Unhooked: How to Quit Anything

(Paperback)

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Is smoking, alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, the Internet, or sex addiction holding you back from getting what you want mostin work and in love Were all addicted to somethingbut when the crutch gets in the way of living a happy and productive life, it must stop. Over the past twenty-five years, renowned addiction therapist Dr. Frederick Woolverton has used his dynamic, empathetic approach to help thousands of addicts achieve long-term recoveryincluding himself. He sees the specific habit as less important than the underlying chaos and fear that motivate the urge to sooth ourselves with bad habits. The solution, he has found, requires only a better understanding of yourself and a change in attitude. Unhooked: How To Quit Anything is an intelligent, readable, and actionable guide to conquering any addictive habit. Using real patient examples as well as research and his own experience, Dr. Woolverton and coauthor (and former patient) Susan Shapiro show how to thrive without self-medicating. The approach involves an unorthodox blend of straightforward changes to behavior and open and honest conversation with another person. Woolvertons specific instructions do not require an expensive therapist, rehab, 12-step program, or a higher power (but he does make readers aware of those viable options). Let him help you kick your addiction and find whats missing in your world. When you conquer a toxic habit, you are leaving room for something more beautiful to take its place.

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Doctor and former patient join forces in this guide to kicking addiction, from heroin to shopping. Woolverton, founder and director of the Village Institute for Psychotherapy, has worked with addicts for 25 years. Even as a successful and self-aware professional, it was when he quit smoking that he gained crucial insight: I had to let myself suffer, figure out where it was coming from, and figure out what that pain was trying to tell me. The importance of taking those steps in that order is emphasized throughout; Woolverton bolsters his argument by noting that s why 12-step programs work. Addicts need to be told to stop right now or they might die; afterward, self-exploration supports lasting recovery. Former patient and coauthor Shapiro can attest to this: 10 years ago, Woolverton helped her quit alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes. She s since discovered a passion for writing and published seven books. Her example and other case studies illustrate how Woolverton s approach has worked for real people and Woolverton s willingness to share his own personal struggles add authenticity. Those stories and their positive message, combined with the authors concrete steps for identifying destructive behaviors and seeking help, make for a valuable, hopeful read.

Author Bio

Dr. Frederick Woolverton is the founder and director of the acclaimed Village Institute for Psychotherapy in Manhattan and Arkansas as well as the former clinical director of the Baldwin Council Against Drug Abuse. He has facilitated the recovery of thousands, published numerous papers on addiction, written nationally adopted courses on addiction and been quoted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and other publications. His blog, Unhooked, is featured on Psychology Today.com