTER was made even more enjoyable by Michael
Learned's excellent narration.

This book is well researched (including interviews with the widow of Bill W, co-founder of AA) and well written. It gives an honest history of the origins of AA without the trappings of saintliness often given to Bill Wilson from the works published by the AA general services office and some other sources. For examples, Bill's infidelities, neglecting family responsibilities to help fellow drunks, and "post-sobriety" experiments with LSD and other chemicals are mentioned. The history sections on AA are excellent as a result of this objectivity. The author also gives an excellent account of typical experience in in-patient rehab.

The author's personal story is equally compelling, and touches on issues chemically dependant individuals face, including how alcohol addiction relates to other facets of life, including depression and physical illness.

All in all, one of the better works on AA and the disease of alcoholism. As a well qualified member of AA, I have one message for other AA members concerned with the author "violating" the 11th tradition on anonimity: "get over it!". Bill Wilson was (and is) hardly "anonymous". If his widow didn't have a problem with this work neither should we.

Ms. Robertson's book is a comprehensive review of Alcoholics Anonymous and it's co-founder Bill Wilson. She gives a surprisingly objective history of Bill W.'s life, his joining with Bob Smith, the other co-founder of AA, and AA's evolution into, perhaps, the most sigificant spiritual program of the 20th century. The only negative aspect of the book is Ms. Robertson's compromising of the 12th Tradition of AA which is maintaining personal anonimity in press, radio and films. I strongly urge anyone in recovery from substance dependence as well as mental health professionals to read this book for greater knowledge of the famous founder of AA.

Nan Robertson's book is the most accurate I have ever read concerning Alcoholics Anonymous. She is devoted to AA, but more so to her research and her honest in writing. If I had to read one book concerning AA, this would be the one. Robert F. Hale

I read this book about 5 years ago after walking past it in a book store. It was perfect timing and something I needed to read. One or two of the case histories are about pure emotional/financial/control type of abuse. This book helped me understand the overall pattern of abuse that can play out in more obvious domestic violence, or more subtle patterns of emotional intimidation. It helped me "get out".

This book proivdes and understanding to those who have never been abused. It provides information that helps one to see why women leave and go back to abusive relationships.

This was such a good book. I had to buy this book as a required text for a class I was taking. I recommended this book to every woman I knew. It's perfect for people who are wanting to understand the warning signs of domestic violence in order to help a loved one.

Getting Out shows us how easy it is to be "reeled in" to a relationship that is abusive and the various reasons women tend to stay for so long when they know it "just doesn't feel right." Goetting uses the narratives of women who have been able to get themselves out of and stay out of abusive relationships. The life stories of these women are sometimes heart wrenching, but also very powerful and show the reader how strong women are to survive the relationship, get out of it, and make new lives for themselves. I am currently using this book in my women's studies class and would recommend it for the classroom and to give to friends for gifts.

I just received on 8/1/2005, packaged well, shipped fast and the product is VERY NICE. Thank you very much. =)

I loved Mrs. Revell's testimonial book of her life! It showed that through struggles and tragedies God is always there to protect you! I've had the privelage to hear her speak and talk to her. Her book was and is an inspiration to me and to all women!

Ms. Revell offers a clear illustration of God's majestic power in her own life. Rather than use her childhood pain as an excuse to repeat the cycle of abuse or turn against God, she sought His face continually. Glenda came to the awesome realization that God did not forsake her in those darkest times, but rather used the events of her life to draw her ever nearer to Him. Her honesty and openess is clearly a sign of God's working in her life. She is an inspiration and an encouragement for women who have experienced her type of pain. Likewise, women who have not experienced the abuses Glenda Revell endured should also read this book so that they might better serve the women around them who are suffering. It can only lead to a greater understanding and relationship with our Lord and with the women whom we need to minister to.

Glenda writes as if your sitting in the room with her as she is telling you this personal and often times tragic circumstances in her life. However, Glenda makes sure you know that it was all for a purpose. How through it all God's hand was in it. All He allowed to happen to her was to bring her to Himself.

Her testimony will move you to praising Jesus for who He is and thanking Him for His willingness of dying on the cross for us.

I have heard Glenda tell her testimony in person which is even more amazing than reading about it!

I think everyone should read this book especially every teenager. The wrighter of this journal went through just about everything. I could only imagine how it felt. Some of my peers at school read some short segments of Go Ask Alice and they couldn't believe how true and explictedly described it was. I also think this book could wake up some teens in this world and it could let them know that no matter what some of their peers may say drugs are not cool and they can ruin everything you want and everthing you have going for yourself just like it did for the writer of Go Ask Alice.

This book fills a definite need for adolescents. It presents the facts, not fallacy, to all of the questions they have that parents and other caregivers may be too embarrassed to talk about. It is from an extremely reputable source (Columbia University), and is readable and accessible to the average teen. Kudos to the people who put together "The Go Ask Alice Book of Answers".

The review dated May 9, 1999 is not germain to this book, having a similar title to an earlier fictional book simply titled Go Ask Alice.

This book illustrates and discusses issues regarding healthy practices on many levels.

At www.goaskalice.columbia.edu, there is one of the best sources for advice on sex, relationships, and health for people ages 14 and up. This book is the print version.

It has nothing to do with the adolescent potboiler written by Beatrice Sparks; its information on drugs and sex is technical, explicit, and meant to give answers, not scare people. The gamut of advice given runs from flirting to penis size to the effects of various drugs on the body to urinary tract infections, and it's delivered with humor and understanding, without the judgementalism that seems to be the case in many more traditional books.

While I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who hasn't hit their 13th birthday yet, this book is an antidote for prudishness and the information vacuum far too many young people live in, and in a world where basic information on sex and life can often be hard to find or heavily polluted by unnecessary moralism, this book can help ease fears and educate the uneducated in a way that scare stories and sermons can't.

In my opinion, there are four post-12-step classics: Marlatt's "Harm Reduction," Peele's "Diseasing of America," Miller & Rollnick's "Motivational Interviewing," and Tatarsky's "Harm Reduction Psychotherapy." My suggestion - buy all four, read all four.

Marlatt's "Harm Reduction" is a historically first (if I am not mistaken) overview of harm reduction paradigm. Peele's "Diseasing of America" is an intense but poignant critique of the 12-step "recovery industry." Miller & Rollnick's "Motivational Interviwing" is a primer on harnessing pseudo-resistance and leveraging motivation for change. Tatarsky's "Harm Reduction Psychotherapy" is a straight-forward harm reduction application book that starts its chapters from a panoramic bird's-eye view and then clinically bomb-dives into the application specifics.

The book consists of 10 chapters, each consists of a nuanced analysis of the issues at hand with a relevant and indepth case study. Like all harm-reduction literature the book bristles with humanistic courage: it meets the clients "really" where they are, it validates the existential and adaptive valence of substance use, it encourages a clinically "libertarian" stance of respecting clients' goals, it bridges harm reduction with psychoanalysis and cognitive-behavioral schools of thought, it humanizes the substance use population by debunking the preconceived notions and assumptions that still bias so many of the front-line substance use providers, and most importantly the book reminds us that harm reduction is nothing new, that, in essence, it is not a new paradigm but a return to the good ol' humanistic, non-reductionistic, non-oversimplifying, client-centered clinical stance.

I remember one of my first practicum sites. I was sharing - no, not an office wall, - a hallway with a Certified Addiction Counselor. This counselor, bless his good intentions, literally yelled and screamed at his clients loud enough for my own clients - across the hallway and behind the tightly shut door - to raise their brows. I don't mean to say that all CACs are like that. But this one - with Orwellian orthodoxy - was toeing a party line of abstinence with the cheer-leading vigor of the Volga bargemen, intoxicated with his own rightseousness...

Tatarsky's book offers the dichotomizing "preachers" of the 12 Steps a humanistic out - by recognizing a whole spectrum of grey in between the black and white extremes of Abuse-Abstinence continuum, substance use clinicians no longer have to yell - in frustration - that anything that isn't white must be therefore black. Tatarsky's book reminds us not to over-simplify the meaning of substance use and illustrates this point particularly well in Ch. 5: "Complex Problems Require Complex Solutions."

Tatarsky's "Harm Reduction Psychotherapy" is about that client-centered therapeutic silence that allows the clinician to tune in to the subtle winds of change that draft in between clients' pseudo-resistence responses.

As such, Tatarsky's book is a rehab for those who run rehabs!


Pavel Somov, Ph.D.
Author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, Nov. 2008) - a harm-reduction application to emotional eating; and author of "Recovery Equation: Motivational Enhancement/Choice Awareness/Use Prevention: an Innovative Clinical Curriculum for Susbstance Use Treatment (Booksurge, 2003).


http://www.eatingthemoment.com/logotherapy-addiction/
http://www.eatingthemoment.com/psychodrama-addiction/
www.drsomov.com

Those of us who struggle to control our own alcohol or drug use, or who live with someone who is trying to cut down or quit, may greet the harm reduction approach, persuasively presented by Dr. Andrew Tatarsky, as good news indeed. A practicing psychotherapist, Tatarsky is concerned with meeting clients "where they live": In the context of drug and alcohol abuse, this entails exploring the meanings these substances hold for the individual user and grounding the therapy in the process of self-discovery---rather than requiring abstinence from the outset, which is the traditional "one-size-fits-all" approach to counseling.

The book describes ten cases, each from a different therapist who practiced "harm reduction" in treating his or her client. Many readers will be both riveted and moved by the experience of peering into these intimate sessions. The stories are well told (if somewhat unevenly written), and their subjects come across as real people. Even more compelling is Tatarsky's framing commentary, which draws out the significance of each case: the complex interaction of personal and social factors that led this particular individual to seek meaning (liberation, escape, validation) in drug use.

As to alcohol abuse, which is a component in most of these case studies, the harm reduction approach is controversial in not prescribing an outcome from the start. It flies in the face of conventional wisdom, which holds that "problem drinkers" (read, alcoholics-in-the-making) lose control after just one or two drinks. The individuals portrayed so appealingly in this book are empowered by their therapists to explore the space between quitting altogether and drinking to excess. About half of them achieve stable moderation; the others discover for themselves that abstinence is the more comfortable and successful route to reducing the harm in their lives.

Readers who are not clinicians but worry about these matters will find fresh insights in this accessible introduction to harm reduction. Personal change is an intensely emotional journey best undertaken in the company of a wise therapist or caring support group. The book should be read by every psychotherapist, social worker, and counselor who deals with problems of substance abuse, directly or indirectly---that would be just about all of them. Then, they might wish to recommend the book to those of their clients who are ready for it. This layperson was able to identify with both clients and clinicians, engaged together in life-changing work.

Andrew Tatarsky and his contributors have brought the honesty, the sympathy, and the efficacy of harm reduction into the treatment of substance users, and it's about time!

"Just Say No" has failed 95% of drug users who seek treatment to have better control over their life and their substance use. It has failed them because drug use is not a disease, and abstinence is not a cure. Men and women (and young men and young women) use drugs for their benefits, although drugs, of all kinds --licit and illicit-- are not without their risks.

However the risk of developing a drug (and/or alcohol) problem does not derive solely from the drug. Tens of millions of people have had positive experiences with alcohol, marijuana, opiates, and psychydelic substances. Doesn't it make sense to identify what internal and what external factors cause a particular individual to suffer from a drug problem, rather than proclaiming drug use itself as a sickness.

Standard abstinence therapies and their institutions function by glorifying guilt, helplessness, and continuous self degradation. Standard abstinence therapy fails the overwhelming majority of people.

Tatarsky's book demonstrates, through well written and sympathetic case studies, another way to help people who have problems with their drug use, and it seems to be a better way. This book can make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people.

This book is wonderful. It gives me a new way to understand my clients struggling with abstinence from using substances. I love the case examples.