Recovery Options: The Complete Guide [Paperback]

Joseph Volpicelli (Author), Maia Szalavitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2000

A clear and compassionate guide to overcoming substance problems

"A no-nonsense, state-of-the-art guide."--Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Coming Plague

"Comprehensive, illuminating, easy to read."--William Cope Moyers, Vice President of Public Affairs, Hazelden Foundation

In Recovery Options: The Complete Guide, Joseph Volpicelli, M.D., Ph.D., an award-winning addiction research pioneer, and Maia Szalavitz, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist and former addict, provide frank and impartial appraisals of all the major treatment options, including:
* Alcoholics Anonymous
* Moderate drinking programs
* Alternative treatments
* Therapeutic communities
* Cognitive therapies
* Other 12-step programs
* Medications
* Methadone
* Harm reduction
* How families can help


In Recovery Options: The Complete Guide, you will learn what addictionis--and what it isn't. You will examine both the mechanism of addiction and how you can make the best treatment choices . . . why some people are particularly prone to substance problems . . . and the genetic and learning mechanisms that help create these conditions. You'll explore the various types of treatment and the ideas on which they are based, and find out how effective each treatment is--and which ones are not effective. Finally, you'll find supportive information on staying clean and sober, preventing relapse, and minimizing damage caused by slips that may occur. Featuring the dramatic real-life stories of patients' experiences (both good and bad) with various methods of recovery, this warm, sympathetic, and accessible guide to overcoming alcohol and other drug problems will help you and your loved ones begin the journey away from substance misuse toward a better life.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With in-depth explanations of street drugs, pharmaceutical drugs, and handy tips such as how to select a counselor, a treatment, or a self-help group, this work is chockfull of valuable information geared primarily to substance abusers in any stage before and during recovery. The book also offers "For Family Members & Loved Ones" segments as well as "Knowledge Is Power" sections that summarize many of the chapters but don't quite compensate for the lack of an index. Volpicelli, a senior scientist at Penn/VA Center for Research on Addictive Diseases, shares his impressive knowledge of addiction with scientific precision but uses practical advice and vignettes to illustrate topics. Szalavitz, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist and recovered addict, lends an experiential voice that makes this book even more empathetic. Recommended for public, medical, and academic libraries with clinical concentrations.DPaula N. Arnold, ingenta inc, Boston
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Physician and psychologist Volpicelli has considerable experience in treating addicts. He met Szalavitz, an addict, on the Internet. Their shared goal is to give potential recovery patients sufficient information about various kinds of problems and treatments to make informed choices that answer their specific, personal needs. Alcoholism, for example, has many causes and several treatments, each with its own philosophy; Volpicelli reports his success with naltrexone. He and Szalavitz stress the importance of the stages of change in the treatment process. The patient must realize that reaching each stage is a positive step and that progress is to be measured by where one is in relation to where one has been, not by how much further there is to go. Volpicelli emphasizes the importance of relapse prevention and having the right approach to a relapse. "Making one mistake doesn't make you a mistake," he proclaims. This is realistic, open-minded, and humane guidance for dealing with addiction. William Beatty
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047134575X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471345756
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #285,053 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Volpicelli throws out a life line for me, November 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Recovery Options: The Complete Guide (Paperback)

This book has changed my life. I knew I needed help, but didn't really know what kind, where to go, who to see, etc. Dr. Volpicelli paves the way for anyone who has an addiction by presenting options that you might never know existed...options that might be right for you. If you think you need help with drug or alcohol abuse, GET THIS BOOK! He offers almost 100 different websites, books, resources etc. in an appendix that is detailed and comprehensive. Dr. Volpicelli and Maia Szalavitz present information and options to the reader with respect and dignity. The book is written in a way where you feel YOU have the ability to choose the treatment that would be right for you. They tell you how to choose treatment that would best match your needs, what criteria to look for, and what to expect as part of your recovery. I think that was the scariest part for me before I read this book...the fear of the unknown. After reading the book, and rereading certain chapters, I felt armed with the knowledge I needed to take that first step. If you're having a love/hate affair with an addiction, and want to get a grip, get this book. It may change your life. For the first time in 10 years I feel there is hope for me and I owe it all to Recovery Options: The Complete Guide.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Saved My Life, June 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Recovery Options: The Complete Guide (Paperback)

It may seem trite to say but this book literally saved my life. After doing tons of research and making many telephone calls, this was the ONLY resource about addiction that covered the topic honestly, compassionately and COMPLETELY. It provided me with the clear, unbiased information I needed about addiction and recovery and helped me make an informed choice about treatment.

It was clear to me from the start that the authors have a very open minded approach, non-judgemental approach to addiction treatment that is unusual and very refreshing. They make it clear that there is no one "correct" way to deal with addiction. Instead they explore the pros and cons of all available treatment methods so that each reader can decide for him or herself, which course of action is appropriate.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels that they, a loved one or a friend might have an addiction problem and to anyone who wants honest, up to date information based on scientific research. The authors include many examples of real people (including themselves) which makes this book easy to read and relate to.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Book Highlights Addiction Recovery Options, September 8, 2000

By 

Stewart B. Leavitt (Glenview, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Recovery Options: The Complete Guide (Paperback)

GLENVIEW, IL -- Addiction Treatment Forum (www.atforum.com) book review; Recovery Options: The Complete Guide; released June 16, 2000 (reviewed by S. Leavitt, PhD, editor, A.T. Forum) -- The 23 chapters and more than 300 pages of this new book by Joseph Volpicelli, MD, PhD and Maia Szalavitz provide a complete overview of psychoactive drugs of abuse and their effects, an in-depth look at the many ways to view alcoholism and other drug addictions, and a review of addiction treatment research, modalities, and pharmacotherapies.

Experienced addiction treatment staff at all levels will find this book to be an excellent review, along with some interesting updated perspectives. It definitely should be required reading for new staff members and trainees.

Volpicelli, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and senior research scientist at the University of Pennsylvania Addiction Treatment Research Center, was an initial investigator of naltrexone for the treatment of alcoholism. However, his outlook in this book is extremely well-balanced, without lobbying for any particular treatment approach as a "one size fits all" solution. In fact, the "Penn Paradigm," which he advocates, stresses that "it is what the patient considers important, not what the treatment program is pushing, that matters."

Szalavitz, an experienced and well-known journalist specializing in health, science, and drug policy, is savvy to the real world concerns and fears of patients and their loved ones. Her philosophy of treating addiction is "if it helps people, do it," and the underlying posture of the entire book is, "Patients given a menu of treatment options do significantly better than those who are simply told what to do."

Case studies and anecdotes, used liberally throughout, vividly illustrate important principles in the book and make for very interesting reading to hold one's interest. The book is obviously well researched and evidence based, although we would have preferred a more thorough referencing of the sources used.

Then again, the primary audience isn't researchers or healthcare professionals, as denoted by the book's subtitle: How You and Your Loved Ones Can Understand and Treat Alcohol and Other Drug Problems. Volpicelli writes that "to get the best care, patients themselves need to know what to look for -- because many professionals have too much of an attachment to their own ideas of what should work to take into account individual differences."

While that statement might perturb some professionals, most will agree with the authors that educated consumers of addiction treatment make the best patients. The one caveat is that this first-of-its-kind book exploring all treatment options may be challenging reading for some persons and getting the most from it would require a commitment to take more responsibility for one's own treatment success. It may not be for everyone but, as suggested earlier, one size needn't fit all; but this book could help many people.

Recovery Options: The Complete Guide (ISBN 0-471-34575-X, paperback, $15.95) is a Wiley book available at local bookstores or by calling 1-800-225-5945. In Canada, call 1-800-567-4797. Also available at www.amazon.com ($12.76 + shipping) and from other online booksellers.