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The Tao of Sobriety: Helping You to Recover from Alcohol and Drug Addiction
The Tao of Sobriety shows how to apply eastern philosophy to enhance recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. With a few simple mental exercises, listeners can learn how to quiet "The Committee," those nasty mental voices that undermine serenity and self-esteem. With leaders of the recovery movement enthusiastically endorsing this uniquely helpful book, The Tao of Sobriety is an invaluable addition to the recovery bookshelf.
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First published January 21, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 4, 2024
Great, clear, and good sense handbook to accompany you on your journey toward beating addiction, although the book would be great for anyone looking for inner peace and guidance toward living a better life.
January 19, 2016
Interesting premise, poorly executed, with some very good ideas - but nothing terribly new. Bogged down by some truly atrocious writing, but if you plow through it might be worth it. I will still recommend this to some clients who prefer an eastern view on the spirituality of recovery, but rarely.
November 18, 2013
Beautiful book that really changed my way of thinking and thus my life. I recommend it whether you struggle with addiction or not. It taught me how to think in a new, positive way.
June 1, 2020
It gets a star because I like the fact that they tried to intertwine Taoism and addiction/recovery. It's nice to get a break from the "Western linear thought" that usually goes into such topics.
But they didn't quite get there. They really lost me when they were listing some of life's great pleasures and included "sipping a fine wine." Why would this be included in a book written for an audience of addicts--a group of people (myself included) whose romanticization of substances is the main cause of relapse.
Anyway, here are a few lines I liked:
Addicts often succumb to the illusion of control but they now have the power either to avoid the low of unpleasant experiences or to create a permanent high to mask the boredom of every day life. Really what we try to do as addicts is escape life's legitimate suffering
Americans and other Westerners are preoccupied with self-sufficiency and independence, partly in the belief that such attitudes we directly to the promised land of happiness and satisfaction
Lao Tzu founder of Taoism, 6th century BC
I gained enlightenment on one of the promises that says financial matters won't make us feel less then. It means that we will be excepting and make healthy choices when I want to change them. I won't feel sorry for myself because of my financial situation
The difference in humans and animals is that humans are cursed with self awareness we are able to think about our thinking. Unfortunately we spin webs of judgment in comparison
Who we are as human beings as a space like a psychological theater or thoughts and in our conversations show up we have a bunch of busy bodies up there squabbling. The goal is to identify a conversational voice I can move the other voices towards a more satisfying life strategy that is what silencing her intervene girl can mean but this takes time and practice we can expect everything at once but you must cultivate a voice that strives for well-being, expressing.
You don't have to do anything with the thoughts and experiences that appear in your mind screen just allow them to be there when they depart don't argue with them the ideas to become as objective an observer as you can be of your entire self if you discover the ones that are image crowds or another that's fine. Just think any thought that shows up for having put an appearance even if it wasn't what you expected. It's useful to make the process of lightly observing your thinking into a frequent routine during meditation. I keep you centered in touch with him in touch with the flow of life on guard against the harsh, unloving, and destructive judgments in a valuations that often preoccupy her minds. The suffering some of us Indore it is not because our minds are filled with believes and judgments it's the way we cling to these judgments as true
Any of us run when we are being chased. This resonates true for me because I create chaos maybe Carrie Bradshaw was right and we need drama
the term acceptance means temporarily suspending judgments of right and wrong. You can place a kind of flat, nonevaluative willingness to just let things be, regardless of whether or not they seem fair, desirable, or convenient.
The apple bite in the garden of Eden Eden forever alienated human beings from the natural order. Ever since then, we have tracked through life as individual egos, convinced that we could illuminate pain, banish disease, cheat death, and destroy our enemies. Life has become a constant fight for survival and supremacy
But they didn't quite get there. They really lost me when they were listing some of life's great pleasures and included "sipping a fine wine." Why would this be included in a book written for an audience of addicts--a group of people (myself included) whose romanticization of substances is the main cause of relapse.
Anyway, here are a few lines I liked:
Addicts often succumb to the illusion of control but they now have the power either to avoid the low of unpleasant experiences or to create a permanent high to mask the boredom of every day life. Really what we try to do as addicts is escape life's legitimate suffering
Americans and other Westerners are preoccupied with self-sufficiency and independence, partly in the belief that such attitudes we directly to the promised land of happiness and satisfaction
Lao Tzu founder of Taoism, 6th century BC
I gained enlightenment on one of the promises that says financial matters won't make us feel less then. It means that we will be excepting and make healthy choices when I want to change them. I won't feel sorry for myself because of my financial situation
The difference in humans and animals is that humans are cursed with self awareness we are able to think about our thinking. Unfortunately we spin webs of judgment in comparison
Who we are as human beings as a space like a psychological theater or thoughts and in our conversations show up we have a bunch of busy bodies up there squabbling. The goal is to identify a conversational voice I can move the other voices towards a more satisfying life strategy that is what silencing her intervene girl can mean but this takes time and practice we can expect everything at once but you must cultivate a voice that strives for well-being, expressing.
You don't have to do anything with the thoughts and experiences that appear in your mind screen just allow them to be there when they depart don't argue with them the ideas to become as objective an observer as you can be of your entire self if you discover the ones that are image crowds or another that's fine. Just think any thought that shows up for having put an appearance even if it wasn't what you expected. It's useful to make the process of lightly observing your thinking into a frequent routine during meditation. I keep you centered in touch with him in touch with the flow of life on guard against the harsh, unloving, and destructive judgments in a valuations that often preoccupy her minds. The suffering some of us Indore it is not because our minds are filled with believes and judgments it's the way we cling to these judgments as true
Any of us run when we are being chased. This resonates true for me because I create chaos maybe Carrie Bradshaw was right and we need drama
the term acceptance means temporarily suspending judgments of right and wrong. You can place a kind of flat, nonevaluative willingness to just let things be, regardless of whether or not they seem fair, desirable, or convenient.
The apple bite in the garden of Eden Eden forever alienated human beings from the natural order. Ever since then, we have tracked through life as individual egos, convinced that we could illuminate pain, banish disease, cheat death, and destroy our enemies. Life has become a constant fight for survival and supremacy
April 9, 2012
very good
May 8, 2024
A great resource for using mindfulness based cognitive behavioral therapy and radical acceptance to rewire your reactions to your triggers
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews