The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure: A Holistic Approach to Total Recovery by Chris Prentiss

by Chris Prentiss

The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure contains the incredible three-step program to total recovery that is the basis of the miraculous success of the Passages Addiction Cure Center in Malibu, California, the world's most successful substance abuse treatment center. While traditional treatments have a relapse rate as high as 80% or 90%, the world-famous Passages has a cure rate of 84.4%. This revolutionary book shows how you or a loved one can follow the same successful program used at Passages with the help of health professionals right where you live. You'll learn the three steps to permanent sobriety, the four causes of dependency, and how to create your own personalized treatment program—one that gets to the real, underlying causes of dependency. The book also shows how your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs are key factors in your recovery and how you can stimulate your body's self-healing potential to be forever free of dependency. The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure will show you how to end relapse, end your craving, and end your suffering.

Genres: Addiction, Self Help, Counselling, Nonfiction

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend of mine gave this to me to help me understand a little more about the problems with my brother. I really wanted to get behind this book, but it read a little too much like a sales brochuer.

The ideas in this book about addiction and alcoholism really resonated with me. I liked the concept that there was something underlying addiction. I liked the idea that addiction was simply a symptom of other issues that needed to be dealt with. It made sense. However, I wonder if that is just the case because I am an outsider looking in.

Also, the fact that the book says essentially that "some people can drink or do drugs recreationally and it isn't a problem, but others that have had an addiction problem can never do them again" makes the whole argument seem like a non sequitur. How is it that someone can be 'cured', but they can't ever go back and do the thing they were addicted to? If they are cured, then they should be able to do it recreationally and it wouldn't be a problem, right?

This leads me to believe that, while there may be underlying problems that triggered the start of an addiction, the addiction itself is indeed a weakness in a person that needs to be dealt with. We can't wash our hands of the weakness just because we have solved the problem. This person still has an underlying and possibly genetic issue that needs to be addressed in addition to whatever psychological disorders they may have.

On top of that, I read a scathing article in the LA Times about Passages. According to this article, a lot of the stats thrown around in the book (the 84% cure rate especially) are complete bullshit. I'm no authority, but it is hard to believe in a place that claims they just want to help people, but charge $30K per month to do it. Rates like that scream extortion...

[Dan Artley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helped me a lot and gave me a new direction in overcoming my addiction problem. I recommend this book to anyone that's struggling with alcoholism or any other type of addiction. This booked gave me hope and helped me to understand the roots of my problems that ignite my addict behaviors.

[Jemima Atar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed some aspects of this book, but others didn’t appeal to me. I agreed with the author’s attitude towards discovering the ‘why’ behind addiction, the viewing of addiction as a coping mechanism, and the hopeful, non-stigmatising, inspirational tone. I also enjoyed some of the discussions surrounding diagnosis and medications, as well as the debates about the ‘disease model’ of addiction. However, I thought the book was a little too simplistic in its outlook that ‘everything that happens to us benefits us’, ‘there’s nothing bad in the world, it’s just our perception of the world’, and that ‘if we just changed our thoughts, we would be happy’. The words ‘cure’ and ‘failure’ (in the context of ‘relapse is failure’) were used a lot, which I didn’t feel totally comfortable with. A significant part of the book covers a first-person perspective of what it is like to be addicted, which I thought was very informative and important for readers. Additionally, a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to healing was discussed, but this felt a little like a grandiose marketing tool, with too many options provided and not enough discussion around how realistic it is for one to actually gain access to such resources! This book might be worth reading, but it is not my favourite book on this subject.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a different perspective to the commonality. A perspective from a person who is not dependent on substances to clearly see and understand the struggle of a person who is dependent on substances. Also, in continuing the sense of perspective, that there are other avenues to achieve a successful recovery than the traditional AA or NA. That being said, if the potential reader is adamant that AA or NA is the only way to achieve recovery, I would not recommend this book to them. Also, if the potential reader is not open to listening to the concept of metaphysics, universal law/law of attraction, treatment through Chinese medicine, acupuncture, etc I would also not recommend this book to them. At first, I thought the frequent mention of the treatment center, Passages, was advertisements to enroll in the facility. However, it follows the concept of the book if the reader believes the program given in the book will allow them to achieve a successful recovery then it will happen. In other words, it follows the quote by Henry Ford, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - either way you're right."

[Dan Lurie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Short story: sure your addiction by having a wealthy father higher every kind of traditional in holistic expert imaginable to tackle your issues 24–7.

Or, if you are, will see you have a great health insurance, sign into the clinic the authors founded.

Or just hire 12 specialists on your own and use the criteria in this book to select them, but – presumably – it’s easier just to sign into the Prentiss clinic.

I wanted to like this book as I hardly agree with the early premises:

One. Addiction is a symptom, not a cause. Identify and treat causes, symptom ought to vanish.

Two. 12 step programs are wonderful, excepting that they have you identifying as an alcoholic/addict for life which is probably awful for your self-esteem.

Of course, you’re more likely to relapse if you have to permanently identifies the kind of person with no impulse control.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 2 out of 5]

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In many ways, this book is a snake in the grass. That is not to say that it is without value, but rather to say that the author takes a while to tip his hand at his true agenda. The book begins with the assumption that the reader is addicted to alcohol or some other substance, and proceeds to attempt to win the sympathies of the reader by discussing, both from the author's view as well as his son's view, that young man's struggle with addiction to heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. The author uses this approach as a way of exploring the deeper roots of addiction and the fact that addiction is almost always a mask for something deeper, a way to self-medicate, seeking to avoid labels as well as condemnation. So far, so good. And then, somewhere around the middle of the book, the author shows his true colors in his attempts to spread Buddhism and other Eastern religious practices. It should be noted that this is by no means a unique problem among this type of literature [1], as it appears the audience of people struggling with anxiety and/or traumatic childhood and/or addictions is ripe for attempted exploitation by various prophets of heathen Eastern religious practices and philosophies, something that ought to be a warning to many people about the crying need for biblical counseling help that avoids demonization.

This book's length at over 300 pages will likely deter readers who are not committed to finishing it. Unfortunately, the structure of the book has all the appearances of a bait and switch, with a lot of short chapters opening the book and then a lengthy chapter towards middle of the book that reveals the author's anti-Christian agenda. The first few chapters give the author's pledge to the reader that a cure for addiction is possible, focus on healing the underlying causes, give Pax Prentiss' account of addiction, discuss the change in the treatment paradigm that the author was seeking to do in his rehab facility, and then briefly discusses the four causes of dependency, the author's chosen word for addiction as it lacks the negative meanings of other terms. It is at this point where the book turns, first when it talks about believing a cure is possible in ways that resemble the sort of false beliefs expressed in "The Secret" and other similar works, and then when the author spends nearly 100 pages talking about what a holistic recovery program looks like, with acupuncture, therapists, Eastern religious specialists, a focus on meditation, and so on. The author presents a false dilemma between Eastern religious beliefs and practices that supposedly correspond to the way the universe works and a Western model that focuses only on drugs, entirely neglecting the reality of sin or the Judeo-Christian religious framework. The book then closes with a discussion of the reader's personal philosophy as well as an ode to a new chapter in life, as the author assumes that having finished the book that the reader is in agreement with him.

There is something in this book that caused me to ponder why it is that Eastern religious approaches are so popular in contemporary America. For one, this has to do with a lot of people who are easily fooled and fond of religious thoughts and ways that seem exotic but that fail to meet the deepest spiritual needs of mankind, and that try to offer spirituality within a sense of sin, which is the strongest appeal of most New Age religious philosophies. Yet the author's approach is one that could only be tried in a country that was well-off and generally safe to live in, as the author's belief that people drew their lives to them through their own thinking would not be feasible to promote in a country where bad things happened, had happened for generations, and where no amount of positive thinking was going to make life any better. This book, and many of the problems it deals with, are the result of affluenza, the realization that one had blessings one did not deserve and did not necessarily want to or believe one could pay for those blessings in good works, that one felt inadequate to what was given, or, alternatively, that one had been treated unjustly and unfairly by life based on seeing others do so much better. Yet although the book strives to deal with root causes, it ignores the root cause of human misery in the sins we commit and the sins that others commit against us.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

[Kristin Smeltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease at 67. His symptoms were shuffling of feet, slurred speech, low volume speech, degradation of handwriting, horrible driving skills, and his right arm is held at 45 degree angle. He was placed on Sinemet for 7 months and then Sifrol and rotigotine were introduced which replaced the Sinemet but he had to stop due to side effects. We tried every shot available but nothing was working. There has been little if any progress in finding a reliable treatment, I quit my meds due to side effects. Our care provider introduced us to Kycuyu Health Clinic Parkinson’s herbal treatment. The treatment is a miracle. My husband has recovered significantly! Visit kycuyuhealthclinic. co m

[Amber Berkhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

As good intentioned as the book was written, it came off as an advertisement for the author's treatment facility, Passages, in book form. It quite frankly told the reader, who was presumed to have an addiction, that there was only one way to recovery - their method. As a clinician who works in the addiction population, I felt myself reading and defending the clinical philosophies of my employer. Clinical treatment facilities need to JOIN together, not pull the field apart.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 1/3 of the book is taken up with how the son went down the addiction highway. The authors believe in the Holistic approach to "Cure" their patients. They also run a "Very Expensive" recovery center. The book is 1 giant advertisement for their center. I am not impressed with their methodology. Read with an open mind and question how you feel about what you have been presented.

[Katrina Bergfalk · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on recovery I have ever read. A refreshing perspective.

[Charisha Cordova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me understand alcoholism & addiction, where it stems from & how to get my life on a good track.

[Rossa Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I write about schizophrenia, not alcoholism, but I find The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure very informative even if alcoholism or addiction is not your particular problem. On the surface, schizophrenia seems to have nothing in common with alcoholism and addiction. There are no 12-step programs for schizophrenia. To begin with, the author doesn't shy away from using the word "cure". He doesn't consider alcoholism or addiction either "incurable" or a "disease". These are symptoms that are coping mechanisms that one has chosen in response to life's pain. Medical professionals who refuse to use the word "cure" in the context of certain mental health problems deprive people of hope and virtually guarantee that their problems are forever managed, never cured.

Mental health professionals are being disingenuous when they say that the cause of schizophrenia or alcoholism or addiction is unknown. Some people will stop right there and think to themselves, "well, if a doctor says this, there's not point in my looking any further." It is true that there is no one neat scientific explanation that can explain away the cause, but that doesn't mean that a cause or causes cannot be found. Chris Prentiss makes a clear cut case for finding the cause of the pain by looking at the problem through the prism of the family story. Through my own research and willingness to undertake psychotherapy, I now have some insight into the cause(s) of my son's problems. The causes are both psychological and physiological. I have developed a working theory that makes sense to me. I may be entirely wrong about what the real causes are, but it doesn't really matter because I have noticed whatever we are doing seems to be working. I can empower healing in my son by changing the way I relate with him, by showing conviction that he will recover, and by understanding that his problems have a context.

Chris Prentiss eventually came to realize that his son's descent into alcoholism and addiction was due to the son's deep rooted anger with his father. The family background that he describes in his book provides a plausible explanation for this outcome. Many people will protest that everybody is angry with their father (or their mother) and that most people who are angry with a parent don't descend into drug addiction. Well, actions do make sense if you care enough to pay attention. There is a logic to life.

Another reason why I like the book is because the author maintains that if you want to get to the bottom of your problems, the multiple therapy approach is best and it works faster. Many people can go for years seeing the same therapist and never become well or else not well enough. This may be because they are undergoing the wrong therapy or perhaps because they do not have a good rapport with the therapist. It also may be because they are told they that they are sick individuals and need lifelong meds.

Since the goal for everyone should be to resolve their problems as quickly as possible, people should be free to pick and choose their therapy and their therapist, and use several different therapy approaches. People should be free to choose but in reality they are not, as I have found trying to introduce other therapies while my son was under the care of a psychiatrist. Just because psychiatry is slowly opening the door to acknowledging the value of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for schizophrenia doesn't mean that CBT should be the only therapy employed. CBT may not work for you. Alcoholics Anonymous may not work for you. Chris Prentiss has shown what worked for his son and he has some valid criticisms of the current institutional approach to handling serious mental health issues.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, yes, it took me nearly three years to finish this book. It is not a book you really want to have to read, but when it became quite apparent that my husband’s brother needed serious intervention with his alcoholism, I tried to educate myself by reading several books and research articles, as well as talking with numerous treatment centers and therapists. He has been through various treatment programs, has been hospitalized numerous times, spent several months last year in jail for a felony DUI, and is currently (at age 46) in a hospital with end-stage liver disease and kidney failure – and death is likely imminent.

Unfortunately, we/he could not have afforded the in-depth (and by all accounts) luxury treatment provided at Passages (the treatment centers owned and operated by Mr. Prentiss and his son), or at any of the other facilities I found which offer a similar experience and treatment beliefs. I am aware that this book is largely a 238-page brochure for their services, but I have to say I pretty much agree with their approach. My brother-in-law has been through detox several times, but always went back to drinking. Why? Why was he able to navigate his life as a kind of functioning alcoholic for thirty-plus years, and then began a sharp downward spiral? Prentiss writes that there are four causes of dependency: chemical imbalance, unresolved events from the past, beliefs you hold that are inconsistent with what is true (a bit new age-y, but absolutely believable), and an inability to cope with current conditions. I think that my BIL has at least three of these four issues, and the inability to resolve even one of them has surely led him to this place of suffering.

Still, I recommend this book to anyone looking for an answer to addiction. It is a refreshing read, and my copy is highlighted and marked up from beginning to end. A few of my favorite bits:

“A few weeks of abstinence from the drug is usually enough for the withdrawal symptoms to pass, but after the withdrawal symptoms end, we’ll experience a return of the symptoms of the underlying condition, which the drug was masking. If those underlying conditions aren’t treated, the return of those symptoms may cause us so much discomfort that we’ll go back to using addictive drugs or alcohol to obtain relief.”

“It seemed that no matter how bad the consequences were, as my dad had said, consequences do not stop addicts.”

“In fact, that poor self-image is what contributes to their relapse. When people who believe themselves to be addicts or alcoholics come under great stress or trauma, they mentally give themselves permission to drink or use drugs as a remedy. After all, aren’t they alcoholics and addicts? And what do alcoholics and addicts do? They drink and use addictive drugs.”

“Why (…) are people regularly treated for ‘alcoholism’ and ‘drug addiction’ when the use of alcohol and drugs is merely a means of coping with an underlying condition? Why are the symptoms being treated instead of the causes?”

[Toby · Rating 2 out of 5]

p17 scratchism, scratchaholic, aspirinism
labelling it incurable makes it more difficult to cure
p85 Why do you do it?
then like prison punishes people to better them
p134 stigma of being a “drunk” perpetuated in AA is shameful and demoralizing

The reminder attached to this admission – that a former alcoholic is to be constantly on guard against relapsing or a former alcoholic who drinks again easily becomes an alcoholic again is far outweighed by the poor self image calling yourself incurable creates. It also, at least subconsciously, is a constant reminder of the permission to drink or use drugs as a remedy since you are addicted for life and you are not curable.

AA literature – no one knows what causes alcoholism. This is outdated since we now know to search for the underlying, often hidden problems, that drive the behavior. See pg 17
12 step 1 – We were powerless, now we know how to bring our power back, beware the implication to be living that you are still powerless. And that even when you were using there may have been times in between that you did stop for a little while. Although an addict may always hunger for their poison, were there times when you didn’t? Why?

p138 Relapse is not a part of recovery.
p160 sobriety is now the norm
p161 where our beliefs are stored- the awareness
p164 What the Bleep – cell division carries the receptors. Depression during cell division causes new cells to already be depressed at creation. How fast cells split. Creating the biological dependency on depression. This is the physical dependency that incurable addiction refers too. It takes time and work for the body to come back (or a miracle). Withdrawal.
p165 Addiction is the dependency on emotion. It’s not drinking that does it. It is the feeling that drinking brings to you.

p167 Hippocrates – the father of medicine. See my DiSC article
p170 part of your brain can’t tell the difference between a real and imagined experience (but the other part can), imagine a cure available, false hope
p175- a thorough treatment program covers all four areas of life in stages: first is detox
medical doctor, acupuncture/acupressure (traditional Chinese medicine), holistic doctor (integrative medicine), nutritionist, clinical psychologist (and marriage and family therapy), hypnotherapy, personal fitness, visualization and meditation, spiritual therapy, friends,
p181 ability to heal yourself, the intention to heal, your beliefs
p192 They use ten different therapists at their center to ensure they see the “flaw” in the diamond
p269 aligning your beliefs with what is true

additional information:
questionable 84.4% cure rate (p160)
yelling at people on the phone
$65,000 a month - only a few people need to stay a second month

[Toby Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

p17 scratchism, scratchaholic, aspirinism
labelling it incurable makes it more difficult to cure - but these are covered in obsessive compulsive
p85 Why do you do it?
then like prison punishes people to better them
p134 stigma of being a “drunk” perpetuated in AA is shameful and demoralizing

The reminder attached to this admission – that a former alcoholic is to be constantly on guard against relapsing or a former alcoholic who drinks again easily becomes an alcoholic again is far outweighed by the poor self image calling yourself incurable creates. It also, at least subconsciously, is a constant reminder of the permission to drink or use drugs as a remedy since you are addicted for life and you are not curable.

AA literature – no one knows what causes alcoholism. This is outdated since we now know to search for the underlying, often hidden problems, that drive the behavior. See pg 17
12 step 1 – We were powerless, now we know how to bring our power back, beware the implication to be living that you are still powerless. And that even when you were using there may have been times in between that you did stop for a little while. Although an addict may always hunger for their poison, were there times when you didn’t? Why?

p138 Relapse is not a part of recovery.
p160 sobriety is now the norm
p161 where our beliefs are stored- the awareness
p164 What the Bleep – cell division carries the receptors. Depression during cell division causes new cells to already be depressed at creation. How fast cells split. Creating the biological dependency on depression. This is the physical dependency that incurable addiction refers too. It takes time and work for the body to come back (or a miracle). Withdrawal.
p165 Addiction is the dependency on emotion. It’s not drinking that does it. It is the feeling that drinking brings to you.

p167 Hippocrates – the father of medicine. See my DiSC article
p170 part of your brain can’t tell the difference between a real and imagined experience (but the other part can), imagine a cure available, false hope
p175- a thorough treatment program covers all four areas of life in stages: first is detox
medical doctor, acupuncture/acupressure (traditional Chinese medicine), holistic doctor (integrative medicine), nutritionist, clinical psychologist (and marriage and family therapy), hypnotherapy, personal fitness, visualization and meditation, spiritual therapy, friends,
p181 ability to heal yourself, the intention to heal, your beliefs
p192 They use ten different therapists at their center to ensure they see the “flaw” in the diamond
p269 aligning your beliefs with what is true

additional information:
questionable 84.4% cure rate (p160)
yelling at people on the phone
$65,000 a month - only a few people need to stay a second month

[Squee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story the author and his son tell about the son's addiction is interesting and compelling, and there is undoubtedly some merit to a holistic approach to addiction treatment. Of course many substance abusers would benefit from intensive therapy. Of course many substance abusers are self-medicating for undiagnosed/untreated/improperly treated underlying issues.

However, this book ultimately reads like a 300+ page ad for the author's unbelievably expensive luxury rehab facility. I know someone who called the facility, desperate for help, and was told $20,000 per month, but online searching indicates it can be well, well above that--I've seen talk of $60,000 per month or even more. Prentiss pimps his facility early and often, and his solution to addiction is pretty much to throw money at it. Lots and lots and lots and lots of money. There is no help in this book for someone of limited or even moderate means.

On a personal note, I know someone with a serious addiction problem, and his very poor, disabled veteran father (who recommended this book to me) wants very badly to try to scrape up the money to send this person to this facility. That's just terrible, and I have to question the ethics behind Prentiss's approach.

Very early in the book, I got a bad feeling about the author. In the part his son wrote, in the very first paragraph he describes how he (the son) was named:

I didn't have a name for the first month of my life because my dad couldn't think of the right name. My mom told me it was extremely frustrating because she thought it wasn't right for me not to have a name. They called me "baby" or "him". After a month, my dad came up with Pax and I was off and running with a brand-new name."

Pax inadvertently reveals his father to be a controlling individual with little regard to his own wife's discomfort. An attentive reader will find more examples throughout the book. Combined with the ever-present pimping for his ungodly expensive rehab center, Prentiss comes off as a real snake oil salesman and I can't help but find suspect everything he's written. It's a compelling anecdote, seductive even to those looking for a solution, but anecdote is not evidence, the author has an angle, and there's not much else to back up Prentiss's impressive claims.

If you or someone you know has an addiction problem, by all means read this book. Maybe you will find something useful. But read it with a critical eye, and don't expect a panacea. See also: http://www.laweekly.com/2008-06-26/ne... .

[L. Carrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I've heard holistic approaches to medicine have worked in some cases, I was never a big fan of it. But when a friend who battled bulimia on and off for several years read The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure: A Holistic Approach to Total Recovery by Passages Malibu directors Chris and Pax Prentiss, she'd felt a huge burden being lifted from her shoulders. So much, that she loaned me the book.


The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure gave me a different perspective halfway through. Though the book touches upon topics or drug/alcohol addiction, everything explained in it can apply to almost any addiction - whether it's gambling, eating disorders, or anything else.


At Passages Malibu, each respective addiction is seen as a symptom, not a disease. Passages treats underlying causes of addiction (unresolved conflicts with others, marital issues, conditions such as depression, etc.). Without pressing the disease concept, labeling, and meetings (all which proved to have a high failure rate in overall recovery), The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure explains how to treat the whole person by utilizing a medical, therapeutic approach.


It's been shown many celebrities, professionals and others who'd taken approaches practiced either at Passages Malibu or practiced the guidelines shown The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure had a better rate of recovery from addition and continue to do very well in their lives both professionally and personally.


The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure is a recommended read for those who have tried and exhausted other options to free themselves from the firm grip of addiction. If this book can help a person who felt no hope in conquering an eating disorder, I'm confident The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure will also work for the alcoholics and addicts toward which it is intended, and help all live life to their full potential.

[Sally McRogerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was dubious about this guy when I bought the book (very cheaply) and was quite prepared to throw it into the nearest bin at any moment. There was nothing in the book that inspired that reflex. The man talks sense. Addicts will continue to relapse until they work out what it is that they're attempting to protect themselves from with substances. I'm deeply envious of the facilities available in his treatment centre, apart from the fact that it's in Malibu. Many, many of the interventions that they use are simply not available in a prison setting. Having said that, we are digging for distorted thinking and core beliefs that are inconsistent with reality. We have the luxury of having our clients for 12 weeks (they're not going anywhere!) and we don't stick Band-aids on gaping wounds.

A lot of what he said about the team believing in the clients ability to stay clean struck a chord with me. They find that a ridiculous notion when they first come into treatment but many develop that belief as they get further into the programme.

If you work in this field I don't think you'll find this book a waste of a few hours of your time. There are similarities to the twelve steps here, but not a mention of powerlessness and the power of the Universe replaces a Higher Power.

[Adam Freitas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it's a very refreshing perspective on addiction, which in my opinion is NOT a disease but ultimately it comes down to a choice. Disease, to me, says "poor me" and makes me "weak", which I am not. I'm making a decision to stop doing something that is causing nothing but destruction in my life and in the lives of my loved ones by affiliation and association. There are components to the AA program, which I think are positive and extremely useful, like breaking things down to smaller and more manageable pieces. If the temptation is overwhelming, especially at the beginning when one first makes the decision to stop, one may need to reaffirm their decision on a daily basis (one day at a time) or even hourly ... whatever it takes! There are, of course, many things one could and should do to make it easier on themselves such as not hanging out at bars (if alcohol is your primary addiction) or with people you associate with drinking. Communicating your intentions to your friends and family would be highly recommended as they will almost always support you in your endeavor -- if they don't, I wouldn't be calling them my true family or friends and I'd stop associating with them ASAP. Bottom line, it worked for Chris Prentiss, so whatever works is just fine in my book!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I work in the alternative and holistic medicine field, so the methods used in this book to address the foundation of self-abuse were not new to me. As a matter of fact, they are some of the same methods we use to address deficiencies in general. I certainly honor and respect Chris and Pax for the "place" in which this book comes from. The constant reminders of personal choice and philosophy, caring for your "temple," honoring yourself and others. I bought the book because my 18 yr old son has been flirting with some addictive behavior and I wanted to get a fresh perspective from a holistic viewpoint. This book helped me change my view of the help he needed and reminded me to keep judgment in check and love and understanding abundant. I also had several breakthroughs myself. Both my parents were addicts (pot, alcohol, cocaine and cigarettes). I was polar opposite swearing to never indulge. After reading this book, I was able to reach new levels of acceptance regarding my life as a child and adult, broaden my already deep understanding of the Law of Attraction and set some actions in place to achieve a more abundant life for me and my family.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it. Introduced some topics that may be hard to swallow for those that believe alcoholism and drug addiction is a disease that can never be cured! But if you have a hard time with the traditional 12 step program and staying sober, this is good food for thought. Personally, the topics introduced are the ones by which I lead my own life, so they came as second nature. Mainly that what ever happens to you, no matter how horrible, is part of the journey that leads you where you are supposed to be going. As a 2 time breast cancer survivor and after losing a child, I can honestly say that philosphy has sustained me and my positive outlook. The only detraction from the book is that the treatment program prescribed is mighty expensive. Given that most alcoholics and drug addicts are usually at "the bottom" before they can admit they need help, how are they supposed to have the financial resoures for "the cure"? But i guess where there's a will, there's a way.

[Melanie Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provided a good holistic way to get CURED of your alcoholism and/or drug addiction. It offers many alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous, and really offers a way OUT of your addiction! This book would be a very good addition to the MUST READ, "AA Not the Only Way," which not only provides a multitude of options that are available, but also has a comprehensive directory of licensed professionals and treatment programs all over the U.S. and abroad, including ALL of their contact information!

Melanie Solomon-author of "AA Not the Only Way: Your One Stop Resource Guide to 12-Step Alternatives" 2nd Edition
Go to http://www.aanottheonlyway.com for a FREE first time phone consultation!
Get FREE special report on How to Choose Your Best Treatment here: http://www.aanottheonlyway.com/specia...

[William Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe the Prentiss approach is a very useful new approach to healing addiction. Pax's personal narrative CH 2 is inspiring and his relationship with his father is also inspiring. Many addicts do not have such a father in their life to look out for them and stand by them the way Chris did, but this story is an inspiration to all men to be better fathers to their sons. Prentiss gets down to the real solutions (not your personal-- that's up to you and your treatment), but the solutions that will help you look at the causes of your addiction. This new approach is counter to the one size fits all blanket model currently used. Anyone who has ever had a substance problem or known someone with a substance problem would benefit from Prentiss' perspective and recommendations.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is an invaluable resource for anyone struggling to understand the nature of addiction. The personal story of the author's son and how he almost lost his life to hard core drugs was very enlightening and made you see how someone could get caught up in that world. Methods the book gave for finding the underlying causes of addictions were also extremely interesting as well. I thought this book followed gospel principles of using faith and agency to overcome problems. Apparently other alcohol program treat alcoholism as an "incurable disease". What a departure from what we know to be true.

[Skip · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is misleading in that the author claims there is no such thing as alcoholism or an addict. If this is true, why write a book about the cure? It is a marketing ploy. Though he makes a few good suggestions, his only real life experience/education is in dealing with his son's addiction. He and his son now own and operate a "recovery" center in Malibu. I'm sure it is helpful to many, but I don't like the fact that he uses this title to sell books. IT IS VERY MISLEADING. I like Chris' other books, but this one is not his best.

[Stephanie Ziebarth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book provided a refreshing perspective on treating alcoholism and addiction. The fact that these conditions have a root cause seems obvious, but can clearly be overlooked. I liked some of Prentiss' thoughts on treatment approaches, but was very uncomfortable with his life philosophy. His spiritual "guidance" prevents me from recommending this to others. I also felt his son's testimonial was too long and provided more temptation and how-tos for drug addicts than were necessary.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those looking for an honest approach, dealing with life change and causation, the book is of value.

Pioneer in that it moves away from the self-defeating word, "alcoholic." Contains a chapter on the four causative effects.

Quote from the book: "I opened their minds to the possibility that they were not addicts or alcoholics, but just guys like me who were medicatating their fears."

[Daniel Walsh]

really amazing....and helpful

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource for holistic addiction recovery as an alternative to the AA model.

[Jason Brown]

Proprietary and profit driven. Has uniques perspective and I am glad I read it.