Alcoholism, Drugs, Addictions

[This is far from an exhaustive list and reflects my personal bias. I have added some  hand-picked titles on alcoholism and addictions, mostly from the REBT-CBT perspective, focused primarily on secular, non-religious approaches which are friendly alternatives to the more familiar “12 Step Programs” such as AA / Alcoholics Anonymous. I have taken care to choose approaches which emphasize empowerment over powerlessness, personal responsibility rather than disease and rationality instead of superstition.  ~Rex]

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Addiction

The REBT view on addiction is that people engage in such unhealthy behaviors because of their irrational beliefs. The initial reason for why the individual turns to substance abuse may be guilt, shame, or depression. Once the individual is able to eliminate the irrational beliefs that are driving the alcohol or drug abuse, by developing insight and learning acceptance, it becomes easier for them to give up their dependence so that they can build healthier and more fulfilling lives. The aim of REBT then is not just to get the individual to stop the destructive behavior, but to eliminate the beliefs that led them to such behaviors in the first place.

Albert Ellis’s Views on Alcoholics Anonymous

Albert Ellis did not belief that Alcoholics Anonymous (or indeed any of the 12 Step programs) was the perfect solution for this type of self-destructive behavior. He did not believe that such an approach could work for everyone – particularly those individuals who are not spiritually inclined. His main concern was that such approaches encouraged the individual to feel powerless. In his book When AA Doesn’t Work For You: Rational Steps to Quitting Alcohol he offers suggests for how the individual can delve deep so they can find the irrational beliefs that are driving the behavior. His approach is an underlying foundation principle of the Self Management and Recovery Training (SMART) approach to addiction recovery. Alcoholrehab.com