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183 of 189 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Addicts and Loved One's as Cash-Generating Machines?, October 2, 2009
This review is from: Healing the Addicted Brain: The Revolutionary, Science-Based Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Program (Paperback)
I expected more from a doctor that has made it his career to "help" alcoholics and addicts. Throughout the book, the author repetitively tells the reader to access more information and resources at the EnterHealth's (the rehab facility the author is affiliated with) website... of course the author never once mentioned that to access that information and those resources would cost $95 and rapidly escalate up for telephone support (and given the track record, that access will probably point the reader to residential rehab at EnterHealth's facility). Most sales brochures are free, but this one puts the addict and family back about $11. Also, the climax of this book seems to be the author's fascination with Vivitrol (injectible naltrexone). Author (page 73): "Vivitrol is the breakthrough medicine that will revolutionize the treatment of alcoholism." Wow. In its page-after-page of glowing review the author fails to mention any real downside. Such as throughout a randomized trial of Vivitrol craving persisted (leaving patients to struggle over obsessive thoughts and addictive craving that carry the risk of relapse and death) and there was no progressive decrease in heavy drinking days after the end of the trial. [Source: "Naltrexone treatment for alcohol dependency," Journal of the American Medical Association 294(8) (August 24/31, 2005): 899-900] And, those with liver issues should not take Vivitrol, ... a problem for a certain percentage of people that are alcoholic. That the author doesn't even mention some fascinating research into other medications, such as Baclofen -- a generic no less, shows either bias or ignorance of current trends in research and thought. I was trying to look for some positive information from the book to make this review seem more balanced, but all such information can be retrieved elsewhere (other contemporary addiction recovery books or online). Unnecessarily taking money from people struggling with alcoholism or addiction should be considered unethical. NOTE: the glowing quotes under 'review' and 'product description' above are from a Dr. Larry Hanselka, an affiliate of the author and conducts business in the office of the author's Urschel Recovery Science Institute ([...]). BUYER BEWARE.
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53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Bald and biased claims mixed with way too much marketing and self-promotion, August 18, 2010
This review is from: Healing the Addicted Brain: The Revolutionary, Science-Based Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Program (Paperback)
Urschel's book is quite simply intellectually dishonest. He obviously knows his stuff, but the book reads like a multi-level marketing scheme filled with a bunch of simply wrong-headed claims with no references to speak of to back them up. "Talking therapy can help correct problems in the cortex, but it cannot influence the limbic system or other structures found deeper in the brain." This is bogus, just bogus, and he provides no reference. Where is he coming up with this??? As a therapist who studies neuroscience, he's just flat wrong. There's not a neuroscience lab in the world that would agree with this statement. Look at the work of Richie Davidson at U of Wisconsin, Jim Coan at U of Virginia, Daniel Siegel at UCLA, Dacher Keltner at UCLA, Jon Kabat-Zinn at U of Mass., and the list goes on and on. His constant use of "talking therapy" to refer to psychotherapy and counseling, and the contexts in which he used it felt a little bit denigrating after a while, again from a guy who obviously has a severe case of money-making agenda-itis. Reading the book felt like he was just trying to discredit everything except his "wonder drug" and his highly expensive website services. Apart from that, if you're an addict or looking for help for an addict, just go to his website and see what it costs to sign up -- if you want to pay that, then get the book. But there are a lot better books out there and some great research (despite what Urschel says) that are showing excellent results...I would pass on this guy's magic pill.
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Great self-promotional tool for Dr. Urschel's expensive treatment program, September 15, 2009
This review is from: Healing the Addicted Brain: The Revolutionary, Science-Based Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Program (Paperback)
Dear Dr. Urschel, I found the only new information in your book to be about the course of new medications for the addicted and how those medications can aid in recovery. However, I know of no doctors that a person without insurance can go to and get treated with these wonderful breakthrough tools. It appears as though the only place to go for a complete treatment program is your private pay program, and it cost $37,000. And even though you have a "Donate" site on your page that is supposed to fund scholarships, no one has donated. Perhaps maybe you should be the first one, Dr. Urschel. After all, your book did cost me about $15.99, plus tax, plus shipping.
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