Pre-Owned Alternatives to Abstinence: A New Look at Alcoholism and the Choices in Treatment (Paperback) 1578261139 9781578261130

Is AA the Only Way? Are twelve-step programs the only option for people who want to overcome a drinking problem? If not, do all other treatment methods base their approach on the theory that alcoholism is an irreversible disease? If it is a disease, then why do most general practitioners fail to diagnose it? And why don't medical doctors treat it? If You Have a Drinking Problem, You Do Have Options These are just some of the thought-provoking questions explored in this fascinating new look at alcoholism. People really do have many options when deciding how best to beat their drinking problems. In fact, at least a dozen alternative treatment approaches have been found to be at least as effective as twelve-step programs. Most of these methods do not require their clients to think of themselves as permanently diseased, nor do they require people to adopt a goal of lifelong abstinence as a prerequisite to treatment. By helping people who want to cut back their drinking do so, these methods avoid time-consuming and often counterproductive arguments over the need for abstinence. Abstinence is a goal that not only may turn away people in need of help, but may also be unnecessary in order to eliminate their problems. These alternative approaches help drinkers restore their sense of well-being and self-control over many aspects of their lives, not over just their drinking habits.