Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous. In that tradition, the author has decided to withhold her last name on this book which chronicles her gradual spiritual transformation from the first day she walked into an AA meeting until nine months later. It includes dreams, personal accounts of spiritual experiences, and reflections on topics discussed in AA as well as in books that the author found helpful in her spiritual quest that began well before AA. This sensitive account is meaningful to anyone who may have deep spiritual longing. The author gradually moves from feeling totally broken to a life of renewal and hope. It includes practical tools for living such as blessing others and asking God for personal change in the face of troubling personal relationships. It is hoped that it will help you along your own personal spiritual path.

Inspiring stories from those who encountered life-changing blessings from seemingly unimportant events. "Why try?" we sometimes ask ourselves when faced with the uncertainties and hard work of recovery. But the answers are all around us, in the rich and spirited lives of those who have made the journey before us, each one a member of the joyful possibilities that await. These possibilities come alive in Gifts of Sobriety, a book that gives immediate meaning to the Big Book's promise: "We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness." In this book, Gifts of Sobriety, those who have freed themselves of alcohol or drug addiction share the gifts that sobriety has given them. Their stories are, in turn, a gift--for those who have made the journey and for those who, just embarking, seek gladdening news of the good life to come

A 75th anniversary e-book version of the most important and practical self-help book ever written, Alcoholics Anonymous. Here is a special deluxe edition of a book that has changed millions of lives and launched the modern recovery movement: Alcoholics Anonymous. This edition not only reproduces the original 1939 text of Alcoholics Anonymous, but as a special bonus features the complete 1941 Saturday Evening Post article “Alcoholics Anonymous” by journalist Jack Alexander, which, at the time, did as much as the book itself to introduce millions of seekers to AA’s program. Alcoholics Anonymous has touched and transformed myriad lives, and finally appears in a volume that honors its posterity and impact.

Addiction recovery doesn't happen all at once-it's something that must be worked for, every day. Written by two mindfulness and addiction experts, The Gift of Recovery offers quick, in-the-moment tips and tricks to help readers cope with daily stress and stay firmly on the path to wellness. With this gentle, easy-to-use guide, readers will learn how to navigate relationships, take time for self-care, and build a mindful, sustainable, and joyful recovery.

The Book That Started It All Hardcover

About the Book Trouble Is a Gift is the story of a recovered alcoholic who humbly asked for help in finding a purpose and meaning in his life, whose prayer was answered, and who then turned his dream into a reality devoted to the care and treatment of millions of sick and suffering addicts and alcoholics. James S. Cusack, alcoholic, caregiver, and astute businessman, recounts his inner struggles and self-doubt, the stages of his recovery from alcohol addiction, and the moment of clarity when his mission came to light and he saw how, with the help of God and a Twelve-Step program, he could fulfill his purpose. Cusack writes with candor and sincerity of his early upbringing in Manhattan, his family s move to Queens, and his boyhood as a tough street kid; then takes us through his difficult times in the U.S. Air Force, where he discovered the therapeutic value of discipline; and through the hard-drinking years that followed his Honorable Discharge and led to his sobriety. In the early years of his recovery, Jim focused mainly on getting sober, working and enjoying success in the trucking business and insurance sales. In time, he began helping others to sober up, meeting with them in the back room of a candy store in Astoria, Queens, and touching their lives with the love, warmth, and honesty that had been given to him. Feeling an ever-greater need to find his mission in life, in 1965, Jim brought his prayer for direction to the Shrine of North American Martyrs, in Auriesville, New York. Shortly thereafter, his prayer was answered when he was hired to manage Glen Acre Lodge in Glen Spey, NY, one of the very earliest retreat centers for alcoholics. As the success of his work gained attention, Jim became part-owner of the Lodge and landed his first big account with the New York City Police Department with the help of Msgr. Joseph Dunn, who developed the Department s Employee Assistance Program. In time, fireman, sanitation workers, and other city employees suffering from alcoholism were also sent to Jim for help getting sober. Jim s story continues through numerous twists, turns, and fateful encounters, including his first meeting with Sue, now his wife and partner in his life work, and several changes of location before coming upon the resort in the Catskills that is now known as Villa Veritas. About the Author A pioneer in the field of chemical dependency treatment, James S. Cusack, CASAC, NCAC II, NCRS, offers his story as an example to all those brave individuals determined to overcome obstacles and turn liabilities into assets. Himself a recovered alcoholic of 60 years, Jim learned through helping other alcoholics find their way to sobriety that the gift is in the giving, and made his service his career. In his 50 years working with those suffering from chemical dependency, Jim has received countless honors acknowledging his groundbreaking accomplishments. In 1981, he and his wife Sue closed on the purchase of a Catskill resort which, through their dedicated efforts, has become Villa Veritas. In 2011, Jim and Sue established the Villa Veritas Foundation, Inc., to safeguard their mission and carry on a 40-year legacy of helping and caring for the chemically dependent. Jim serves as chairman of the board of Villa Veritas Foundation, Inc., and Sue, as Foundation president. They are committed to maintaining their hands-on, individualized approach to ensure that each of the thousands of alcoholics and addicts who pass through the Villa every year receives the love, care, and opportunity to find a new life in recovery he or she deserves. Jim, at age 83, continues to do what every recovered alcoholic with a mission should be doing: He s living one day at a time, and planning his next endeavor.

Most addictive behavior is rooted in some type of loss, be it the death of a loved one, coming to terms with limitations set by chronic health problems, or the end of a relationship. By turning to drugs and alcohol, people who have suffered a loss can numb their grief. In the process, they postpone their healing and can drive themselves further into addiction. The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction offers readers an effective program for working through their addiction and grief with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Created by a psychologist who works for the Department of Veterans Affairs and a marriage and family therapist who works for Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital, this mindfulness training workbook is effective for treating the emotion dysregulation, stress, depression, and grief that lie at the heart of addiction. No matter the loss, the mindfulness skills in this workbook help readers process their grief, determine the function their addiction is serving, and replace the addiction with healthy coping behaviors.

A Secular Sobriety will help alcoholics and addicts to understand the fellowship and program of Alcoholics Anonymous "without having to accept anyone else's beliefs or having to deny their own." It includes a secular and non-sexist version of the first 164 pages of the Big Book bringing a 78 year old text into the 21st century. A Secular Sobriety brings truth to AA's claim to be "spiritual, but not religious." The author offers insightful commentary regarding AA's fellowship, program, organization and its primary text. Succeeding over the misery of addiction is within the reach of any person regardless of personal beliefs. There is no reason for religious conversion to be a part of any 12 Step program.

Father Ralph Pfau, known originally as Father "John Doe" traces the spiritual roots of Alcoholics Anonymous and explains the fundamental and enduring truths contained in the Twelve Steps. This is a wonderful resource for discovering the spiritual contentment, mental peace and everyday joys to be found in the Twelve Steps.

Full of useful suggestions, insights and solutions for newcomers, this book features stories by AA members about what helped them get sober and successfully navigate early sobriety.