Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31453 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-27
• Released on: 2004-07-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this straightforward self-help guide, psychologist and addiction therapist Peele (The Truth about Addiction and Recovery) argues that, contrary to popular belief, the best way to overcome addiction is not through treatment in rehab centers or in formal groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, but rather through self-efficacy and self-reliance. "Successful therapies," he writes, "place the responsibility for changing your addictive behavior on you." Citing statistics from numerous studies, such as one that looked at heroin-addicted American soldiers in the Vietnam War, Peele points out that people quit addictions every day without any professional assistance. In fact, he says, research shows that alcoholics who do not enter treatment programs are more likely to quit abusing alcohol than those who do enter treatment. (Groups such as AA, Peele says, endorse themselves by telling members that there is no recovery without their programs, and so when members believe that they cannot successfully beat their addictions alone, they quickly relapse once they stop attending meetings.) Emphasizing a person’s own sense of responsibility as the driving force behind overcoming addiction, Peele’s book outlines seven tools that can serve as a foundation for successful recovery—Values, Motivation, Rewards, Resources, Support, a Mature Identity and Higher Goals—and includes exercises to help readers design their own program. The ultimate goal: to replace the "immature gratifications" of addiction with a "fulfilling, meaningful life" that includes a strong support structure. Peele tells readers that they have the power to create their own world of health and responsibility. His message will no doubt anger the countless Americans who have been helped by AA and other treatment programs, but could prove useful to those reluctant to seek outside help for their addictions.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
STANTON PEELE, Ph.D., J.D., is the author of the groundbreaking books Love and Addiction, Diseasing of America, and The Truth About Addiction and Recovery. An adjunct professor at the New York University School of Social Work and a senior fellow at the Drug Policy Alliance, he has won the Mark Keller Award from the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies and the lifetime scholarship award from the Drug Policy Alliance. Visit his website at www.peele.net.

Customer Reviews

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

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...

Misleading and over-generalization
My personal experiences contradict many claims by the author. Seems like he is trying to sell his services and his books. Methods he suggests did not work for me, but the methods he criticizes are the ones did. Some statements in the book are downright false according to my 17 years of experience with a certain organization. I believe this book may help some idividuals, but will hurt others.