Product Description

Drug addiction, alcoholism, anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating, compulsive gambling, sex-addiction, compulsive overspending, smoking, compulsive overworking, compulsive risk-taking, compulsive helping and compulsive controlling are here discussed as among the many different manifestations of addictive disease.

These apparently disparate behaviours share the characteristics of being excessive, of being mood-altering and of having increasingly negative consequences in the lives of those who are enslaved to them. The damage caused by addictive disease usually extends to parents, partners, children, spouses, friends, relatives and colleagues.

There is increasing evidence that addictive behaviours are related to genetically mediated malfunctions in the production, metabolising and reuptake of neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine etc.) within the brain and Central Nervous System.

This book explains, in a clear and practical way, the thoroughly tested Twelve Step path to recovery and freedom from addiction. The book is informed and enriched by the author's own life and work. John Coats is in recovery from a number of addictions and has worked for many years in the addictions field. John is currently Director of Treatment at East Coast Recovery in Suffolk.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90184 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Review
"... people with addictions will find guidance, help and encouragement. Their families will find information and reassurance ..." --Free 'n Easy Magazine, December 2006

"For professionals who work with addiction, No Big Deal is an inspiring resource to use with clients ... an important addition to the literature." --Andrew Stilwell, January 2007

About the Author
John Coats was in active addiction to alcohol, cocaine and other addictive processes for nearly twenty-five years. He has been in recovery for more than eighteen years and is an Addictions Counsellor.

John trained under Dr Robert Lefever at The Promis Recovery Centre, in Kent, and was subsequently Counselling Team Leader at The Diana, Princess of Wales, Treatment Centre, in Norfolk.

He holds degrees from St Andrews University and from Cambridge. John is now the Director of Treatment at East Coast Recovery, in Suffolk.

Customer Reviews

Worth every penny
This is a fantastic book! Because of an increasing contact with addicts of all kinds I wanted to get a good understanding of how recovery courses can work. Based on the 12-step programme developed by AA (like the wheel it works so why necessarily try and re-invent it) John Coats has written a book that is so easy to read that you are worried that getting on to the path of recovery cannot be that simple.

Coats's gift is being able to put into very simple english something that could be extremely complicated and that makes it particularly good for the likes of people like me who aren't at the university end of the educational spectrum. He religiously avoids the treatment jargon of the day (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Neuro-linguistic Programming, Transactional Analysis and the like) and has come up with something that a person with no formal education can get to grips with. If it has a fault (and it seems churlish to write this given that the first objective of an author is to produce a jolly good read), it is such a good read that you find yourself wanting to go straight on to the next chapter, whereas the idea of the book is to pace yourself and to do the 'courses of action' after each section. I read the whole thing in two afternoons because I couldn't put it down! I shall now go back and do it properly.

Although I am not a 'professional' I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone struggling with addiction and wanting to start looking at ways to deal with it, or to friends and family who want a better understanding of how the addict's mind works and how they have got to the place they are. It is full of hope and down-to-earth practicality based on a programme that has worked for millions of people over many decades.

Layman's terms of 12-step approach to overcoming addictions
I loved this book! I was already familiar with Dr Lefevre's works which had initially opened up my mind to working a 12-step programme and recovery. The reason I loved this book though is because the author, John, speaks directly from his own account to illustrate points but doesn't get drone on with drunk-a-logs. He explains how to practically get abstinent and how to work the steps in an 'idiots guide' style making it easy to grasp what to do! 10 out of 10.

Not preachy
I got this book because I'm interested in the idea of eating disorders as a type of addiction.
The book explains exactly why eating disorders count as addictions and how they can be treated using the 12 Steps. It also deals with other addictions.
The best thing about this book is that it doesn't preach. Probably because the author is in recovery from addictions too.