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The 30-Day Sobriety Solution: How to Cut Back or Quit Drinking in the Privacy of Your Own Home
Jack Canfield, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® franchise and coauthor of The Success Principles, and Dave Andrews, a recovery expert, join forces to present a “sensitively written yet no-nonsense guide” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) to help you cut back or quit drinking entirely—in the privacy of your own home.The 30-Day Sobriety Solution grew out of Jack Canfield’s decades-long work in self-esteem and success training. Its principles were carefully developed into a program by Dave Andrews and tested by thousands whose inspiring stories of recovery are shared throughout the book. Organized into five phases that span 30-day periods, this book guides you through each day with practical exercises that, over time, allow you to more easily make positive choices again and again.Integrating neuroscience, cognitive therapy, proven tools, and teachings, The 30-Day Sobriety Solution’s daily program will help you achieve your goals—whether that’s getting sober or just cutting back—and create positive, permanent change in your life.
594 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2015
338 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Jack Canfield
1,294 books1,756 followersJack Canfield is an American motivational speaker and author. He is best known as the co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series, which currently has over 124 titles and 100 million copies in print in over 47 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.
Canfield received a BA in Chinese History from Harvard University and a Masters from University of Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitator, and a psychotherapist.
Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. The stated mission of Self Esteem Seminars is to train entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The focus of The Foundation for Self Esteem is to train social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals.
In 1990,he shared with author Mark Victor Hansen his idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. After three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories.
Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN's Talk Back Live, PBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live and the BBC.
Canfield's most recent book, The Success Principles (2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2006, he appeared in the DVD, "The Secret," and shared his insights on the Law of Attraction and tips for achieving success in personal and professional life.
Jack Canfield was born on August 19, 1944, in Fort Worth, TX. He is the son of Elmer and Ellen (a homemaker; maiden name, Taylor). He attended high school at Linsly Military Institute, Wheeling, WV, 1962. He went to college at Harvard University, B.A., 1966; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.Ed., 1973. Canfield married Judith Ohlbaum in 1971 (divorced, November 1976); he married Georgia Lee Noble on September 9, 1978 (divorced, December 1999); he married Inga Marie Mahoney on July 4, 2001; children: (first marriage) Oran, David, Kyle, Dania; (second marriage) Christopher Noble. He is a Democrat and a Christian, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar.
Canfield received a BA in Chinese History from Harvard University and a Masters from University of Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitator, and a psychotherapist.
Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. The stated mission of Self Esteem Seminars is to train entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The focus of The Foundation for Self Esteem is to train social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals.
In 1990,he shared with author Mark Victor Hansen his idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. After three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories.
Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN's Talk Back Live, PBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live and the BBC.
Canfield's most recent book, The Success Principles (2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2006, he appeared in the DVD, "The Secret," and shared his insights on the Law of Attraction and tips for achieving success in personal and professional life.
Jack Canfield was born on August 19, 1944, in Fort Worth, TX. He is the son of Elmer and Ellen (a homemaker; maiden name, Taylor). He attended high school at Linsly Military Institute, Wheeling, WV, 1962. He went to college at Harvard University, B.A., 1966; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.Ed., 1973. Canfield married Judith Ohlbaum in 1971 (divorced, November 1976); he married Georgia Lee Noble on September 9, 1978 (divorced, December 1999); he married Inga Marie Mahoney on July 4, 2001; children: (first marriage) Oran, David, Kyle, Dania; (second marriage) Christopher Noble. He is a Democrat and a Christian, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 24, 2016
This is a very useful book for anyone whose relationship to alcohol has become bothersome or worrisome. Authors Dave Andrews and Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul author) have put together a very nicely sequenced program that takes the reader through a different "solution" for each of the 30 days. The solutions delve into such areas as forgiveness (for self and others), core values, learning to ask good questions, visualization, affirmations, gratitude, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique also known as "tapping") -- a smorgasbord of techniques, each one offered with a great deal of heart and intelligence. Not everything will work for everyone, but most everyone is sure to find something that resonates. The book has a companion website with videos, guided meditations, and loads of links to articles, books, and other support materials, including a forum where readers can share their experiences. I read and research for a living and found the materials to be reasonably well chosen and presented. In a word, if you're waking up at 3:00 a.m. with uneasy thoughts about your relationship to alcohol and feel it is time to do something about it, I would highly recommend giving this book a try. It may be especially useful for those who want some assistance but feel that AA would just be too much. This book gives the reader who is suffering with a personal problem the time, space, compassion, privacy, information, and support to tackle it in their own way, at their own pace. The quality of guidance and materials is remarkable for the price. Before I decided to go with the program, I was seriously considering paying a significant sum of money for the services of an independent and highly regarded addiction program here in Minnesota. I am SO glad I decided to simply read this book and do the homework it gives for each day. I saved thousands of dollars and honestly, I believe that the help I received totally equals (and maybe surpasses) any benefits I may have received from therapy.
In my case, I had developed a very regular habit of drinking two glasses of wine in the evening. Some nights, the amount would veer towards three glasses. This routine was in place for close to four years, and during that time, I had many moments of wondering if I should cut back or stop entirely. I did not define myself as an alcoholic, but I would feel fairly irritable if I found the cupboard bare in the evening and could not get out to purchase wine. At one point, I was able to quit for a month, but that period of time only seemed to serve as confirmation that I didn't have a problem, after which time I went straight back to drinking nightly. I decided to try the 30-Day Sobriety Solution when I remembered how my drinking was in my 20s, 30s, 40s, and even most of my 50s (I'm 61). Whenever a doctor asked about alcohol consumption, my standard response was "a couple of glasses a MONTH." Clearly, my habits had changed.
After reflecting a bit, which the book helps with enormously, I realized that I was drinking for certain clear reasons. First, I was in physical pain most evenings with achy joints, overall fatigue, and a basic depression that accompanied those two symptoms. On winter evenings when it was pitch dark by 5:00 p.m. (I live in Minnesota), red wine mostly always seemed like a very good idea at about 6:30 p.m. I knew summer would be an easier month to tackle the problem, so I started the program in mid-June and just finished today. I have not had any wine or other alcohol for a month and feel pretty great. I am also committed to keeping this up for at least a year. I plan to revisit my decision next June.
In one of the late chapters, the authors discuss the importance of maintaining a good diet and mention a book called The Plan by Lyn-Genet Recitas. I checked it out and found a new path to follow in my quest to feel better. After skimming her book (and yet another book related to her book), my theory is that I have been suffering from a general hormonal imbalance, and low thyroid function in particular, which has been the root cause of achy joints, depression, brain fog, sleeplessness, and a host of other unlovely symptoms. I was trying to feel better by drinking wine and taking antidepressants (one cancels the other, and in winter, wine actually increases depression). I offer this as an example of how you might discover root causes of your problem drinking, even if you believe you know them all. I did not KNOW about low thyroid function and just took my symptoms to be the "new normal" in my sixth decade. Not so! FYI, the diet book is just one of many, many resources the authors mention. There is never a sense that they are trying to promote anything or anyone – there is no sign of hidden agenda anywhere, in case that matters.
One last comment: If you buy the book, be prepared to spend significant time doing what the authors ask each day. They downplay the amount of time it takes, and maybe you could throw less time at it than I did and still have good results, but recovery as it is set out in this book is definitely not a spectator sport. You will need to do some serious journal writing every day at very least.
Good luck! I wish you well on your path to breaking up with alcohol. ☺
In my case, I had developed a very regular habit of drinking two glasses of wine in the evening. Some nights, the amount would veer towards three glasses. This routine was in place for close to four years, and during that time, I had many moments of wondering if I should cut back or stop entirely. I did not define myself as an alcoholic, but I would feel fairly irritable if I found the cupboard bare in the evening and could not get out to purchase wine. At one point, I was able to quit for a month, but that period of time only seemed to serve as confirmation that I didn't have a problem, after which time I went straight back to drinking nightly. I decided to try the 30-Day Sobriety Solution when I remembered how my drinking was in my 20s, 30s, 40s, and even most of my 50s (I'm 61). Whenever a doctor asked about alcohol consumption, my standard response was "a couple of glasses a MONTH." Clearly, my habits had changed.
After reflecting a bit, which the book helps with enormously, I realized that I was drinking for certain clear reasons. First, I was in physical pain most evenings with achy joints, overall fatigue, and a basic depression that accompanied those two symptoms. On winter evenings when it was pitch dark by 5:00 p.m. (I live in Minnesota), red wine mostly always seemed like a very good idea at about 6:30 p.m. I knew summer would be an easier month to tackle the problem, so I started the program in mid-June and just finished today. I have not had any wine or other alcohol for a month and feel pretty great. I am also committed to keeping this up for at least a year. I plan to revisit my decision next June.
In one of the late chapters, the authors discuss the importance of maintaining a good diet and mention a book called The Plan by Lyn-Genet Recitas. I checked it out and found a new path to follow in my quest to feel better. After skimming her book (and yet another book related to her book), my theory is that I have been suffering from a general hormonal imbalance, and low thyroid function in particular, which has been the root cause of achy joints, depression, brain fog, sleeplessness, and a host of other unlovely symptoms. I was trying to feel better by drinking wine and taking antidepressants (one cancels the other, and in winter, wine actually increases depression). I offer this as an example of how you might discover root causes of your problem drinking, even if you believe you know them all. I did not KNOW about low thyroid function and just took my symptoms to be the "new normal" in my sixth decade. Not so! FYI, the diet book is just one of many, many resources the authors mention. There is never a sense that they are trying to promote anything or anyone – there is no sign of hidden agenda anywhere, in case that matters.
One last comment: If you buy the book, be prepared to spend significant time doing what the authors ask each day. They downplay the amount of time it takes, and maybe you could throw less time at it than I did and still have good results, but recovery as it is set out in this book is definitely not a spectator sport. You will need to do some serious journal writing every day at very least.
Good luck! I wish you well on your path to breaking up with alcohol. ☺
June 28, 2016
Only for those who dare....
After 9 years of daily drinking, I have been sober for 30 days. The roadmap outlined by Dave & Jack showed me the how IF I put in the work. I did and so can anyone who reads this IF they are serious about quitting their drinking addiction.
After 9 years of daily drinking, I have been sober for 30 days. The roadmap outlined by Dave & Jack showed me the how IF I put in the work. I did and so can anyone who reads this IF they are serious about quitting their drinking addiction.
August 22, 2016
This book changed my relationship with alcohol. The best personal development book I've ever read! If you're even contemplating it just buy it. You won't regret it.
November 10, 2021
This was a great book for me, as my relationship with alcohol was beginning to worry me. I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to cut back or abstain completely. The daily chapters and action items kept me on track. I loved this book!
March 12, 2018
Life changing
This is an amazing and practical book that has changed my life in a profoundly positive way. Not only is it the best book for breaking addiction but also quite possibly the best book for making positive life changes and understanding how your brain works and what holds you back. This is a tremendous self help book for establishing powerful habits to change your person to the core and unlock your potential. I would enthusiastically recommend it even to anyone who is not battling addiction, as everyone stands to gain a lot from this book. I've gone through the 30 day plan and am going to do it again no doubt multiple times, not because I give in to addiction (because I won't) but because I want to solidify the lessons learned.
This is an amazing and practical book that has changed my life in a profoundly positive way. Not only is it the best book for breaking addiction but also quite possibly the best book for making positive life changes and understanding how your brain works and what holds you back. This is a tremendous self help book for establishing powerful habits to change your person to the core and unlock your potential. I would enthusiastically recommend it even to anyone who is not battling addiction, as everyone stands to gain a lot from this book. I've gone through the 30 day plan and am going to do it again no doubt multiple times, not because I give in to addiction (because I won't) but because I want to solidify the lessons learned.
March 1, 2017
This program works
Empower yourself and follow the steps daily. You will thrive in sobriety and not feel dependent on the AA model of disempowerment and probable failure.
Empower yourself and follow the steps daily. You will thrive in sobriety and not feel dependent on the AA model of disempowerment and probable failure.
December 5, 2018
This is not my genre - not by a long shot. Or I should say this wasn't my genre. Not until I completed a 30 birthday detox. This book made it easy and frankly I haven't felt the need to go back to my drinking ways. I loved the daily exercises and reflections and I think I will be repeating the whole process again. When they write about thriving in sobriety, they aren't kidding. Since this I've started a business, become significantly more focused and have lost 16 pounds. All in just a couple of months. Sounds crazy but that's what happened.
January 15, 2023
This book is absolutely incredible and will truly change your life! Dave Andrews and Jack Canfield present incredible guidance and insight in an easy-to-follow manner. The clear steps and exercises for each day are game changers. This book can be used not only for people that wish to cut back on their drinking, but also for people that are just hoping to better their life and get control of unhealthy habits and ways of thinking. If you are considering reading this book and doing this program, I urge you to take this step! It will spark so much growth, self reflection and healing.
March 11, 2020
This book has finally given me the tools to combat my demons. There is a lot of information here but each solution gives practical application for uncovering the deep rooted issues for most problem drinkers. It was refreshing to understand why willpower isn’t enough and really get at the heart of the matter. I highly recommend this book for anyone struggling to overcome any kind of addiction, not just alcohol.
February 12, 2021
Good & Educational program. Having an action to complete everyday helped to keep me focused. I especially like that they never demand that you stop drinking forever and use terms like "problem drinker" & advise you to create a "healthy relationship with alcohol".
May 17, 2019
The majority of mass-market self-help books are formulaic and/or lack scientific or research-based findings to support the touted advice. Some have slogans or brands so ingrained in our cultural consciousness we don't think twice about their legitimacy. I was always a skeptic of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series by Jack Canfield, not because I questioned the material (in all honesty, I've never read a single book in the series) but I doubted the quality of or need for the league of imitators that followed. Dodgy advice from B-list celebrities to self-styled uneducated "life coaches", the Mind/Body/Spirit shelves at the chain bookstores in the '90s groaned with bad information and impossible promises. When I worked in bookstores and in publishing, this genre was the butt of many co-worker jokes, not to mention the sort of customer who showed up at the counter with an armful of books by people like Suzanne Somers or Dr. Phil. In this category, I once placed Jack Canfield, but after reading the 30 Day Sobriety Solution, not anymore.
This book offers actionable steps anyone can do. If you are looking for an AA alternative and want to cut back or quit drinking altogether, the authors provide non-preachy yet authoritative advice on how to reach your goals. Andrews is a recovering alcoholic who turned his life around by getting sober. There are many examples of his struggles while drinking, and how much better his life is now that he is living in sobriety. The daily exercises or "solutions" are really about self-reflection, and how to start to see yourself and your addiction in new ways that can lead to real change. Be prepared to start a journal, take time to do the solutions, and most of all, be comfortable with self-examination. Unlike the over-promising of so many self-help books, the authors are realistic that there is no quick cure, and it takes work to deal with your addiction. The authors' honesty about this makes up for the sometimes excessive self-promotion throughout. Overall it's a good mix of tough love and cheerleading; clearly, the authors believe in their approach and their enthusiasm jumps from every page. Testimonials from "graduates" of the program are interspersed throughout, along with quotes from teetotaler celebrities about which, honestly, I couldn't care less. These could have been trimmed down as the effect after one or two is pretty much the same: We get it, this program works.
This book offers actionable steps anyone can do. If you are looking for an AA alternative and want to cut back or quit drinking altogether, the authors provide non-preachy yet authoritative advice on how to reach your goals. Andrews is a recovering alcoholic who turned his life around by getting sober. There are many examples of his struggles while drinking, and how much better his life is now that he is living in sobriety. The daily exercises or "solutions" are really about self-reflection, and how to start to see yourself and your addiction in new ways that can lead to real change. Be prepared to start a journal, take time to do the solutions, and most of all, be comfortable with self-examination. Unlike the over-promising of so many self-help books, the authors are realistic that there is no quick cure, and it takes work to deal with your addiction. The authors' honesty about this makes up for the sometimes excessive self-promotion throughout. Overall it's a good mix of tough love and cheerleading; clearly, the authors believe in their approach and their enthusiasm jumps from every page. Testimonials from "graduates" of the program are interspersed throughout, along with quotes from teetotaler celebrities about which, honestly, I couldn't care less. These could have been trimmed down as the effect after one or two is pretty much the same: We get it, this program works.
September 11, 2022
Read This Book If 12 Step Programs Don‘t Work For You
While specifically targeting drinking, the application is broader. If you have any kind of addiction, defined as uncontrollable compulsive behaviour, you can apply the lessons of this book to break free. The methodology here lets you choose lifelong abstinence or temperate consumption. It’s useful, but doesn’t emphasise the primacy of connection in sobriety.
While specifically targeting drinking, the application is broader. If you have any kind of addiction, defined as uncontrollable compulsive behaviour, you can apply the lessons of this book to break free. The methodology here lets you choose lifelong abstinence or temperate consumption. It’s useful, but doesn’t emphasise the primacy of connection in sobriety.
September 17, 2025
Best practices in action! This book demands your full commitment to the action steps and they are worth the time, reflection and personal introspection.
Better than a “don’t drink” attitude like AA and hours of talk therapy
Unfortunately, not all online resources are available. That was very frustrating.
Better than a “don’t drink” attitude like AA and hours of talk therapy
Unfortunately, not all online resources are available. That was very frustrating.
March 12, 2020
It's a good self help book. Very Jack Canfield style...it worked for him so it has to work...
But it has a full month of different techniques that could work for almost any goal you have and is worth reading if that is what you are looking for
But it has a full month of different techniques that could work for almost any goal you have and is worth reading if that is what you are looking for
January 1, 2021
Dependentul de alcool se poate autovindeca cu ajutorul acestei carti! ❤️
March 12, 2023
Solid read - packs a lot of philosophy and self-help into a relatively small package. It helped me quit drinking for 40 days (to kill the habit) and evaluate my habits from a unbiased perspective. I had my first glass a few days ago and didn’t feel compelled to keep drinking.
May 1, 2017
I was hesitant to listen to this book and started it twice before I could get over the cheesy audiobook... However I did and wow, this kinda cheesy book changed my perspective. Wonderful
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews