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As a retired firefighter/paramedic I am very familiar with the effects of alcohol abuse. I've seen individuals with multiple degrees who had become homeless and started begging to be able to continue their drinking. I've seen numerous alcohol related fatalities due to drunk driving, domestic violence (some ended up in murder), the end stages of cirrhosis, and on and on. The really sad part was when I saw how each one of these stories affected family and loved ones. It wasn't easy to respond to and help these people...especially since I could relate so closely to what the alcoholics were experiencing and feeling.
You see, I was an alcoholic, too.
I was what they call a "High Functioning" alcoholic. I excelled at my job. I was a paramedic field instructor, I promoted through the ranks, I was respected by my subordinates, and I was trusted by my supervisors. At night on my days off, I would drink heavily...a fifth of vodka a night heavily at my highest. I had been able to reduce my nightly consumption of alcohol down from that insane level, but I was never able to quit or reduce it to one or two beers at night. I had tried many times before but I always reverted back into the same routine of drinking starting at 5 o'clock. This continued on even after I retired. Every time I tried to quit, it felt like I was holding my breath underwater...sure I could do it for a little bit, but I always came up for air. I always came back to drinking.
Two years after I retired, I found this book at the bookstore. One evening around 5 o'clock, I came strolling in the house with a 6-pack of beer in one hand and a book on how to achieve and thrive in sobriety in the other. My wife gave me a disapproving smirk and asked if I was really going to read a book on quitting drinking while having a beer. I said I did...and then I did. It's been 33 days since I had a drink...and I don't have any cravings for alcohol. I'm not saying I won't have any struggles in the future, but I have never had such a positive attitude and outlook toward drinking. This book gave me several tools (solutions) that I am now able to use if I start to get overwhelmed by that unbearable craving.
This book goes over 30 different "Solutions" to help you find what drives you to drink and what you can do to get past those deep-seated feelings. Some of the exercises were emotionally tough. You really needed to take an in depth look at yourself to see what the root cause of your drinking was. Some of the different solutions weren't for me and I'm sure not all are for everyone. I referred to some of these as foofey and gooey in the forums on their companion website. Coming from a firefighter background, I'm used to solving things with a relatively instant fix...ie. you put water on the fire, when it's out, you go back to the station...there, problem fixed. These solutions require some deep thought with an understanding that there is a process set in place and it takes time. "The 30 Day Sobriety Solution" website is a place where there are a ton of people who experienced similar situations that offered their support to me and wrote about their struggles that were similar to mine.
This program has worked unbelievably well for me. I'm so amazed how I feel now. I have control over alcohol...it doesn't control me. My wife is so happy that I went through the 30 day program. We are feeling closer, my relationship with my kids is better, I have new found energy, and I am clear headed.
I'm not one to write reviews on Amazon because I believe the old saying to be true..."Opinions are like A-holes, everyone's got one and most of them stink." With that being said, I hope my story my story would offer a little more credibility than the average review. I would like to highly recommend this book to anyone looking for help. This book can be used by anyone who has ever questioned how to reduce or quit drinking altogether. There are 30 different solutions in this book and I'm sure one will work for anyone who really wants to make a change in their life. It's not easy, but nothing in life worth attaining ever is.
I'd like to thank Dave and Jack for this incredible book and the companion website. It has changed my life. I thank you...and my wife thanks you!
- Hardcover: 592 pages
- Publisher: Atria Books (January 19, 2016)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 147679295X
- ISBN-13: 978-1476792958
- Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.5 x 9.2 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
- Average Customer Review: 211 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#109,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #296 in Alcoholism Recovery
- #2372 in Success Self-Help
- #3433 in Motivational Self-Help (Books)
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