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Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction
Addiction has been ravaging the world for centuries, yet lifelong sobriety continues to elude many who search after it earnestly. Why is this? The current uninspired success rates for sustained, long-term sobriety provide a significant clue to this question. It appears that there is a conceptual link absent from the addiction-recovery and relapse prevention processes: the ability to harness the power of one’s individuality in a productive and beneficial way. Although many treatment programs teach generalized recovery concepts, 'Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction' adopts a more personalized approach to developing, and then preserving, a rewarding life of sobriety. Packed with self-diagnosing worksheets, multiple full-color infographics, and a revolutionary recovery tool called 'The Sobriety Blueprint'; this tactical plan maps out your new life in a format that is instinctive, purposeful, and based upon the most important part of your recovery—YOU.
By strategically focusing on your unique personality, likes, dislikes, interests, talents, and past failures, particularly when creating a plan of attack, your recovery becomes an extension of who you are, and thus more natural and gratifying. The practical advice, in-depth techniques, and real-life insights laid out to you in this action guide are powerful weapons to help you cultivate a deep-rooted, rock-solid recovery foundation. In addition, we will explore the fundamental task of devising a battle plan for relapse prevention. This, combined with 'The Sobriety Blueprint' gives you the firepower to protect against the constant barrage of cravings, urges, and triggers commonly experienced during the volatile first year of sobriety. Soon you’ll be living a healthy, invigorating, and inspiring life, leaving addiction far behind as you finally gain the happiness you deserve.
By strategically focusing on your unique personality, likes, dislikes, interests, talents, and past failures, particularly when creating a plan of attack, your recovery becomes an extension of who you are, and thus more natural and gratifying. The practical advice, in-depth techniques, and real-life insights laid out to you in this action guide are powerful weapons to help you cultivate a deep-rooted, rock-solid recovery foundation. In addition, we will explore the fundamental task of devising a battle plan for relapse prevention. This, combined with 'The Sobriety Blueprint' gives you the firepower to protect against the constant barrage of cravings, urges, and triggers commonly experienced during the volatile first year of sobriety. Soon you’ll be living a healthy, invigorating, and inspiring life, leaving addiction far behind as you finally gain the happiness you deserve.
- GenresAddiction
184 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2021
2 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Michael J. Surdyka
1 book7 followersMichael J. Surdyka is a self-starter, passionate addiction/recovery advocate, and the renowned author behind the insightful new book “Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction”. His own triumph from addiction, pain and struggle led him to discover a winning formula on how to motivate himself to seek a better path while preserving his progress in defeating his demons for good.
During the darkest moments of his life, Michael was in and out of rehab for years, yet never fully grasped the light… until he realized that the real power to truly overcome his addiction had been inside him all along — his unique individuality.
Michael found that most rehabilitation centers had a specific “template” to recovery, discounting the fact that a person’s individuality has incredible power when it comes to galvanizing enduring sobriety, and that what works successfully for one person will oftentimes not work for another.
After losing another friend to a drug overdose, Michael finally made the choice to determine why they could not hold on to their sobriety before losing it all for good. Talking to every former addict and alcoholic he knew, reading every case study and article he could get his hands on, and then comparing and contrasting existing similarities and differences, his research inadvertently became the outline for “Fully Alive”.
“Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction” is a tactical combination of the most effective commonalities, techniques, tools, and strategies that will set you on a more personalized approach to developing, and then preserving, a rewarding life of sobriety.
This guide is packed with self-diagnosing worksheets, multiple full-color infographics, and a revolutionary recovery tool called The Sobriety Blueprint — a detailed plan that maps out a recovery method that is instinctive, purposeful, and takes into account the unique individual as the most important part of the recovery process.
With his powerful book, Michael seeks to help every reader carve their own path towards a happy, healthy, invigorating, and inspiring life — finally free from the claws of addiction for good.
During the darkest moments of his life, Michael was in and out of rehab for years, yet never fully grasped the light… until he realized that the real power to truly overcome his addiction had been inside him all along — his unique individuality.
Michael found that most rehabilitation centers had a specific “template” to recovery, discounting the fact that a person’s individuality has incredible power when it comes to galvanizing enduring sobriety, and that what works successfully for one person will oftentimes not work for another.
After losing another friend to a drug overdose, Michael finally made the choice to determine why they could not hold on to their sobriety before losing it all for good. Talking to every former addict and alcoholic he knew, reading every case study and article he could get his hands on, and then comparing and contrasting existing similarities and differences, his research inadvertently became the outline for “Fully Alive”.
“Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction” is a tactical combination of the most effective commonalities, techniques, tools, and strategies that will set you on a more personalized approach to developing, and then preserving, a rewarding life of sobriety.
This guide is packed with self-diagnosing worksheets, multiple full-color infographics, and a revolutionary recovery tool called The Sobriety Blueprint — a detailed plan that maps out a recovery method that is instinctive, purposeful, and takes into account the unique individual as the most important part of the recovery process.
With his powerful book, Michael seeks to help every reader carve their own path towards a happy, healthy, invigorating, and inspiring life — finally free from the claws of addiction for good.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 23, 2020
"Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction" by Michael J. Surdyka is an excellent book which describes a methodology to cure addiction. A mainstay of the method is to know yourself. i.e. likes, dislikes, interests, talents
Each patient must have a desire for change, self reflection, a good diet, exercise, new hobbies and a spiritual connection to the self. To be successful, a patient's recovery must become an extension of the normal "self". Much of a personal recovery from excesses inevitably involves a practical substitution for a neurotic habit.
Overall, "Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction" by Michael J. Surdyka is an excellent resource on how to make good substitutions for bad habits.
by Dr Joseph S Maresca
Each patient must have a desire for change, self reflection, a good diet, exercise, new hobbies and a spiritual connection to the self. To be successful, a patient's recovery must become an extension of the normal "self". Much of a personal recovery from excesses inevitably involves a practical substitution for a neurotic habit.
Overall, "Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction" by Michael J. Surdyka is an excellent resource on how to make good substitutions for bad habits.
by Dr Joseph S Maresca
November 17, 2020
This book will be extremely helpful in helping anyone struggling with the battle of addiction. I really enjoy that it focuses on more of a individualized approach to recovery since not everyone's journey is the same. I have many friends and family in recovery and I will definitely be recommending this book to them!
December 4, 2020
A well-researched and extremely thorough book on this subject. The author has created a practical framework and step-by-step guidance. What I didn't find was much on individualization. A lot of options are mentioned but no way to determine which one is best for which personality is discussed.
December 13, 2020
Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction is an educational and fascinating book by the very talented Michael J Surdyka. I found this book to be a very important book that all of those who are struggling with addiction would find extremely helpful as Surdyka offers a path to sobriety through getting to know yourself. Additionally, I found this book to be entertaining! Which is not something that can often be said about books dealing with such a serious matter, but the writer’s style of crafting their words is engaging.
Fully Alive discusses addiction. Addiction is an epidemic that has plagued the world for centuries. The writer has made an excellent and well-educated link between the success rates of those who recover from addiction in comparison to those who relapse. That link is the ability to know yourself and put that knowledge to good use. The book takes a personal approach, and suggests a personalized approach towards recovery. Fully alive adapts a plan called ‘The Sobriety Blueprint’, which puts the individual at the centre in terms of their unique personality, likes, dislikes, interests, talents, and past failures. It allows the individual the power to battle against any tilts towards relapse and it puts the individual on the path for a healthy and happy life.
I found that this book had many ideas that would be considered ‘radical’ on the surface but as soon as it is explained, the ideas make much more sense compared to the traditional sense. For example, Surdyka suggests that rehab is outdated and does not work as well in today’s climate. This seems rather radical, as the first instinct of anybody who is looking to recover from addiction would typically be to admit themselves into rehab. But, according to Surdyka, recovery can be integrated into everyday life.
It is clear that this book takes a humanistic approach towards addiction, following in the footsteps of some of the greatest psychological minds, and even using their quotes - which I thought was a beautiful touch that gave the book even more personality.
The writer references their personal life and those who he has lost to addiction throughout life - even giving them a dedication at the beginning of the book. It is clear that the writer is passionate about the issue, and you could tell through the amount of dedication (regarding research, thoughtfulness, and amazing writing). This added so much personality to the book and made it one of my favourite reads this year!
In conclusion, I fully enjoyed Fully Alive and I highly recommend this book to everyone, even if you are not suffering with addiction as it will provide you with an amazing education on the issue and give you the tools to help loved one. This book is without a doubt five stars!
Fully Alive discusses addiction. Addiction is an epidemic that has plagued the world for centuries. The writer has made an excellent and well-educated link between the success rates of those who recover from addiction in comparison to those who relapse. That link is the ability to know yourself and put that knowledge to good use. The book takes a personal approach, and suggests a personalized approach towards recovery. Fully alive adapts a plan called ‘The Sobriety Blueprint’, which puts the individual at the centre in terms of their unique personality, likes, dislikes, interests, talents, and past failures. It allows the individual the power to battle against any tilts towards relapse and it puts the individual on the path for a healthy and happy life.
I found that this book had many ideas that would be considered ‘radical’ on the surface but as soon as it is explained, the ideas make much more sense compared to the traditional sense. For example, Surdyka suggests that rehab is outdated and does not work as well in today’s climate. This seems rather radical, as the first instinct of anybody who is looking to recover from addiction would typically be to admit themselves into rehab. But, according to Surdyka, recovery can be integrated into everyday life.
It is clear that this book takes a humanistic approach towards addiction, following in the footsteps of some of the greatest psychological minds, and even using their quotes - which I thought was a beautiful touch that gave the book even more personality.
The writer references their personal life and those who he has lost to addiction throughout life - even giving them a dedication at the beginning of the book. It is clear that the writer is passionate about the issue, and you could tell through the amount of dedication (regarding research, thoughtfulness, and amazing writing). This added so much personality to the book and made it one of my favourite reads this year!
In conclusion, I fully enjoyed Fully Alive and I highly recommend this book to everyone, even if you are not suffering with addiction as it will provide you with an amazing education on the issue and give you the tools to help loved one. This book is without a doubt five stars!
May 3, 2021
Entirely Alive is a self-help book for anyone who is struggling with addiction. It is a beautifully written statement filled with inspirational methods, strategies, work questions, assessments, and a practically mapped-out proposal for a recovery plan.
Although the author admits that he is no counselor or doctor, his heart and passion for this vital subject matter are enough to make this book just as effective and helpful to read. The author has first-hand knowledge about addiction and has interviewed countless former drug addicts and alcoholics who have conquered addiction and stayed that way for many years.
There are many and necessary elements of importance covered in this book. Spirituality, making healthy hobbies and habits, making changes, relapses, and rehabs are just a few to mention. The literature is easy to read and follow. The content is organized and has a lovely pattern and flow of conversation.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author. I recommend this work to people who want to know more about addictions, psychology majors, and self-improvement material.
Although the author admits that he is no counselor or doctor, his heart and passion for this vital subject matter are enough to make this book just as effective and helpful to read. The author has first-hand knowledge about addiction and has interviewed countless former drug addicts and alcoholics who have conquered addiction and stayed that way for many years.
There are many and necessary elements of importance covered in this book. Spirituality, making healthy hobbies and habits, making changes, relapses, and rehabs are just a few to mention. The literature is easy to read and follow. The content is organized and has a lovely pattern and flow of conversation.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author. I recommend this work to people who want to know more about addictions, psychology majors, and self-improvement material.
November 29, 2020
"Fully Alive: Using Your Individuality to Conquer Addiction" written by Michael J. Surdyka is an excellent book that I had read which helps us to come out of addiction. This book describes the methodology to cure addiction in a great way I used thos techniques in my life and changed my life in a great way. Now iam leaving a beautiful life because of this book. I highly recommend you this book so that you can also get rid of addictions
December 6, 2020
Excellent book on addition and recovery. I've read several books on addiction and this is the first one that doesn't try and deliver a one size fits all solution for overcoming addiction. The author offers many different techniques and helps you find the right ones based on your own individual needs. It's well researched and thought out, highly recommend it. The worksheets and infographics included are a nice touch. I was given an ARC copy in exchange for a review.
March 28, 2024
This book does not exist anywhere
November 3, 2021
This book helps you find the inner strength to overcome an addiction by empathically presenting the steps and resources necessary to achieve sobriety. The graphics it offers are of special help, because in addition to being attractive, they summarize the information and are very useful to keep in mind the purposes and not to leave the unique path of personal improvement that each one is carry on.
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Este libro ayuda encontrar la fuerza interior para superar una adicción al presentar de forma empática los pasos y los recursos necesarios para alcanzar la sobriedad. Son de especial ayuda los gráficos que ofrece, porque además de ser atractivos, resumen la información y son muy útiles para mantener en mente los propósitos y no salir del camino de superación personal único que cada uno va forjando.
_____________
Este libro ayuda encontrar la fuerza interior para superar una adicción al presentar de forma empática los pasos y los recursos necesarios para alcanzar la sobriedad. Son de especial ayuda los gráficos que ofrece, porque además de ser atractivos, resumen la información y son muy útiles para mantener en mente los propósitos y no salir del camino de superación personal único que cada uno va forjando.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews