Sober for Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems--Advice from Those Who Have

by Anne M. Fletcher

Finally someone has gone straight to the real experts: hundreds of men and women who have resolved a drinking problem. The best-selling author Anne M. Fletcher asked them a simple question: how did you do it? The result is the first completely unbiased guide for problem drinkers, one that shatters long-held assumptions about alcohol recovery.
Myth: AA is the only way to get sober.
Reality: More than half the people Fletcher surveyed recovered without AA.
Myth: You can't get sober on your own.
Reality: Many people got sober by themselves.
Myth: One drink inevitably leads right back to the bottle.
Reality: A small number of people find they can have an occasional drink.
Myth: There's nothing you can do for someone with a drinking problem until he or she is ready.
Reality: Family and friends can make a big difference if they know how to help.
Weaving together the success stories of ordinary people and the latest scientific research on the subject, Fletcher uncovers a vital truth: no single path to sobriety is right for every individual. There are many ways to get sober - and stay sober. SOBER FOR GOOD is for anyone who has ever struggled not to drink, coped with someone who has a drinking problem, or secretly wondered, "Do I drink too much?"

Genres: Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction, Addiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Graeme Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sober for Good did us all a great service by presenting alternatives for help with drinking problems other than the widely prescribed and quoted Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step approach, and destroyed—or at least brought into question—most of the myths and half-truths that AA in particular has promoted. The interview format becomes increasingly tedious, and finishing the book requires stamina, but I would certainly recommend that people facing drinking problems (and their loved ones, like me) should at least scan it.

[Tyler Mendelsohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, really. I’m generally not the audience for self-help-y books. I read this because I’ve been looking for a book about sobriety that recognizes options other than AA-and considers people who figure out whatever combination of things works for them through trial and error. This book definitely covered that, which I appreciated. I felt like a lot of it was stuff I already knew, but maybe it could be helpful to someone who is in a different place. And in some cases, it articulated things for me that I already knew but hadn’t quite formulated into a coherent thought. But overall, I feel like this book is better for someone who is either not yet sober but considering it, or very recently sober. I'm nine months in and feel like I can’t really judge whether this would be helpful for someone in that stage. I’m glad it exists because I still haven’t found much in the way of literature about sobriety that isn’t heavily AA-based, but maybe I’m not looking hard enough.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of my addiction studies. A new decade, new approaches, diminishment of AA and a religious approach while moving toward the bio/psycho/social of today's recovery.

Utilizing survey's she contact the master's, those with 5 plus years of sobriety and asks them, what works. Multiple approaches with therapy as a front runner are becoming more the, "norm."

I highly reccommend this book. I consider this and, Many Roads One Journey, as a basis for understanding, which leads to personal choice.

[Sarah Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read overall.... The best part is that it goes against the grain of thinking that there is one way to recover. The varying perspectives in this book was a true breath of fresh air to illustrate that just as we are all beautifully, individual humans - recovery is not one size fits all, and works differently for different individuals.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good advice, just keep delaying.

[Maria Towle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Older book but good to recommend to people who want ideas of what helped others get sober and maintain soberity

[Michael T. McComb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows that people do recover from alcoholism/addiction without the 12 steps. It also shows that some do recover with the 12 steps. It shows both sides. What more could you ask for.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great look at other ways to get and stay sober instead of focusing on just the 12 steps.