The Heart of Addiction - Hardcover

Dodes, Lance M., M.D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060198117 ISBN 13: 9780060198114

Publisher: Harpercollins, 2002

Synopsis

<p align="left"><I>The Heart of Addiction,</I> based on more than twenty-five years of clinical practice by distinguished psychiatrist Dr. Lance Dodes, presents a radical approach to understanding and harnessing the emotional forces that drive addictions.</p><p align="left">Alcoholism and other addictions are among the most important problems we face in our society. Yet, if you look beyond pat ideas about their cause, such as "alcoholism is a disease," nobody has really had an answer for why people with addictive behaviors continue to repeat them in the face of their awful consequences. This book offers an answer to the core "Why?" question of alcoholism and other addictions.</p><p align="left">Dr. Dodes sets out to change the way completely we treat alcoholism and other addictions, including compulsive gambling and sexual addiction. He describes how all addictions have at their heart certain emotional/ psychological factors that, once understood, can be successfully managed. He shows how these factors can be turned to good use to find exactly what alternatives will work for <I>you<I> as an individual. Filled with compelling case studies, Dr Dodes provides the keys to mastering addictions and answers the critical questions: Why do we feel the impulse? Why do we feel it when we do? How can we find what else to do in that critical moment?</p><p align="left">This book provides the chance for you to do what so many of Dr. Dodes's patients have done: use this new understanding and the practical tools that flow from it to take back control of your lives.</p><p align="left"><B>Among the myths that Dr. Dodes debunks:</B></p><ul><li>Addiction is fundamentally a physical problem.</li><li>Addiction is best treated in twelve-step programs.</li><li>People with addictions are different from other people.</li><li>People with addictions are self-destructive.</li><li>You have to hit bottom before you can get well.</li><li>You are wasting your time if you ask "why" you have an addiction</li></ul>

About this title

Review

"In a field rife with misinformation, this book represents a bright beacon of light... I recommend it wholeheartedly."--The Psychoanalytic Quarterly

In a field rife with misinformation, this book represents a bright beacon of light... I recommend it wholeheartedly. --The Psychoanalytic Quarterly"

Synopsis

THE HEART OF ADDICTION offers a new way to think about and control addictive behaviour. Dodes rejects pat explanations of alcoholism as a disease and instead explores the underlying emotions that drive addictive behaviours. In his practice and research, Dodes has found that virtually every addictive act is preceded by a feeling of helplessness or powerlessness. The addictive behaviour--be it drinking, gambling, or obsessive sex--serves to repair this feeling. The paradox is that the out of control behaviour actually gives the addict a sense of being empowered or in control - but that the addiction is a substitute for some other, more useful response. With compassion and deep understanding, Dodes provides readers with the keys to mastering their addiction by helping them uncover: why they feel the impulse, why they feel it when they do, and what they can do to address the emotional needs in another way.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harpercollins
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060198117
• ISBN 13: 9780060198114
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 257