12 Smart Things to Do When the Booze and Drugs Are Gone: Choosing Emotional Sobriety through Self-Awareness and Right Action

by Allen Berger Ph. D.

Overview

The author of the classic 12 Stupid Things That Mess Up Recovery offers a fresh list of "smart" things to do to attain and sustain emotional sobriety.

Learn the attitudes and behaviors that are key to attaining and sustaining emotional sobriety and developing a deeper trust in the process of life.

Dr. Allen Berger draws on the teachings of Bill W. and psychotherapy pioneers to offer us twelve hallmarks of emotional sobriety. These “right actions” help us develop the confidence to be accountable for our behavior, to practice asking for what we want and need, and to cultivate a deeper trust in the process of life. Dr. Berger’s list of smart things includes

• understanding who you are and what’s important to you
• learning not to take others’ reactions personally
• trusting your inner compass

Through practicing these twelve things, we find release from what Bill W. described as an “absolute dependence on people or circumstances. Freed from the emotional immaturity that fueled our addictive personality and hurt ourselves and others, we can develop the tools to find strength from within and continue our successful journey of recovery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781592858217
Publisher:	Hazelden Publishing
Publication date:	07/08/2010
Series:	Berger 12
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	364,501
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.30(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Allen Berger, PhD, is a leading expert in the science of recovery from addiction. Sober since 1971, Dr. Berger was part of a pioneering recovery program for marines returning from Vietnam with alcohol and other drug addictions—first as a participant, then as a counselor. Since then, he has become a thought leader in the field, working in clinical settings and private practice. In demand as a speaker, workshop presenter, and interviewee, Dr. Berger is well-known in recovery circles, among those in recovery as well as therapists and clinicians around the world. He has lectured and written extensively on the process of recovery, emotional sobriety, and the therapeutic value of the Twelve Steps.

Table of Contents

Foreword Jerry McDonald, Acata ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction: Understanding Emotional Sobriety 1

Smart Thing 1 Know Yourself-and How to Stay Centered 23

Smart Thing 2 Stop Allowing Others to Edit Your Reality 33

Smart Thing 3 Stop Taking Things Personally 45

Smart Thing 4 Own Your Projections as an Act of Integrity 57

Smart Thing 5 Confront Yourself for the Sake of Your Integrity 67

Smart Thing 6 Stop Pressuring Others to Change, and Instead Pressure Yourself to Change 81

Smart Thing 7 Develop a Healthy Perspective Toward Yourself, Your Feelings, and Your Emotional Themes 89

Smart Thing 8 Appreciate What is 103

Smart Thing 9 Comfort Yourself When You Are Hurt or Disappointed 113

Smart Thing 10 Use Your Personal Compass to Guide Your Life 127

Smart Thing 11 Embrace Relationship Tensions as the Fuel for Personal Growth 137

Smart Thing 12 The "Problem" Is Not the Real Problem 147

A Vision for You: Putting All the Pieces Together 161

References 175

About the Author 179

Editorial Reviews

"True emotional sobriety is a life's journey, with...much to be learned along the way. Dr. Berger provides a wonderful, detailed road map to guide readers on the journey."
--Jerry McDonald, ACATA; Producer, Drug Awareness Hour at the Betty Ford Center

From the Publisher