Understanding the Alcoholic's Mind: The Nature of Craving and How to Control ItDespite the immense obstacles they face, many alcoholics do manage to recover. In this groundbreaking book, Arnold M. Ludwig—a doctor with over twenty-five years of experience working with alcoholics—goes inside the minds of alcoholics in order to explain the behaviors and thought processes they use to get and stay sober. Whether alcoholics achieve recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous, a church, counseling, hospitalization, or entirely of their own initiative, the basic methods remain essentially the same. This book offers the first detailed examination of these successful methods. Ludwig has discovered that in most cases a lasting recovery can only begin after certain crucial attitude changes occur. Regardless of the motivation of alcoholics, powerful forces lure them back to drink. To remain sober, alcoholics not only must recognize these forces and the dangerous frame of mind that fuels them, but also must use a variety of techniques for resisting temptation. Recovery involves far more than simply not drinking; it means a sober life style. Over the years, Ludwig has worked with over one thousand alcoholics from all walks of life and within many different settings, including hospital clinics, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, detoxification centers, and private homes. Using clinical vignettes, research findings, and personal anecdotes, he documents the basic principles necessary for conquering craving and achieving recovery. Ludwig offers an optimistic message: no matter how bad things get, there is always hope. This book will provide insights not only for recovering alcoholics, but also for their families, counselors, and doctors. |
Contents
1 Paradoxes and Contradictions | 3 |
2 The Lure of the Sirens | 11 |
3 The Dry Drunk | 18 |
4 The Mystery of Craving | 33 |
5 On and Off the Wagon | 49 |
6 The Proper Frame of Mind | 69 |
7 Resisting Temptation | 91 |
8 Sobriety Scripts | 110 |
9 The Sober Mind | 125 |
Notes | 135 |
171 | |
185 | |
Other editions - View all
Understanding the Alcoholic's Mind: The Nature of Craving and How to Control It Arnold M. Ludwig No preview available - 1987 |
Understanding the Alcoholic's Mind: The Nature of Craving and How to Control It Arnold M. Ludwig No preview available - 1989 |
Common terms and phrases
AA meetings abstinence addiction alco Alcoholics Anonymous Antabuse associated attitudes attribution Attribution theory aversive aversive therapies avoid become beer began behavior Bill Wilson bottle Classical conditioning cognitive coholics conditioned coping craving for alcohol delirium tremens drinkers drug drunk effects emotional factors feel going happened Higher Power holics hospital important individuals intoxication learned liquor lives loss of control Ludwig manage Marlatt mean ment mental motivation narcotic nature opponent-process theory percent physical physical dependence physiological problem proof alcohol psychological Psychology of Religion psychotherapy quit drinking reason recovering alcoholics recovery Relapse Prevention relaxation religious experience remain sober represents response saying script seems sense situation slip sobriety social drinking spiritual experiences stimuli stop taste techniques temptation tend therapeutic therapies things thought processes Tiebout tion transmarginal inhibition treatment unwanted thoughts urge to drink wife Wikler withdrawal symptoms