Unhooked : how to quit anything

Description

Is smoking, alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, the Internet, or sex holding you back from living a full life? We're all addicted to something--but when the crutch gets in the way of living a happy and productive life, it must stop. Over the last twenty-five years, renowned addiction therapist Dr. Fred Woolverton has used his dynamic, empathetic approach to help thousands of addicts achieve long-term recovery--including himself and his coauthor Susan Shapiro, whom he helped quit smoking and drinking and find success in both love and her career.  Dr. Woolverton views the external habit as less important than the chaos and fear underlying the addiction, which we use to regulate our feelings. The solution, he has found, is easier than we think. Unhooked: How to Quit Anything  is a smart, readable, and actionable guide to conquering any addictive habit. Using real patient examples as well as research and his own experience, Dr. Woolverton shows us how to thrive without self-medicating. His approach is an unorthodox blend of straight forward changes to behavior and open and honest conversation with another person. His 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 Dr. Woolverton help you kick your addiction and move on with your life today! Content: Is your habit addictive? Caffeine, Web surfing -- Write to find out what you think: anorexia, social functions & dysfunctions -- Learn to rely on people, not substances: cigarettes, alcohol, sugar -- How to cultivate core pillars: ecstasy, extreme sports -- Feelings misinform: cocaine, sex & shopping -- Understanding how addicts think: hallucinogenic drugs & stealing -- Commit to stopping one addiction at a time: promiscuity & alcohol -- The secrets of soft habits: binge eating -- The hidden perils of all addictions: cigarettes -- Learn how to suffer well: overeating, cigarettes -- The importance of the right social life: painkillers & food addiction -- Quitting an addiction everyone loves (and encourages): gambling -- Beware the substance shuffle: piercings, tattoos, oxycodone -- Why an addict needs rules to live by: overexercising -- Chipping the edge off narcissism: pornography -- Switch to healthy substitutes: surviving bulimia & alcoholism -- The realities of relapse: crack & crime -- The dangers of addiction therapy: alcohol, violence -- Staying clean and careful forever: recovery -- Keep holiday "cheer" from turning harmful -- The problem with depending on people.