Many Roads One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps
Author: Charlotte S. Kasl
List Price: $17.95
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ISBN: 0060965185
Publisher: Perennial (17 June, 1992)
Sales Rank: 73,678
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
This book changed my life.
I am only sorry I didn't find this book sooner. This book is great for anyone who has been through the ringer and/or repeatedly in and out of AA or any 12-step program. If you wonder why 12-steps don't work for you and if you want to take your power back and design your own program, this book is definitely for you. This book provides alternative solutions to healing and empowers you to take action. Thank you Charlotte, for this book and for giving me my life back.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Must Reading for Anyone in Recovery
My only regret is that I didn't read this book years ago. Although there is much to be said for 12 step programs (especially in initial stages of recovery), many people feel excluded by them for various reasons. Sadly, they are then told by people in the addiction field and in AA that they "are not trying hard enough" or just "don't want sobriety badly enough" .
Alternatives to 12 step groups are not offered by many treatment centers and counselors so those who do not fit into the mold reeive no guidance or choices. To read a book which not only spells out other options, but sets out reasons why you may not fit in AA is affirmingAlthough I concluded years ago that I would never fit into the mold, this is the first time I have ever had my reality validated. It is refreshing to read a book in the addiction field that encourages thinking outside of the box. This book will save lives - hopefully people will realize they do not have to choose between sobriety and being part of a herd. If you are a therapist and work with alcoholics, addicts, etc. you owe it to your clients to read this book and familiarize yourself with options other than 12 step groups.
Rating: 5 out of 5
A revelation - thank you, Ms. Kasl!
I was raised in a family where everyone was/is involved in one or more of the 12-Step programs and was taught that attending AA and working the 12 Steps was the only way to stop drinking, or to recover from being a child of an alcoholic. In fact, to my subsequent embarassment, I have preached those rules to people without really knowing what I was talking about. But in spite of this, I have always felt uncomfortable with some of the language in the 12-Steps and other 'conference-approved literature', and this book helped me figure out WHY I was uncomfortable, and also reassured me that I wasn't going to go to hell for not being in a 12-Step program (I'm joking here, but since the 12-step 12-step philosophy is essentially my family's religion, the comparison is apt.)This book clearly explains the history of the 12 Steps, the original intentions of Bill W. (founder of AA), the ways the steps are implemented in current 12 Step programs, and, very importantly, why they don't "work" for a lot of people (contrary to the message that one gets in AA and other step groups). She also takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of alternative recovery programs.
Despite the opinions of some other readers, I found the book very non-judgmental - Ms. Kasl doesn't tell people not to go to AA or whatever if it is working for them, and she certainly doesn't tell people that her sixteen-step method is "the way", or that you need to agree with everything she believes. She just points that, contrary to many people believe, "working the steps and going to meetings" is NOT the only way, and there are many people who have gotten and stayed sober without AA.
If you've ever felt uncomfortable with the 12 Steps, or have not been able to work the program successfully, or have not felt comfortable attending meetings, this book will help you realize that those feelings are not indicative of "defects of character", and will present an alternative philosophy which may make more sense to you. It certainly did to me.
Five stars for this book, and many thanks to Ms. Kasl for writing it!
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