Product Description

In a career spent working with people who want to change their drinking habits, Michael S. Levy has found that the routes to behavioral change vary: abstinence is the successful route for many people, while others can moderate their drinking on their own or with professional help. In this book, he helps people take control of their alcohol problems by teaching them how to think about and address their drinking habits.

Beginning with a set of self-assessments that reveal whether the reader's use of alcohol is creating problems, Levy explains the causes of problem drinking and why it is so difficult to change. He also offers

* guidelines so readers can decide whether to try to moderate their drinking or to choose abstinence* a contract for moderate drinking in which readers decide what they will drink, how often and how much they will drink, and the situations they need to avoid * advice for coping with slip-ups * tools for fighting helplessness and the fear of failure* guidelines for knowing when moderation is not achievable

Many people are able to overcome their drinking problems without any formal help; Levy stresses the importance of personal commitment in this effort. For those who are unable to moderate their drinking, he provides comprehensive and compassionate guidelines and resources for abstaining.

This book empowers people to tackle their drinking problems and gives them the freedom to do so in a way that fits with their own lifestyles and values.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #177576 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780801886683
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review

"A tremendous resource for individuals who drink too much and have some negative effects from their drinking but who are not significantly alcohol dependent. Levy does an excellent job of helping readers determine if they have an alcohol problem and sets up very clear and simple steps to moderate drinking for those who are not better recommended to an abstinence lifestyle." -- Andrew F. Angelino, M.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

"Taking a self-help approach, Levy... has produced a fine resource for those willing to take a look at their relationship with the bottle." -- Paul Efthim, PhD, New England Psychologist

About the Author

Michael S. Levy, Ph.D., is the director of Clinical Treatment Services at CAB Health & Recovery Services, Inc. He is a lecturer in psychiatry at the Cambridge Health Alliance and at Harvard Medical School, and he maintains a private practice in psychotherapy. He writes extensively on substance abuse and its treatment.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The CAGE Screening Tool

If you answer "yes" to one or more of these questions, you may have a drinking problem.

Have you ever felt that you should cut down on your drinking?

Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?

Have you ever had a drink the first thing in the morning to "steady your nerves" or get rid of a hangover?

Customer Reviews

Very helpful guide to control your alcohol use
I teach a college course on alcohol and drug abuse treatment, and I have suggested this book as reading to my class. This book is an easily understandable and user-friendly guide that could help anyone concerned with their alcohol use to either cut down or stop drinking.

Honest and True
It is widely acknowledged that the first step toward recovery is admission of a problem. With this book, Dr. Levy gives us clear and concise tools for addressing that admission, and attaching a reasonable approach to it. If you are willing to take a hard, honest look at your drinking behavior, Dr. Levy has provided a guide to help assess if YOU are all the help that YOU need. Bravo, Dr. Levy, for giving us all a leg up to the first step.

The Support We've Looked For
I believe "Take Control of Your Drinking...And You May Not Have to Quit"
provides a perspective that will allow doors to open that have previously
been slammed shut. To give the option and tools to practice moderation as
opposed to giving up alcohol entirely will encourage some to try change that normally wouldn't. The book doesn't avoid the issue that some must
abstain.
It is a to the point, informative and easy read that allows people who are ready to jump right into the process.
This is a resource that should be in every health practioner's library.