Customer Reviews

Mental Health Through Will Training: A System of Self-Help in Psychotherapy As Practiced by Recovery, Incorporated

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I was a nervous wreck and had been on the verge of suicide and could not find medication to alleviate my anxiety symptoms. I found RECOVERY through Alchoholics Ananymous, because I was not an alchoholic, but had reached a point where I could not sleep more than an hour a day and I found alchohol provided temporary relief but was afraid of becoming alchoholic. After reading this book and attending 6 months of meetings, the symptoms slowly disappeared and I was able to use the tools explained in the book to regulate my thoughts and as a result, regulate my feelings. This book is practical and very useful on an ongoing basis. I strongly recommend it.

sincerely,

michael

This is THE book on mental health for any kind of disorder from compulsive eating to schizophrenia. Tens of thousands of people have been helped by this book. I already have been helped greatly. Self-disscipline is the only answer. And I think we all know this at some level. There is no easy way to happiness. The paradox is that we have to go through misery in order to be happy. I have written reviews on meditation for Amazon. And I do feel that this is what really makes us into warm human beings. But I did confer with practioners who have practiced for over 30 years. And in pathological conditions (severe depression, obsession-compulsion, eating disorders, and similar problems including schizophrenia) - many people need a little more. This also includes anxiety disorders which so many of us suffer from. Alcoholics Anonymous costs nothing for the treatment of alcoholism. And Recovery, Inc. costs a recommended donation of $2 for a 2-hour meeting. A.A. works despite the technocrats and their twisted statistics. The Mad Scientists. And Recovery, Inc. has been helping people all over the world for mental problems. And this is their Bible just as "Alcoholics Anonymous" or the Big Blue Book is the Bible of A.A. Dr. Low had created a system of cognitive behavioral therapy that works! Then came the "new breed" of healers who promised us self-esteem in ten weeks or 3 minutes a day. They ignored Low (ripped him off actually) and attacked A.A. They are not a "well-meaning" breed of lion tamers. In this book, you will learn about "The Courage to Make Mistakes". You will find that the first goal in mental health is to shoot for being average. Whether you think you are Napolean or "exceptional", you can afford to be average according to Dr. Low. This was all stated way before Drs. Ellis and Beck decided they were the new scientists of mental health. Dr. Low created the cognitive-behavioral

approach way before these gentlemen. The only difference is that his approach works. Please refer to "recovery-inc.com" on the net. A diagnosis from a qualified physician comes first in Low's method. Then you will be allowed to attend meetings. Yes, you can leave early. That is part of recovery. "Spotting" when you are beating yourself up with thoughts. And you "encourage" yourself for your progress. The people seem very intelligent and kind. Both my psychiatrist and therapist are ga-ga about Recovery, Inc. They love it and recommended it to me. The changes are swift and lasting. But not in 10 weeks or 3 minutes. It's very much of a shame that A.A. and Recovery Inc., which originated in the thirties when people were not looking for a "quick fix", are now being over-looked by the new intelligensia. Many have been hurt by these pseudo-intellectuals from the sixties. Dr. Low emphasizes that we go into a "DANGER" alert kind of status all the time. Many need to change this to "DISTRESSING". As he states in the book, sometimes a headache is just a headache and not a brain tumor! I am so grateful to Recovery, Inc. and it's kind members. Along with A.A. and my Insight Meditation course (also available from Amazon.com), I don't feel that I will ever be truly lacking in the ability to love others and to be loved in return. Thank you.

This book is for those who desire self-help using a cognitive method. Dr. Low was an unrecognized pioneer in the mental health field; he has been credited by his patients with saving many lives. The book is extremely practical. It may encourage readers to participate in a self-help organization founded in 1937 which has in the intervening years become international in scope. One may choose portions of the book that are applicable. After having read the book more than 25 years ago and consulting it as a resource, I recommend it for those suffering from mental/emotional afflictions for whom self-help is appropriate. Recovery does not replace a professional, but rather works with him/her.

I attended my first group meeting when Treasure Rice was president when there were only 3 people attending. We met every week at the home of one of the members. I had a fear of cancer. Went from one doctor to another. In 1970 my worst fear came true. I had melanoma (skin cancer) 2% of the population had it. I had a skin graft and was cured. Ten years ago I had a mastectomy and was able to get through that through my Recovery training. I also had a complete hysterectomy four years ago and now have osteoporosis. Because this book stresses that the WILL is what gets you through ANY situation and it shows you how to get through every day, sometimes 1 hour at a time or 1 minute at a time. It is the fear that seems overwhelming. I learned that most of the things in life are trivialities and that through my will which instructs me to face my fear and that I can bear the discomfort. I now have peace of mind in my life. I am a retired legal secretary and am busy every day. I volunteer at the local theatre and usher so I get to see the shows. I also volunteer at the Senior Center in the exercise room and I go to the Spa for water exercises. I have used this book and its teachings in raising my children (daughter 49, son 46) who have used it in their lives. One may feel helpless but you are not hopeless. Anything is possible. I keep a positive attitude and always have a sense of humor. This book covers everything in one's life and shows you step by step how to handle any situation that you are experiencing. I highly recommmend reading this book and putting its method into practice. Our group started in Detroit, Michigan around 1953. It has become my philsophy of life

This is the best available therapy for depression, bipolar depression, panic attacks, and related disorders. Either alone, or with psychotropic medications, this group therapy succeeds where individual therapy fails and makes the patient more amenable to individual therapy, as not sabotaging mental health is a major focus. This is precisely the method used in cognitive therapy, effective since introduced widely in the 1980s, but not affordable by most of the population.
The Recovery method is still going strong after all these years.

I received an e-mail from a lady who told me that rational-emotive therapy saved her relationship and maybe even her life! And I believe her. But some of us need more heavy "Head Work" I believe. Real "Trench Warfare". Dr. Low teaches you cognitive-behavioral therapy in this book. But he doesn't leave it there. Daily readings. And ONE TWO-HOUR MEETING A WEEK WITH OTHER NUT CASES! Why am I screaming? Because it is easy to sit at your computer and be mean. But you can't get

away with this in real life. I read most of Low's book after my first meeting. I felt excruciating anxiety for 4 days BEFORE THE MEETING! I'm screaming again, right? Sorry. And my reading didn't really DIG IN until I got to the meeting. You say something and then everybody else contributes and then these cognitive techniques are really cut into your brain. This is the main text. So it is one-third of the program. The other two parts are daily application and one meeting a week. It seems that people with psychological problems make TREMENDOUS demands on themselves. This book will re-wire your brain. And that may take awhile. But remember this. According to Dr. Low, when you cut a "temper" sequence of working yourself up into anxiety and anger or down into depression, you will be automatically reducing those HIGHER STRESSORS which you will have to confront. Let's make it simple. Asking a question of somebody on the street may cause incredible anxiety. Let's say 99. But if you "spot" this scenerio and replace it with realistic thoughts ("I'm not doing anything wrong") and endorse yourself ("I did just fine") - this process will reduce the the anxiety of public speaking, say, from 1,000 to 859. Good deal, huh? As Low says, "Strike at the Weakest Link". If your dog dies and you have a BIG DEPRESSION of 876, let us say, and you practice this program and your spouse dies, you might only get hit with a 700! Whereas, before, it might have been 7,000, given you a stroke, and put you in a hospital. Do buy the book. I could philosophize about all the chapters (Like "The Courage to Make Mistakes", chapter 30), but I think you now understand the whole purpose of the text. If you don't want to wait, then find out where the closest Recovery, Inc. Meeting is (they are worldwide for those of you in Guam), take 5 minutes, run in, and buy a copy. Good luck.

In most respects this book and it's author, Abraham Low, were decades ahead of their time. Although this particular book was not published until 1950, Low was advancing the methods described in it before he founded Recovery, Inc. (now Recovery International, but generally referred to simply as Recovery) in 1937; a network of mutual-support groups for former mental patients. The technique of "spotting" thoughts and behaviors in this book that lead to "temper" (behavior resulting from emotions like resentment, impatience, indignation, disgust, hatred, shame, inadequacy, hopelessness and despair) are comparable to Aaron T. Beck's Cognitive Therapy and Albert Ellis' Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy.

In other respects, this book is in lockstep with the year it was published. Readers may have difficulty relating to discussions about the thrill of automobiling at speeds of 50 miles per hour, and new "mechanical conveniences" like refrigeration, electricity and gasoline. Many of the examples and stories in this book deal with traditional nuclear family themes; with the man as the head of the household and his wife in a subservient role. It is important to remember that this book is going on 60 years old, and that for its time, its ideas, particularly that mental patients are not hopeless and can recover, were very progressive.

It's difficult to resist comparing Recovery with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as they were founded independently within just two years of each other and both are voluntary organizations for of people with similar illnesses aiding each other in a common purpose. The million dollar question: why are there only a few hundred Recovery meetings worldwide, while there are over 114,000 AA meetings?

There are remarkable similarities between the two programs. Both of them ask members to preserve anonymity, to overcome resentments, to place a premium on creating peace and serenity, to defer gratification for the sake of long-term goals. Both programs see self-centeredness as a cause of illness, discourage discursive thinking and from mixing politics with recovery. The only real incompatibility is the method suggested for changing behavior. In AA members surrender to or cooperate with the will of their Higher Power, whereas in Recovery members are expected to follow direction of their physician and "command their muscles" to behave rightly. In Recovery language, "muscles train the brain" (a sort of layperson's phrase for a kind of Hebbian learning), in this way, members slowly learn to behave correctly. In each case the result is the same, members slowly learn new habits; one through a spiritual method and another through a secular method.

According to the peer-reviewed literature (see specifically Marc Galanter's research on Recovery and Christine Timko's works on AA) they are both effective programs for dealing with the problems members present with, so the deficiency is not the methods.

Abraham Low was born in Poland and educated in Austria at the University of Vienna, and while his command of English was solid when he wrote this book, reading some of his earlier works (such has Manage Your Fears Manage Your Anger or The Techniques of Self-help in Psychiatric After-care) it is obvious that English was not his first language. It's difficult, however, to tell if he meant this book for Recovery members or if it was written more for an audience of other physicians or professionals interested in the organization. It is detailed and encyclopedic, but it is not warm or inspiring. Low was very good at communicating tactfully and technically, but his writing lacked the charisma of someone like AA founder's, Bill Wilson.

Another possibility is that the demographic Recovery deals with, people with serious mental illness, is not as good of fit for being treated in mutual-support groups as are alcoholics. Frequent meetings may be more of a benefit to alcoholics who are always in danger of a relapse than people gradually trying to improve themselves. AA, however, describes people in their program as changing people slowly over a period of time. Not to mention the third most popular twelve-step group, Al-Anon, treats co-dependency, a chronic condition requiring gradual recovery.

Recovery's program, as outlined in this book, relies heavily on a physician overseeing Recovery members and working closely with Recovery groups. Low played this role until 1952 when he suggested that Recovery become more of a stand-alone mutual-support organization. AA's program never relied on professional assistance in the same manner. Still, other programs for people with mental illness that assiduously follow AA's model (such as Emotions Anonymous, Neurotics Anonymous and GROW) each, like Recovery, have yet to move out of obscurity in to the mainstream.

With several organizations facilitating support groups for people with mental illness (to the list above you can add the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) it could be there is a significant factor of confusion both for individuals looking for a group and for mental health professional referring members to such a group.

This is the best available therapy for depression, bipolar depression, panic attacks, and related disorders. Either alone, or with psychotropic medications, this group therapy succeeds where individual therapy fails and makes the patient more amenable to individual therapy, as not sabotaging mental health is a major focus. This is precisely the method used in cognitive therapy, effective since introduced widely in the 1980s, but not affordable by most of the population.
The Recovery method is still going strong after all these years.

I have read and reread and attended the Recovery, Inc meetings that fortunately help answer any qustions about the author and his writings. It is a recommendation to purchasse this book which is an easy read and backed it with they free meetings located nationally.
This is the best kept secret and most who attend will agree. For more inforamtion call Recovery, inc. I am still enjoying my book. And I ebjoy seeing my new friends at teh meetings. Your life will change without the pain of solo self help. Like chocolate icecream I just wanted to share this discovery.
If you are angry, nervous, stressed, depressed, abused, physically unhealthy or you nme it ...Buy it and go. And tell them you heard this on amazon

I have suffered from a number of depressive bouts and generalized anxiety at different times during my life. This book finally outlines an effective, proven, method to handle your thoughts and feelings. Dr. Low was decades ahead of his time. Started in 1937 in Chicago,Recovery, Inc. is now worldwide, and has been a life saver for thousands of people. As a Recovery, Inc., member this book is our "bible" and is used at ea. of our weekly meetings. Stop your needless suffering now and start on your way to mental health. Remember, There Are No Hopeless Cases !