Addictive Thinking, Second Edition: Understanding Self-Deception (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Interviewing Ray, a young man who had been admitted to a rehabilitation unit for drug addiction, I asked, "What made you decide it was time..." (more)
Key Phrases: addictive thinker, addictive thinking, lesser distress, Twelve Step, Higher Power, Alcoholics Anonymous (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

using vivid examples and case studies, the author exposes the irrational and contradictory patterns of addictive thinking, and shows how to overcome them and the barriers they create; low self-esteem and relapse.

About the Author

Dr. Abraham J. Twerski is the Founder and Medical Director Emeritus of Gateway Rehabilitation Center, a not-for-profit drug and alcohol treatment system in western Pennsylvania, cited nationally as one of the 12 best drug and alcohol treatment centers by Forces magazine and as one of the top 100 rehab centers in the guide to treatment, The 100 Best Treatment Centers for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. Dr. Twerski, an ordained rabbi, held a pulpit until 1959 when he graduated from Marquette University Medical School and went on to complete his psychiatric residency at the University of Pittsburgh Western Psychiatric Institute. For 20 years, he served as Clinical Director of the Department of Psychiatry at St. Francis Hospital, Pittsburgh, and currently is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Twerski is recognized as an international authority in the chemical dependency field. He began the first Pennsylvania program for nurses with alcohol or drug problems, "Nurses off Chemicals," served on the Governor's Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, and was Chairman of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Committee on the Impaired Physician. He appears frequently as a radio and television guest. A frequent lecturer on a broad range of topics, including stress, self-esteem, spirituality as well as chemical dependency, Twerski has also written 29 books to date including: Substance Abusing High Achievers; Life's Too Short; I'd Like to Call For Help, But I Don't Know the Number; Do Unto Others; and collaborative effort with Peanuts comic strip creator, Charles Schulz, When Do The Good Things Start?; Waking Up Just in Time; I Didn't Ask to be in This Family; and the soon to be released That's Not a Fault...It's a Character Trait.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Hazelden; 2 Sub edition (April 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568381387
• ISBN-13: 978-1568381381
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,472 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #31 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Recovery > Drug Dependency
  #34 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Recovery > Alcoholism
  #62 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Recovery > Substance Abuse

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A guide to understanding how the addict thinks, March 24, 1999

By A Customer

Finally, in plain English, this book explains how the addict thinks and why he treats himself and others the way he does. It doesn't solve the problem, but it does offer comfort in knowing that you are not to blame. I only wish the book went one step farther in offering some advice as to how to deal sanely with addictive behavior, how to react and perhaps what to expect when you do react. Overall, well worth reading.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent For The Professional or The Layman, October 28, 2003

By	Borne Too Loose (Brockport, NY) - See all my reviews

Being a psychyology major in college specializing in addiction, as well as overcoming my own personal addictions, I found Twerski's book was excellent. I bought it simply as a text book supplement for a college course, and ended up reading it a few times. He gives a great insight into the mind of the addict, and nice overview of life AFTER addiction and the logical, spiritual, and emotional hurdles forever in front of the affected individual and those around him. I read this just after my third year of abstinence and pulled so much from it in my personal life. Whether you are an addict or just know or have been affected by one, have been through the twelve-step meetings or struggled alone, give it a try. It still sits in my library and is a book I often recommend to those I meet and are dealing with an aspect of addiciton, treatment, and sobriety.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars rated the best by my colleagues, May 1, 2004

By A Customer

I purchased this book in hopes of understanding why the addict does what he or she does. I work with many HIV/AIDS patients, and many of them are addicts. This book was amazing not only to me but to most of the colleagues who have been around this behavior many years. We were actually fighting over this book after everyone was taking about. It was very easy, quick reading, and very clearly stated. I just can't say enough about it. If you read it I can assure you that you will want to share the information and stories you read. Currently my copy is MIA so I am buying another few copies.