A selection of the chapters:
- The Two Types of Addiction
- Common Factors of All Addictions
- A Practical View of Recovery
- Challenges to Recovery
- Maintaining Your Recovery
- Self-Discipline
- Attitude Adjustment
- Forging New Habits
- Recovery Mindset
- Celebrate Your Recovery
Back To Living: Action Strategies to Recover from Your Addiction
Are you, or is someone you know, struggling to maintain recovery from addiction? If you answered yes, I want you to know it isn’t unusual for anyone to experience challenges during their recovery. Having difficulty maintaining progress isn’t a reflection of your character or worth as a person.
During my 34 years of helping people who were struggling with their recovery efforts, I witnessed how difficult it was for them to refrain from substance use and any other form of addiction (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) they were confronting.
I wrote this book to help individuals who are struggling with recovery efforts to provide an understanding of the barriers to recovery, as well as practical action-based strategies to help manage recovery as effectively and consistently as possible.
Your reading journey will begin with an overview of the two types of addiction and underlying factors that are common with all addictions. Then you’ll learn a practical view of recovery, including the difference between abstinence (i.e., not continuing to use substances or not engaging in ongoing problematic behaviors) and recovery.
The next two chapters will identify challenges to your recovery and how to manage them as effectively and consistently as possible. The remaining chapters will provide detailed action steps for you to take so you can consistently maintain your recovery, and a strategy for how to manage your thoughts so you have a recovery mindset. The final chapter provides you with an understanding of why it is important to give yourself credit for all the progress you make during your recovery journey. It includes suggestions for how to celebrate your accomplishments.
I hope the information contained within this book’s chapters will help you have a fuller understanding of what contributes to addiction, and that it will provide you with the tools you need to increase the quality of your recovery experience. I believe that awareness and useful strategies that are put into action with reasonable consistency, provide the best opportunity for achieving goals.
I wish you all the best!
Back To Living
Action Strategies to Recover from Your Addiction
About Alan Simberg Ph.D.
Having a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a Master’s degree in School Counseling, a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology, an Ed.S. degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, trained as a Life Mastery Consultant through Mary Morrissey’s Life Mastery Institute, certification in Applied Clinical Nutrition and a NET (Neuro Emotional Technique) practitioner did not prevent me from having a simple, practical approach when speaking with people who wanted to improve their lives.
My education and life experiences contributed to me becoming a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, and a best-selling author, developing an e-learning program for people in recovery from addiction, and resulted in me having the opportunity to do webinars and in-person speaking presentations.
When I meet with clients who want to learn about spirituality, I explain my understanding that developed from studying related literature before and while learning from a spiritual master during my 5+ years in his Ashram.
My formal and informal education, as well as life experiences, led me to realize the best way I could help clients would be to make them aware of how powerful their thoughts are, how to manage them, and how simple, practical strategies can help them begin having the life they always wanted without shame or guilt.
I have noticed that there seems to be an emphasis on abstinence during recovery and a relative absence of information about how to manage the challenges of recovery. This led me to write a book and develop an e-learning program that provides specific strategies to manage the challenges of recovery that can make it difficult to maintain recovery as consistently as possible.
Having simple to-understand strategies is intended to guide you to manage any currently stressful life areas (i.e., health, financial wellness, family life, career, social skills) by explaining how you could create and maintain a practice of self-discipline, learn how to manage your thoughts and develop small rather than big, overwhelming habits.
These strategies could provide you with many benefits, including the ability to have a reasonably consistent recovery while also minimizing and/or eliminating relapse, having a rewarding and fulfilling life that has previously been missing that could result in family members, loved ones, and colleagues no longer having to concern themselves about your safety and/or well-being while also being able to overcome shame, guilt and be the best possible version of yourself.
I have devoted decades to learning to manage your recovery challenges as quickly and successfully as possible.
You can find detailed information regarding my e-learning program here.
Specialties: Addiction, Stress Management, Marital and Family Issues, Depression, Anxiety, Nutritional Guidance.
I counsel clients from within the perspective of their unique challenges. With sensitivity and compassion, I help clients build on their strengths and develop a laser focus that is intended to help them identify and achieve their life goals.
"Alan has created a simple, practical and to the point tool for anyone who is trying to recover from addictions, whether they are strictly behavioral or grounded in heavy neuro damage created by substances. His 34 years of experience on the line helping others has helped him to boil it down to the essential truths and applications. Way to go, Alan!!!"
~ John C. Cates MA, LCDC
"As Dr. Simberg notes in his introduction, this guide is a practical reading that includes simple, accessible, actionable steps toward success on the path to recovery. Simple does not always mean easy, he is thoughtful and encouraging throughout. He writes from having decades of experience with this population, acknowledging the real-life struggles while kindly and gently giving time-tested, evidence-based real life suggestions for living well. I would recommend it for fellow therapists as well as my clients."
~ Daphne Goolsbee MA LMFT
"Dr. Simberg brings the core aspects of a confusing and challenging issue into a clear, pragmatic and useful light. It is obvious he cares and understands the struggle of those facing their own addiction and that of their loved ones. This book is a kind and informative launching point for anyone wanting to learn more about the journey of addiction recovery."
~ Ben Carrettin, MA, NCC, LPC-S, CISM
Back To Living
Action Strategies to Recover from Your Addiction