Customer Reviews

A Gentle Path Through the Twelve Steps: The Classic Guide for All People in the Process of Recovery

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recommend this book to every one in ANY 12 step recovery program. I have used it & the 1st step took 90 pages alone, that's how THOROUGH a job this workbook does at helping one build a foundation in recovery. The entire book is 300 pages with LOTS of room to write! I use this with sponsee/sponsor relationships. It covers all addictions whether it is food, sex, alcohol or drugs, relationships, gambling, you name it! It has a very balanced approach to help one see their own powerlessness over becoming an addict in the 1st place & then helps one DO SOMETHING about it. It explores abuse histories for those like me who have suffered all forms of abuse & trauma as a child. FREE Yourself, finally, from the demons of your past that keep you in that shame/addiction cycle. This is the ONLY 12 step workbook that IS as gentle as it says it is, with plenty of breaks. Get to know the you that you have always known you could be, you know, the one who wasn't allowed to EXIST as a child. Words can't express what a miracle this WORKbook has been in my recovery. I've done 1st steps before, but never so completely. For the 1st time, I truly understand & accept powerlessness, and I owe it to the 90 pages of self-discovery this book gifted me with.... Get 2 copies because once everyone sees it, they want one too. Many paths, one journey.

When one is in the process of recovery, it is sometimes hard to think of different aspects of the concept talked about in the room such as: denial, higher power, etc. Carnes, thourgh his numerous exercises, offers the steps necessary to move through the process of recovery as well as how to proceed, what areas to look at and issues to explore. Highly recommended!

This book takes anyone through the 12 steps. It is a workbook for the addict and/or the coadict. There are many numerous useful exercises and helpful information. I have had this book recomended to me over and over again, and I recomend it for anyone in recovery.

There are so many 12 step books that are lock-steop in their approach. This one is useful for anyone's spirituality -- a balanced and personal approach. Particularly good for those who have struggled with the aftermath of sexual abuse.

The primary workbook for our Fellowship in Tulsa. We've also tried 4 others, which are good, but have come back to this one. Sometimes a little clinical, but very thorough. Should be done with the guidance of a sponsor. Just "surrender" to following the book and results WILL come. Prepare to spend several months to really examine yourself, do the writings, and truly internalize the Steps. Can't be rushed, yet can't procrastinate. Carnes is really the "guru" on this topic. We've read most of his books, and their just great.

I am new to the 12 steps, and have found this book extremely helpful in getting to know myself,, something I have avoided for 60 years.. It has especially been helpful for a co-dependent of a sex/love addict. I really have not known what my part in the partnership was.. this book has helped me see what I need to work on myself.. I thought it was all "his fault".. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to grow personally and spritually.

This book is truly a must have, inspiring, comprehensive, and enlightening guide through the 12 steps within any recovery program. I have used this with countless clients in therapy and have had nothing but great results. This book is highly recommended for all clinicians and anybody wising to grow in the 12 step process.

Patrick Carnes has been a grounder-breaker in every sense concerning sexual addiction. I feel ambivalent about this offering, however. I think on the whole it's a stronger book for addicts than for codependents. The material seems to revolve around addiction with co-addiction serving as an afterthought, both figuratively and literally. As a recovering codependent, I yearn for materials that address my issues head-on instead of relating me to the addicts in my life. Something about this material makes me feel second-class and doesn't inspire me to go as deeply as I could.

Although it's on order and I can't review it yet, I suggest that codependents take a look at Pia Mellody's 12 step workbook, Breaking Free, as an alternative. Her Facing Codependence contains some extraordinarily muscular, clear-sighted work on codependence as an illness that stands on its own, and if the workbook has anything in common, it should prove useful.

If you're looking for a guide to help you work the steps for more than one issue, this is the book to use. It's a good guide to use with a small group. And, even though you may think you have only one addiction, chances are, if you're creative like the rest of us, you get clean in one area only to discover you've traded up to new and more insidious compulsive behavior.

Ready to get, clean, honest and grow up? This book will help!

This book was recommended to me by a sponsor in AA. It serves as a great guide for anyone who is working through a 12-step recovery program. The exercises and suggestions are very helpful, especially for someone who is new to recovery. It emphasizes on taking care of yourself throughout the process, since there is some very difficult material to cover. I will most likely be using this guide for the next few years!