The disease of addiction affects 1 out of 10 people in the United States, and is a devastating—often, fatal—illness. Now, from the physician director of the renowned Betty Ford Center, comes a step-by-step plan with a realistic “one-day-at-a-time” approach to a disease that so often seems insurmountable. With a focus on reclaiming the power that comes from a life free of dependency, Being Sober walks readers through the many phases of addiction and recovery without judgment or the overly "cultish" language of traditional 12-step plans. It also addresses the latest face of this disease: the "highly functioning" addict, or someone who is still able to achieve personal and professional success even as they battle a drug or alcohol problem. Dr. Haroutunian tackles this provocative issue head-on, offering new insight into why you don’t have to “bottom out” to get help. Dr. Haroutunian is himself a recovering alcoholic and knows firsthand the challenges of sobriety. His background and expertise in the field of alcohol and drug treatment give him a powerful edge and perspective that is unparalleled in his field. Using clear, straightforward language, Being Sober offers a proven path toward an emotional sobriety and a rewarding new life based on gratitude, dignity, and self-respect. Including a Foreword written by Steven Tyler.

The long-awaited sequel to THE UNEXPECTED JOY OF BEING SOBER 'Exquisite' - Fearne Cotton, Happy Place 'A paean to the longer-term pleasures of staying booze-free' - The Guardian 'The kind of book that changes lives, and very possibly saves them' - The Lancet Psychiatry 'A reflective, raw and riveting read. A beautiful book on what it takes to root for yourself' - Emma Gannon, Ctrl Alt Delete 'No other author writes about sober living with as much warmth or emotional range as Catherine Gray. Her deep insight into the subtle psychologies of drinking, and of life, means that everything she writes is both utterly relatable and stretches our minds. Hers is a rare wisdom.' - Dr Richard Piper, CEO, Alcohol Change UK What's it like to give up drinking forever? We know now that being teetotal for one, three, even twelve months brings surprising joys and a recharged body... but nothing has been written about going years deep into being alcohol-free. As Catherine Gray, author of runaway success The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, streaks towards a decade sober, she explores this uncharted territory in her trademark funny, disruptive and warm way. This is a must-read for anyone sober-curious, whether they've put down the bottle yet or not. Praise for The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: 'Fascinating' - Bryony Gordon 'Truthful, modern and real' - Stylist 'Brave, witty and brilliantly written' - Marie Claire 'Gray's tale of going sober is uplifting and inspiring' - Evening Standard 'Not remotely preachy' - Sunday Times 'Jaunty, shrewd and convincing' - Sunday Telegraph 'Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying' - Guardian 'An empathetic, warm and hilarious tale from a hugely likeable human' - The Lancet Psychiatry

"Honest, direct, comprehensive, and practical." --Bestselling author Mary Pipher "Kelly Madigan Erlandson’s book will help many who are beginning their trudge on the road to happy destiny." --Christopher Kennedy Lawford, author of Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption Already hailed as "a thoughtful and comprehensive guide to those early, crucial days of sobriety," this groundbreaking new book is different from anything else on the market. As an alcohol and drug counselor for more than 20 years who has helped thousands into recovery, the author does not focus on trying to diagnose the problem; instead, she compassionately guides you through the first 30 days of sobriety--the most crucial part of recovery. She gives you practical, day-by-day advice for becoming and staying sober--from removing alcohol and alcohol-related items from your house to picking the recovery program that fits your needs.

Would life be better without alcohol? It’s the nagging question more and more of us are finding harder to ignore, whether we have a “problem” with alcohol or not. After all, we yoga. We green juice. We meditate. We self-care. And yet, come the end of a long work day, the start of a weekend, an awkward social situation, we drink. One glass of wine turns into two turns into a bottle. In the face of how we care for ourselves otherwise, it’s hard to avoid how alcohol really makes us feel… terrible. How different would our lives be if we stopped drinking on autopilot? If we stopped drinking altogether? Really different, it turns out. Really better. Frank, funny, and always judgment free, Sober Curious is a bold guide to choosing to live hangover-free, from Ruby Warrington, one of the leading voices of the new sobriety movement. Drawing on research, expert interviews, and personal narrative, Sober Curious is a radical take down of the myths that keep so many of us drinking. Inspiring, timely, and blame free, Sober Curious is both conversation starter and handbook—essential reading that empowers readers to transform their relationship with alcohol, so we can lead our most fulfilling lives.

“The Funny Thing About Being Sober” is the punchline to "You Can't Die: A Day of Clarity." It contrasts, in a humorous, sometimes explicit way, the difference between life now, and life before rehab. Drunk or sober, the author is weird. Those around him are surprised to learn that he's even weirder sober than he was drunk. Soon after leaving rehab, the author learns what he long-suspected -- that, for decades, his alcoholism masked a different illness, one that he would now have to confront in sobriety. He does it mockingly, with an irreverent attitude and a steady stream of pranks, stunts and childish behavior, some of which make the news and go viral on Reddit and Buzzfeed. The author concedes that there was nothing funny about the final, shocking years of his alcoholism. In fact, as time goes by, he is stunned by how much he missed when he was drinking. Even though he got sober in 2013, he is baffled when he learns that many of his favorite 90s musicians died twenty years earlier. The author nearly died from alcoholism. At the time, he knew he was dying and accepted it. Having recovered, he refuses to accept his new diagnosis, opting instead to defeat it his own way. Instead of hiding his peculiarities, he puts them front and center. He is not afraid of stigmas, which makes his stories and observations of life thought-provoking and wildly entertaining.

From the internationally bestselling author of The Etymologicon, a lively and fascinating exploration of how, throughout history, each civilization has found a way to celebrate, or to control, the eternal human drive to get sloshed “An entertaining bar hop though the past 10,000 years.”—The New York Times Book Review Almost every culture on earth has drink, and where there’s drink there’s drunkenness. But in every age and in every place drunkenness is a little bit different. It can be religious, it can be sexual, it can be the duty of kings or the relief of peasants. It can be an offering to the ancestors, or a way of marking the end of a day’s work. It can send you to sleep, or send you into battle. Making stops all over the world, A Short History of Drunkenness traces humankind’s love affair with booze from our primate ancestors through to the twentieth century, answering every possible question along the way: What did people drink? How much? Who did the drinking? Of the many possible reasons, why? On the way, learn about the Neolithic Shamans, who drank to communicate with the spirit world (no pun intended), marvel at how Greeks got giddy and Sumerians got sauced, and find out how bars in the Wild West were never quite like in the movies. This is a history of the world at its inebriated best.

The first general consumer book ever on the powerful, award-winning, scientifically proven new system of intervention that is turning the recovery field on its head. Historically there have been few options available for individuals seeking help for treatment-resistant loved ones suffering from substance abuse. Co-author Dr. Robert Meyers spent ten years developing a treatment program that helps concerned significant others bth improve the quality of their lives and learn how to make treatment an attractive option for their partners who are substance abusers. Get Your Loved One Sober describes this multi-faceted program that uses supportive, non-confrontational methods to engage substance abusers into treatment. Called Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), the program uses scientifically validated behavioral principles to reduce the loved one's substance use and to encourage him or her to seek treatment. Equally important, CRAFT also helps loved ones reduce personal stress and introduce meaningful, new sources of satisfaction into their life. Key Features: --CRAFT is more effective than other types of interventions.This breakthrough new system is sweeping the recovery field. This is its first introduction to the general public. --Contains simple exercises readers can practice at their own pace, with no costly or heart-breaking interventions. --Proven successful for numerous addictions, not just alcoholism.

In this honest discussion of mental health, the founder of Therapy for Women explores our reasons for drinking alcohol—and the benefits of taking a break. When “retired party girl” and popular therapist Amanda White admitted she was an alcoholic, it wasn’t because she’d done something outrageous while under the influence, like land herself in jail or get married in Vegas. It was because she realized three things: 1. Alcohol was making her life worse. 2. Moderation wasn’t helping. 3. She could not be a therapist if she continued to use alcohol to numb her life. Something needed to change—not just her relationship with alcohol, but her relationship with herself. Choosing not to drink can be daunting. It’s everywhere in our culture, our socializing, and our destressing. And it can seem black or white: you drink, or you don’t (and if you don’t, people ask why). That’s where Not Drinking Tonight comes in. Judgement-free and relatable, Amanda helps you unpack your relationship with alcohol by showing you how to: Find out why you drink. Whether it’s a glass of wine after work or a weekly bar crawl, your drinking habits can be the result of everything from biology to trauma. Heal your relationship with alcohol. Understand how your relationships have been affecting your life, and learn how to set boundaries and create true self care. Build the sober life you love. Learn what comes next—how to maintain your social life, navigate sex and relationships, and love yourself. Not Drinking Tonight isn’t a program to stop drinking. It’s the first book to help you address the root issues that cause you to reach for a drink, and create a life you love—one that is not perfect, but is messy and real and one you are fully present for.

This is an important book that will benefit large numbers of alcoholics. Its positive message so effectively presented will fill a great need.--Norman Vincent Peale.

In this hopeful and useful guide, Dr. John MacDougall explains how to maintain our spiritual condition so that we can remain reliably sober, and come to restore our relationships with God, ourselves, and those we love. By practicing the spiritual principles of the Twelve Step programs, and making a daily commitment to our program of recovery, we reliably become happy. Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Staying Sober Chapter 2: Spirituality and Recovery Chapter 3: Surrender and Trust Chapter 4: Practice What Principles Chapter 5: Spiritual Recovery from Trauma and Abuse Chapter 6: Love and Romance Chapter 7: Hope Chapter 8: Finding Joy in Life Chapter 9: Becoming Happy Advance reviews for Being Sober and Becoming Happy: THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN BY A BRILLIANT MIND WITH A GIFT FOR HUMOR, CLARITY, ORIGINALITY, AND MOST IMPORTANT -SIMPLICITY. IN MY OPINION, NO BETTER BOOK HAS BEEN WRITTEN ON RELAPSE PREVENTION AND THE 12 STEPS SINCE THE BIG BOOK. THE AUTHOR HAS SPENT 30 YEARS IN AL-ANON, NA AND AA AND KNOWS WHAT HELPS - AND WHAT DOESN'T - BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS. OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE, THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION FOR US ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN RECOVERY FROM ANY SORT OF SUFFERING. George E, Vaillant MD Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Author of Spiritual Evolution "As we realize we have a God, rather than we are gods, we get to stop trying to control life, and we get to simply live life instead. I've decided that my life is unmanageable only when I am trying to manage it. My life isn't meant to be managed, it is meant to be lived." This quote is one of the hundreds of pithy ideas from John MacDougall's new book, the book you are soon to be engrossed in. His insights, and they materialize with ease on every page, are amazing and I've loved hearing him share them in meetings and on the "circuit" for years. But having all that wisdom, told with humor at times, but with clarity always, in one place is what makes this book invaluable. John simply gets to the core of any issue with such ease, and he makes himself understood with little work on the reader's part. He writes, or speaks, and we listen and learn with our hearts and minds. John MacDougall has been instrumental in the lives of so many people, those in the fellowship and those who have simply been lucky enough to share a few moments of his time while passing through some stage of life. He doesn't reserve his gift of understanding how life works, life without alcohol or pills but always with a God of one's understanding, for any one group of people. John is simply "the whole package," wherever you meet him; on the pages of a book or in a meeting or an auditorium. You get him whole, unfiltered and erupting always with knowledge, wisdom, humor and a loving heart. Every time you are in his presence, you come away knowing more about the 12 Steps and how to live them, and with the backdrop of humor that helps to make the information even more significant. I love this book! Even after 37 years in Alcoholics Anonymous and a few more than that in Al-Anon, I found myself jotting down insights for my own edification, and to share with others. That's what spending any time with John is like. We are never too old to take on a new idea, one that not only benefits us but every single person who is crossing our path quite by divine appointment, today or any tomorrow. John has gotten better with age, with his commitment to the work of helping others, and his passion for passing on that which he has learned. Every one who chooses to gather even an inkling of the wisdom in these pages will bring benefit to the world we all share. Thank you, John. Thank you for helping every one of us make a difference in this life through the application of the principles you so completely embody. Karen Casey, Ph.D., author of Each Day A New Beginning. See www.womens-spirituality.com