Above the Influence!
The Lifestyle Approach to Substance Abuse That Beats Disease and Just Saying "No"
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Do you still have trouble with alcohol or drugs in spite of knowing what "everyone" does, and doing what "they" tell you to? Well, blame the Disease Metaphor, the treatment dictatorship that does more harm than good, and should be overthrown.
Calling abuse a disease, and just saying "no" to demon drugs cannot lead to victory. Such hocus-pocus has failed to decrease drug demand or supply. Methaphorical theory and practice have prevented the field from advancing with the rest of health care.
The Disease Concept was concocted by AA back in grandpappy's day to sidestep the stigma of chronic drunkeness. Spiritual steps were laid out that end up linking members in daisy chain ruts.
This book and course give you what you need to beat abuse and just saying "no," and thus play a winning part in the Drug War. You will learn how to assess, treat, and prevent abuse by dealing with the aspects of life that relate to it.
Substance abuse is no disease, and not listed as such in the diagnostic manuals of medicine and psychology. The Disease Concept is a metaphor, a verbal trick to pass the buck to substances, with the claim that they take innocent victims. But the first giant leap that abusers must take to succeed is personal responsibility for their relationship with drink and drug...
Individual demand for substances is based on the perfectly natural desire to enjoy good and high feelings hardwired in our brains. These can be earned by adaptive action, or stolen by repeated doping. Trying to cut off drug supply in the face of demand is like trying to stop the suck of water into wilted field crops. The best way to curtail supply is to decrease demand, one abuser at a time, with a lifestyle approach that really works.
Your lifestyle is how you live every day. Its level has proved to be the single best predictor of response to substance treatment, and its pattern of strengths and weaknesses the single best tool to assess, treat, and prevent abuse.
"Above the Influence" is the first complete course of self-managed and expertly-guided help for the vast majority. Based on reason, research, and results, ATI! outdates and replaces the hapless D.C.
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About the Book
"Above the Influence!" is a well-founded, expertly-guided, and self-managed program to help you beat substance abuse, and play a winning part in the Drug War. This real life approach shows you how to assess, treat, and prevent drug abuse by yourself, with a partner, or with a group of your choosing in a wide range of settings.
You will find answers unknown to the outdated and outmoded surrender-to-disease and just-say-"no" approach: What daily life factors cause and continue, treat and prevent drug abuse? What specific actions should you take to succeed? How do you stop a dependency now? What treatment tools and techniques really work? How do you know when you've had enough treatment? And when you need more?
"ATI!" is the first complete course of theory and practice in substance abuse that is based on scientific findings and clinical successs. This is the next best thing to personal professional care at the mere price of a book.
About the Author
Dr. Gerald Schmeling is an expert in substance abuse, a specially trained and experienced clinical psychologist, now retired. He has helped thousands of abusers in the widest range of public and private settings over the course of a thirty-year career.
Dr. Schmeling, like most professionals, came to realize that what "everyone" knows about substance abuse and how to treat it have not decreased drug abuse or the supply. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Schmeling has taught college courses, conducted research, consulted with agencies, and trained and supervised both professionals and non-degreed personnel.
Dr. Schmeling's goal is to bring safe and effective assessment, treatment, and prevention of drug abuse to the millions of abusers not being reached nor well treated by disease and saying "no."