Vessels of Rage, Engines of Power: The Secret History of Alcoholism
Author: James Graham
List Price: $12.95
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ISBN: 0963024248
Publisher: Aculeus Pr (May, 1994)
Sales Rank: 1,184,535
Average Customer Rating: 4.62 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
THE SECRET HISTORY OF ALCOHOLISM,FAMOUS ALCOHOLICS
I just left my alcoholic husband after 6 years. I sought out and
read many books on the subject to try and understand the alcoholic's behavior. This book was by far superior to any other
in describing the alcoholic's Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde personality.
My family & friends could not believe it when I told them about
how I was treated and the emotional abuse I endured.My husband
was an accomplished "con artist", knew when to lay on the charm.
As I was reading this book, I swore the author knew my husband.
It was him to a tee. I felt validated, it wasn't me that was
crazy after all. I never realized how an alcoholic can destroy
not only his or her own life, but those closest to them as well.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Extremely helpful for those involved with an alcoholic
Anyone who has been romantically involved with an alcoholic or has an alcoholic family member owes it to themselves to read this book. While Graham focuses on famous despots, tyrants, and celebrities, the same attributes are in some degree present in your basic everyday non-famous alcoholic friend, neighbor or lover. If you love an alcoholic you must understand this. Graham points out the dangerous combination of the alcoholics charm, deception, denial and obsession with looking functional and the tendency to underdiagnose the disease. This underdiagnosis, as Graham points out, is partly due to a bias of society resulting from the ability of most people to drink alcohol without becoming an alcoholic as well as not understanding the differences between highly functional early and middle stage alcoholics and late stage lushes and winos. After reading this book I could understand what the relationsip and marriage counselors were saying about the dangers of loving an alcoholic. Alcoholics are experts at deception and manipulation, they have shallow or stunted emotional growth, they are unable to express themselves honestly and directly, and they can tell you they love you while not caring about you at all. Although they may not become a famous writer, actor, senator or spy, they will become a highly successful con artist and if you are unaware of these traits, you could easily become their victim.
Rating: 5 out of 5
A Major Clue to Identifying the Early Stage Alcohol Addict
This is a phenomenally interesting work. James Graham describes the role of ego inflation in explaining behaviors in the alcoholic, something that nobody else had done before. This is extremely important, because it provides what is sometimes the only clue to alcohol addiction in the early stages of the disease-a massively inflated ego. This often results in extraordinary over achievement, even while the personal life is a shambles.Combined with Milam and Ketcham's essential work, "Under the Influence," ego-inflation explains how the early-stage addict is often so "functional" and yet, so destructive of others. Brain poisoning occurs immediately in many cases, resulting in this other-destruction. Yet, the toll on the body can take decades, making alcoholism at this stage almost invisible to the casual observer. Most think of addicts on the street, or the obvious, stumbling drunk. This is not when they are most dangerous. Their behaviors are frequently far worse when they can build up to a .20 per cent blood alcohol level without visible signs of inebriation. While Milam and Ketcham describe the biology behind this, Graham looks at the resulting behaviors, explaining much of the troubles in people's personal and professional lives, current events and even world history.
Graham's work is one of the great, unheralded books on addiction. Highly recommended.
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