7 Tools to Beat Addiction
DO YOU WANT A LIFE WITHOUT ADDICTION?
Whether you are battling drugs, nicotine, alcohol, food, shopping, sex, or gambling, 7 Tools to Beat Addiction is a hands-on, practical guide to overcoming addiction of any kind. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction but do not find that twelve-step or other treatment programs work for you, this book can help.
In , internationally recognized expert Dr. Stanton Peele presents a program for addiction recovery based on research and clinical study and grounded in science. His program utilizes proven methods that people actually use to overcome addiction, with or without treatment. 7 Tools to Beat Addiction offers in-depth, interactive exercises that show you how to outgrow destructive habits by putting together the building blocks for a balanced, fulfilling, responsible life. Dr. Peele’s approach is founded on the following tools:
•Values
•Motivation
•Rewards
•Resources
•Support
•Maturity
•Higher Goals
This no-nonsense guide will put you in charge of your own recovery.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Splendidly helpful
As I mention on the book’s jacket, this is an amazing work by an amazing man. The fact that the recommendations inside do not work for every single person IS THE POINT! Just as Dr. Peele emphasizes that many of the current therapies jammed down people’s throats today are clearly not for everyone, no single recommendation inside this book should apply to every single person under every circumstance. Nevertheless, the recurring emphasis on personal values is not only the key to recovery, it’s the key to a fulfilling life. If the thought of incessent meetings and a spiritual path that is inconsistent with your beliefs sounds like it’s not going to work for you, JOIN THE CLUB! You’ll find this book insightful, refreshing, and practical. If you’re already living a life consistent with your values while enjoying connection to a popular fellowship, ENJOY IT! I assure you that you’ll have Dr. Peele’s blessing. But don’t pretend that your path is the only path…
3 Stars Interesting theory, but not enough….
I was trying everything I could think of to stop smoking. Some would have thought I was making too big a deal out of nothing, after all, I only smoked approximately 5 cigarettes a day for only a short time of 8.5 years. What was my problem? Many other people suffer from nicotine addictions for 20 or 30 years at 2 or 3 packs a day! And besides, cigarettes aren’t “that bad” for you….yeah, I’d heard it all. In fact, these types of things were what I told myself when my internal anxiety was bothering me. But I was desperate. I’d tried to quit numerous times, each time failing and feeling completely discouraged. I didn’t think I would ever be able to quit. EVER. But after some internet searches about quitting smoking, I got just enough encouragement to pull myself up from the gutter.
So I went to the library and got this book and another specifically regarding smoking (easy way…). This book did not help me. Now, I’m sure it might help some. But it really confused me. These seven steps to addiction recovery are very common sense steps. I mean, come on, addicts aren’t stupid. We know that having more community involvement is important and we SHOULD be doing that and we SHOULD stop it, but you don’t just tell an alcoholic to “quit it”, do you? I felt like that is what he was essentially doing here. Maybe I misunderstood, but overall, I felt like he was saying what needed to be done but not HOW. I got the feeling he did not have as much personal experience with addiction as one would think an author writing about addiction recovery would have….
I give it 3 stars because I do think a lot of what he wrote had some merit for a recovering addict who needs help to maintain. Getting to maintenance point is where I felt lost. The other book helped me to understand the logical reasons why I continued to smoke. I figured out that I was believing complete lies. It has taken away my desire to smoke and so willpower doesn’t even come into it.
Overall, I think the book could be helpful if it was titled differently. Perhaps recovery maintenance, as I can see his point regarding AA and always thinking of oneself as an “addict” for the rest of his/her life.
An interesting theory, I’m just not sure it’s realistic. Maybe for some, but it wasn’t for me.
I would recommend:
The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Nonsmokers Using the Easyway Method
4 Stars Great Resource!!!
This is an invaluable resource option for people who have addictions and who may not connect with the traditional 12 step programs offered by AA.
5 Stars Review of 7 Tools to Beat Addiction.
A very good book on the subject of addiction, perhaps by far one of the best. Very helpfull.
5 Stars A great wake-up call
I’ve binge eaten for decades. This addiction has been an albatross around my neck all my adult life. I quit a 2-pack-a-day smoking habit 25 years ago and quitting smoking was nothing compared to trying to quit binge eating. Bingeing has kept me from living my life fully and has comprised my health. I’ve spent much of my life feeling like a member of the ‘living dead.’ I’ve tried every type of therapy, diet, you-name-it, including Overeaters Anonymous to stop this self-destructive behavior.
I loved the camaraderie of OA and being around people who really got how difficult it is to stop bingeing. It’s not a matter of ‘just stop eating so much.’ I didn’t care for the ‘powerless’ part of OA or the idea that eating disorders are a ‘disease.’ Some people I met there go to meetings every single day. To me, that felt like substituting one type of imprisonment for another. Besides, many of the people I met at OA were still bingeing regularly and had experienced little success in beating their addictions. I stopped going.
I would consider going there again to speak with others who understand what it means to have an eating disorder, but not because I have any faith in their methods. I’m a spiritual person with a strong faith in God but the OA message did not resonate with me. ‘Hand my disease over to my higher power? Make amends for all the wrongs I’ve committed?’ Why should I make amends? I know I’m not perfect, but neither is any other human being on the planet. I see no sense in spending time focusing on everything I’ve done wrong in my life. I have always tried to behave in an ethical and loving way toward my fellow man. I’ve fallen short, but I’ved tried to learn from my mistakes and I’ve done my best.
I have not binged every single day of my life and have gone a maximum of four months without bingeing, so how could it be a disease? A diabetic can’t say ‘well today, I’m not going to be diabetic.’ Now that’s a disease, an honest-to-God medical condition. If I can eat normally even for a single day, I can choose to do it again - and again.
I’ve been on an especially long, tough bender for several months, so I sought out some ideas to help me stop. I love this book. It reminded me of what I knew before and forgot - that it’s up to me to stop bingeing. No support group, therapist, family member, etc. can stop me as I’m poised to start wolfing food down. It’s up to me at that moment to say ‘no’ to the urge. To be reminded of how infantile and childish it is to give into my self-destructive urges has shaken me out of my addiction rut. This book was a gentle slap in the face. It has re-awoken me to the reality that I have a choice to binge or not binge. It’s up to me. That makes me feel empowered.
Filed under: Personal Development Book Reviews