1 comments about S.O.B.E.R..

1. S.O.B.E.R. is a spare no issue book regarding the self destructive thinking of the the alcoholic, as well as the possibility of help for recovery. For me, it was helpful in gaining an understanding regarding the hurtful and crazy thinking that so many of us live with.

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5 comments about Healing and Hope.

1. The name Betty Ford is synonymous with addiction-recovery. The six stories in "Healing and Hope" do not disappoint. Millions of readers will connect with the hope, promise and power that spills from these pages. Each story gives a thorough look into the lives of six shattered women who came to Betty Ford's doorstep, looking for recovery from the various addictions that plagued them. In an unusual look into the unique psyche of female addictions, "Healing and Hope" is a must-read for any woman who has struggled with addiction. This is a truly powerful compilation of inspiring and encouraging stories of recovery unlike any I've encountered before.



2. This book made me appreciate for the first time how very difficult it is for an alcoholic/addict to get clean and stay that way. I have a friend who is a recovering alcoholic and this book made me understand at least some of what she went through--and still goes through. All of the women in the book are so impressive--An inspiring read!



3. Betty Ford narrates the stories of six women who have battled alcohol and/or drug addiciton. Each person shares her pain and rebirth into sobriety. This book is a 'must read' for any woman who has or is suffered from addiction. It is very benifical to those who know and love these women. These women, including Mrs. Ford herself, are very open about the pain that addiction has brought to them and all members of their family. They share with us that healing takes place in all members of the family - not just the addicted member.



4. This book comprises the stories of six women who were patients at the Betty Ford Center along with commentary by Mrs. Ford. The book is divided into three sections based on "Dante's Inferno," which includes each woman's descent into the hell of their addictions, their climb into the purgatory of treatment, and the ultimate paradise of going into, and remaining in recovery. The first part of the book was, at times, hard to read as the stories of the six were heart rending. Although I am a male and a family member of mine who is in recovery is a male, I was nonetheless affected by their stories.
   
   Even as they began to recover, relapse was a danger and several, in fact, did relapse. However, with more rehabilitation, they went back into recovery and I hope that all six, since this book was written, have remained sober. My family member in recovery did not go to the Betty Ford Center but to another, equally world class facility. I know how important it is for the alcoholic/addict to work through the 12 steps and this is what is done at the Betty Ford Center and at other reputable rehab centers.
   
   The stories of the six are emotional. They come from different backgrounds but, their disease is very democratic. It affects rich and poor alike. I found myself rooting for each of the six as I read their accounts and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about how frightening and difficult recovering from addiction and alcoholism can be, But, recovery also offers hope and ultimate healing.



5. Having worked at the Betty Ford Center for 11 years I recognized a couple of the women in the book.

No comments about Parents Who Care Too Much: Breaking the Cycle of Codependence When a Child's Dysfunctional Behavior Threatens Your Family's Sanity and Survival.

3 comments about Calling Home.

1. Peter and Mead were best friends until one day They got in an argument and Mead dropped the bottle of alcohol they were sharing. Peter attacked and killed him not really meaning to. He begins to worry about what Meads parents will do because his dad is really sick. He eventually calls Mead's parents on pay phones and every time talked to his mother. Will they ever catch on to him?



2. Michael Cadnum usually writes historical fiction but in this novel he struggles with the challenges of social realism. The book revolves around the theme of alcohol and drug addiction.
   
   At it's best points bristles with emotional authenticity, for example, the conversation betweens Peter, the main character, and his mother when he returns home from a visit to his estranged father's place. Unfortunately Cadnum sometimes fails in his aims. At the beginning of the book he struggles, in the space of one brief chapter, to make the character Mead appear as a life-loving, best friend that everyone would like to know. Instead Cadnum only produces melodrama. The book is only 138 pages long and would have greatly benefited from more text being devoted to establishing this friendship, which is central to the story.
   
   In these days of the craze for unrealistic, teen horror novels more books of this type need to be written. There is nothing wrong with escapism but fiction can encourage the young to think about and meet the challenges of real life. is certainly not a bad effort and deserves appause.



3. Michael Cadnum usually writes historical fiction but in this novel he struggles with the challenges of social realism. The book revolves around the theme of alcohol and drug addiction.
   
   At it's best points bristles with emotional authenticity, for example, the conversation betweens Peter, the main character, and his mother when he returns home from a visit to his estranged father's place. Unfortunately Cadnum sometimes fails in his aims. At the beginning of the book he struggles, in the space of one brief chapter, to make the character Mead appear as a life-loving, best friend that everyone would like to know. Instead Cadnum only produces melodrama. The book is only 138 pages long and would have greatly benefited from more text being devoted to establishing this friendship, which is central to the story.
   
   In these days of the craze for unrealistic, teen horror novels more books of this type need to be written. There is nothing wrong with escapism but fiction can encourage the young to think about and meet the challenges of real life. is certainly not a bad effort and deserves appause.

No comments about Let Go and Grow: Recovery for Adult Children of Alcoholics.

No comments about The American Psychiatric Press Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment.

4 comments about The Opposite of Everything Is True: Reflections on Denial in Alcoholic Families.

1. This humorous, and often painful, account of one man's struggle with addiction and alcohol, is a must-read for anyone dealing with family codependence, or the frustration and anger of living with a substance abuser. It is an insightful, forgiving, and gentle recollection of the reversal of one's march towards self-destruction. Along with Melody Beatty's "Codependent No More" series of books, and those of Toby Rice Drews and Vernon E. Johnson, this gem should be part of everyone's recovery library.



2. Did you grow up with an alcoholic parent? Then without question you will find yourself in this book. It's almost too painful to read.

   Crisman's insights are gently delivered, but still, they slap the reader in the face. Was it really like that when I was growing up? Did I let myself get assigned to that particular role? Is this why my brothers/sisters are this way?

   I don't wander around in ACA circles, so don't know to what extent this book affects others who grew up in comparable families. But for me, reading ``The Opposite of Everything is True'' was a life-changing event. For the first time ever I realized I was not alone, that the peculiarities within my family weren't caused because I'd been a bad child. I felt like Crisman cut free the shackles binding me to the past.




3. Somehow I became the owner of two copies of this book but that didn't make it any less useless. I found the writing convuluted, the insights confusing, the constant references to the authors pets as models of mental health--couldn't he speak about people instead of his constantly harping on his dog? disturbing. Readers interested in learning about the dynamics of the alchoholic family are far better off skipping this one and going straight to the consistently excellent work of Toby Rice Drews.



4. ....this is a book I read many years ago and do reccommend to anybody that desires to learn how the dynamics of your dumb dysfunctional family works, and then you can be better able to understand it. If for no other reason, so you can go on and enjoy your life as it was meant to be.

No comments about Alcoholism in the Elderly: Social and Biomedical Issues (Aging).

No comments about This Strange Illness: Alcholism and Bill W..