Beyond the Influence: Understanding and Defeating Alcoholism

Citing the latest hard, cold facts of the most modern scientific discoveries, authors prove beyond the reasonable doubt, and state both loud and clear: Alcoholism is NOT a flaw of character, NOT a weakness of will, but the physiological disease, over which a person, stricken with it, has no control! And it's an equal opportunity disease, striking good people from all walks of life: blue collar workers as well as admirals and generals, senators and congressmen, farmers and sailors, high school dropouts and college professors, beggars and millionaires, idiots, geniuses and our neighbor, everyday common man and woman... (...)People are different, authors claim and prove in great detail. Some 10 to 15% of us have a gene, which creates different enzymes within our system, which in turn make highly addictive chemicals while processing the ingested alcohol within our bodies. Human brain is uncapable to resist the craving for alcohol, caused by those chamicals, which are never produced by the bodies of non-alcoholics. Therefore, alcoholics are not more guilty of having alcoholism, as cancer patients are guilty of having cancer, or diabetics being ill with diabetis.The only solution to the disease of alcoholism is professional, medical treatment, followed by warm and sensitive care of the family, support groups, and society. Punishment, consisting of creation of severe stress, humiliation and application of strong mental and spiritual pain won't work, only making condition worse. Much worse! Primitive and superficial psychological counseling won't work, either. Only complex, modern, professional treatment will.Great reading for anyone affected by or interested in the disease of alcoholism. A must for judges and prosecutors, busy sending ill people into the sewer pipe of industry of "corrections"! And those few members of MADD, who REALLY want to decrease incidents of drunk driving by fighting its causes, not symptoms, by helping alcoholics to get well, not just looking for an outlet of their hate and anger, which are the most destructive and counterproductive of all human emotions.

This book is divided into three sections--The Problem, The Solution, and The Future. The problem discusses what alcohol is, how it works in the body, how alcoholics differ from non-alcoholics in genetics and brain chemistry, etc. I found this section the most helpful. In particular, the section of stages of alcoholism and symptoms associated with those stages was eye-opening. The common portrait of an alcoholic depicted in pop culture and in some diagnostic tools is consistent with late stage alcoholism, which leaves many early and middle stage alcoholics convinced that their drinking is not a problem. I agree with the authors that this is irresponsible on the part of the medical care and mental health care industries. Much misery could be avoided if alcoholics were identified earlier in their progression.I began to lose my enthusiasm for this book in Part II. This section includes some information on intervention, treatment centers, and staying sober. Part of this section reads like an infomercial for AA. The authors never acknowledge the limitations of AA, including the fact that many people find it unhelpful and relapse even after attending AA diligently. There are other support groups that many people find helpful, such as SOS, SMART recovery, Women for Sobriety, and Rational Recovery. The authors never mention these. This is irresponsible as far as I'm concerned. This section is a sales pitch rather than a source of information.I skimmed the chapter on diet because it is the same old tired, sad, outdated information that current research is beginning to undermine. Saturated fat is bad, soy is good, caffeine causes birth defects, plant-based proteins need to be combined, meat is difficult to digest (???), etc. Not a single reference in the diet chapter is from a refereed journal on nutrition, medicine, physiology, etc. They are all from other books on alcoholism and books like Potatoes, not Prozac. When they mentioned Andrew Weil as though he is credible source on anything other than quackery, I gave up. The next chapter is on alternative therapies and suggests therapies that have no scientific support, such as acupuncture.The third section, The Future, includes a chapter called The Booze Merchants. It is a histrionic diatribe against the alcohol industry. Anything of value this chapter has to offer is buried in the charged language and infantile tone of the chapter. It reads like a religious tract you might get from a street corner preacher.My issues with sections II and III have also made me question the accuracy of section I. I think I will believe what I read in that section when I find other better written, better documented, sources that corroborate what these authors present.I believe in the disease concept of alcoholism and that alcoholics are genetically and physiologically different from non-alcoholics, so I wanted to like this book. But I think it is poorly researched and poorly written and I can't recommend it.

I learned so much about Alcoholism as a disease. My attitude has completely changed about the alcoholics in my life. As the wife of a recovering alcoholic, I know understand why, his former approach of just avoiding alcohol, because he intellectually knew he was an alcoholic did not work in the end. Without education and support, and learning other coping skills, in the end, when you can't count on willpower alone, you crash. Now my husband is learning how to control his disease, and I am hoping that one day at a time, he will continue to succeed. This book includes additional scientific studies, and greatly expands on the original, which was given to my husband during his treatment program. Both books I have read cover to cover, and I have shared parts of each with family and friends.

If you really want to understand the disease of alcoholism, read this book. Not only does it explain the psychological aspects of alcholism but what alcohol does to you physiologically. I always thought the worst damage from alcohol was done to the liver but it affects so much more, your brain, central nervous system, heart, etc. Reading this book explained alot to me about why the alcoholic in my life does what he does. All I can say is this book educated me tremendously. Why did it take me so long to try to learn about alcoholism? If I or my loved one had a disease like cancer or diabetes, I would have read everything I could have gotten my hands on about those diseases. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand why someone is an alcholic or why it is so hard for them to stop drinking.

This book is a little dated now but it gives a great insight into how alcohol chemically changes your body. If you are ready to quit drinking this book reassures you that you are making a good decision. It also describes how alcohol genetically changes the body which unfortunately allows you to pass on addiction to your children. All in all a good informative book.

Understanding alcohol in a whole different way

Not as good as the previous "Under the Influence" .

What a gem! This book is well suited for those wanting to control and understand their alcoholic urges as well as assist those that want to help and understand. It is such a powerful and difficult illness to understand, yet this source gives so many suggestions that you feel that, given your unique circumstances, you have another avenue to try. In doing such, it also helps to enlighten that each person is different and what unites most is the struggle which begins within. In addition to this battle the book suggests different types of "trigger" and even suggesting foods to avoid. Habit obviously has a huge roll, but undoing these habits is where the book aims.This book is good for me, and for the one I love. (I speak in the present, because it's an excellent source to refer to again and again)

A very important guide and help book that can help tremendously family members and friends to work hand in hand with health professionals to stay focused on the light at the end of the tunnel, loved that wonderful, courageous booklet!