Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Addiction/Recovery

  • A VOICE From HEAVEN by Alexander V. Girman & Cynthia J. Girman – Spirituality, Overcoming Grief, Addiction/Recovery

    Cynthia J. Girman shares transcendental conversations with A Voice from Heaven – her son Alec, who had tragically passed away a few months before.

    During his life, Alec struggled with ADHD & Asperger’s (his preferred term). Social awkwardness made it difficult for him to connect with other people – a heavy emotional weight from which he fled through substance abuse. Though he supported himself with work as a programmer, fitting his special interests in computers and mathematics, he lived alone in DC and tried to hide his addiction from his family.

    Cindy and Tom tried tirelessly to help their son. Through rehab centers and sobriety coaches, Alec began making gradual improvements, even as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed him into deeper feelings of isolation. But treating addiction isn’t a fair fight, especially with the ability of opioids to rewire the brain; Cindy and Tom’s greatest fear was realized when Alec used kratom without understanding the toxicity of its alkaloid components.

    In the depths of grief after Alec’s passing, Cindy and Tom found hope in meetings with three mediums. These mediums channeled Alec and other lost loved ones, promising that Alec was at peace. Beyond that awakened hope, though, Cindy began to experience her own connections to the other side, until Alec’s spirit reached out directly to tell her of what he’d learned since his physical death.

    Cindy allowed Alec’s spirit to work through her hands as she wrote this book, revealing the nature of the human soul.

    Mortal life is a lesson that the soul wants to learn. One sliver of a full human spirit inhabits a body on Earth, unaware of its true self, so that the difficulties and choices of this life will teach it an important lesson. Each soul seeks to understand the same thing: how to become a being of love.

    But the afterlife offers much learning of its own. Alec delves deeply into the mysteries of the universe, in a way that mortal humans never could, and even takes on the role of a teacher to other spirits. These roles and details of the afterlife are explained in great detail, and while the book repeats these details more often than it should, they’re nevertheless interesting to consider.

    Between these explanations of the world beyond death, A Voice from Heaven threads wondrous imagery and comforting possibilities.

    There is beauty that no mortal eye has seen, colors beyond physical vision, the playful music of other spirits, and even great cosmic wonders. Author Cynthia translates these otherworldly senses into evocative prose, giving readers a glimpse of the other side.

    All this joy and bliss of the spiritual realm is shared with loved ones and friends – both from one’s latest life and those before. Alec connects with the family he knew and ancestors he never could have, even finding dear pets waiting for him. But as wonderful as this realm is, Alec insists that mortal life has purpose and beauty as well and that one should embrace it entirely.

    Pursuing her own purpose, Cynthia J. Girman researches the development of treatments for Substance Use Disorder.

    She explains promising technology to the reader – transcranial magnetic stimulation (TEMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) – which could become invaluable in undoing the brain chemistry alterations of addiction. Her drive to make a difference for people who struggle as Alec did is inspiring, and grounds this book’s ideas of prioritizing love in one’s life.

    Though a spiritual guide, Alec maintains a sense of humanity throughout these conversations.

    Alec’s mortal struggles are easy to empathize with, especially for neurodivergent people. For such readers, and any who have faced addiction in themselves or their loved ones, Alec’s words offer a sense of resilience and understanding. On the other side, he recognizes his mistakes but also works to forgive himself for them, as all souls must do. This personal connection gives a real emotional weight to A Voice from Heaven’s image of the afterlife.

    This book seeks to give peace to those readers reeling from loss, hope that such loss is not forever, and the message that one should embrace their passion and let go of their fears.

     

    Chanticleer Book Reviews 4 star silver foil book sticker

  • EXIT The MAZE: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna Marks – Addiction Recovery, Personal Transformation, Overcoming Trauma

     

    Blue and Gold 2020 Badge for Mind & Spirit Grand Prize for Spirituality and Enlightenment Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna MarksExit The Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure by Dr. Donna Marks is a welcoming and comprehensive enchiridion of untapped wisdom that offers a step-to-step guide to getting out of any form of addiction.

    No one sets out to become an addict; it catches us off guard. An addiction can happen quickly or slowly and can affect anyone regardless of intelligence, social class, ethnic group, or religion. With pitch-perfect prose, Dr. Donna Marks invites readers into the root causes of different forms of addiction, while offering pragmatic and evidence-based solutions that are bound to yield results.

    Buoyed by the personal experiences of the author along with numerous case studies, Dr. Marks further offers deep insights into the inadequacies of traditional treatment models. For example, she notes that most rehab centers lack adequate staffing and overstep the limits of their capabilities. Another example is the famous 12 steps of fighting addiction which she believes do help to stop a behavior and develop a solid support system, however, she also sees that the program falls short

    Marks attempts to address the traumas that underlie most addictive behavior.

    This book does not stop there but offers alternative solutions to beat any form of addiction such as facing the pain, releasing it, writing out the thoughts and feelings that are disturbing you, forgiving the pain, letting go of resentment, visualizing a new life for yourself, and eventually exiting the maze. With valuable and reflective questionnaires at the end of every chapter, the result is a comprehensive compendium that is not only educating but eye-opening.

    This guide is divided into twelve chapters that begin with a welcoming and illuminating quote from scholars and other well-known people. Each chapter amplifies the previous ones, resulting in a well-nuanced and easy-to-read self-help journey. Further, Dr. Marks’s empathetic and honest tone creates a much-needed balm for those longing to exit the frustrating rabbit hole of addiction. She closes on the last ultimate step of exiting the maze which includes self-care such as caring for the body, spirit, mind, and relationships.

    The core backbone of this guidebook is the extensive research that Dr. Marks did in preparation for writing it.

    Exit The Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure offers a unique roadmap to assist readers in discovering true healing and comfort. The book’s suggestions are concise and emphasize the need to deal with unresolved emotional trauma, as it is more often than not the doorway to addictions, as many try to blot out the pain. As addictions and depression escalate in the modern world, Dr. Donna has written a blueprint for living a post-addiction life of serenity and self-love.

    Indeed, this revolutionary guide delivers a much-needed anchor designed to inspire, guide, and steer readers through all forms of addictions including gambling, love addiction, and drug addiction, just to name a few, and exit to the other end, triumphantly and fully recovered.

    Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure won Grand Prize in the 2020 CIBA Mind & Spirit Book Awards for Spirituality and Enlightenment Non-Fiction.

     

    5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews

     

  • TWELVE SECULAR STEPS: AN ADDICTION RECOVERY GUIDE by Bill W. – Twelve-Step Program, Addiction/Recovery, Self-Help

    TWELVE SECULAR STEPS: AN ADDICTION RECOVERY GUIDE by Bill W. – Twelve-Step Program, Addiction/Recovery, Self-Help

    If you’re familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous, then you’ve heard the phrase, “One day at a time,” “Keep it simple,” and “This too shall pass” – slogans designed to help the alcoholic resist the urge to drink. Borrowing another popular AA slogan, “Take what you need and leave the rest,” alcoholic Bill W. (not the co-founder of AA) lays out his version of the AA steps in Twelve Secular Steps: An Addiction Recovery Guide.

    A biologist with a Ph.D. and 20 years in research and education, Bill W. knew he needed help with his addictions. He followed the AA program but was uncomfortable with the “God” language, so he created his own path, rejiggering the steps as a secular version shifting the focus from a “Higher Power” to himself. In Chapter 1, he explains his critical moment: “I froze when I looked into the mirror, for I didn’t recognize the face looking back. The veil of denial was lifted, and I saw clearly what I had become: a pathetic addict, slowly killing myself day by day. I realized that the problem, truly, was ME.”

    Unfortunately, some folks who enter “the rooms” of AA or other 12-Step recovery programs are turned off by the spiritual connection required. In this thought-provoking and well-designed guide, Bill W. tries to show that by altering the faith-based language of the traditional AA steps, there is incredible value for anyone wanting to get a grip on their addiction. The latter part of the book is devoted to the design and implementation of such a plan, getting the addict or alcoholic to build 90 days of sobriety.

    Twelve-Step recovery was introduced in 1939 when Bill Wilson published a primary text Alcoholics Anonymous, often called “The Big Book.” Of course, detractors have argued that the secular version is not considered the AA program, but Bill W. (author of this book) knew the value of the work as he was surrounded by alcoholics and addicts who desired a non-religious version or pre-existing relationship with God.

    Drawing from his science and medical background too, Bill W. devotes an entire chapter to the Biology of Addiction, showing an illustration of how dopamine affects the brain and explaining how the brain’s limbic system and frontal cortex change significantly during an addiction spiral.

    The conversational tone peppered with personal anecdotes from the author’s life makes for an easy read. After reviewing the 90-day plan and how to work the traditional steps with a secular flair, this reviewer had hoped the author might supply a final word of encouragement. Instead, Twelve Secular Steps ends with a challenge, which when all is said and done, is appropriate.

    This book is intended for anyone uncomfortable with the religious aspect of AA’s fundamentals yet ready to take personal responsibility for their recovery. Bill W. assures his readers that the three ingredients to successful recovery are adhering to a “One day at a time” attitude, following the steps and leaning on a support network of family and friends.

    Twelve Secular Steps is an alternative path rooted in the individual rather than God, and has been helpful for some recovering addicts assembling a recovery toolbox. Friends and family members with a loved one suffering from addiction can also benefit greatly by learning how gut-wrenching yet wonderful the lifelong path of recovery can be.