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Cover image of Last Call
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Last Call

Alcoholism and Recovery

Jack H. Hedblom, M.S.W., Ph.D.
foreword by Paul R. McHugh, M.D.

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"I knew about drunk, but did not know anything about living sober. I hadn’t really been sober for fifteen years. It wasn’t enough that I stopped drinking. I had to learn how to live."

The journey from alcoholic insanity to sobriety—and the pivotal role of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in navigating that transition—is the focus of Last Call. Using powerful first-person narratives like the one above (composites of many anonymous speakers), psychotherapist Jack H. Hedblom provides compelling insights into the minds and hearts of addicted drinkers, from bizarre behavior and denial to the moment of...

"I knew about drunk, but did not know anything about living sober. I hadn’t really been sober for fifteen years. It wasn’t enough that I stopped drinking. I had to learn how to live."

The journey from alcoholic insanity to sobriety—and the pivotal role of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in navigating that transition—is the focus of Last Call. Using powerful first-person narratives like the one above (composites of many anonymous speakers), psychotherapist Jack H. Hedblom provides compelling insights into the minds and hearts of addicted drinkers, from bizarre behavior and denial to the moment of "hitting bottom" and seeking change.

Hedblom covers the process of getting sober, from diagnosis to detox to sobriety. He focuses on the challenge of learning to live without drinking—a long-term goal, Hedblom asserts, that is best achieved by regular participation in AA.

Hedblom’s vivid descriptions reveal AA meetings as gatherings of fellowship, compassion, tears, and laughter. In relating the history of the organization, he describes the role of sponsors, elaborates on the Twelve Steps and the Promises, emphasizes the importance of spiritual development in recovery, and refutes the common misconceptions that equate spirituality with organized religion.

Through the stories of people who have escaped the tyranny of alcoholism with the help of AA, Hedblom shows that the road to recovery is a journey of self-discovery, change, and hope.

Reviews

Reviews

Interesting, easy to read, and providing realistic insights... A valuable resource to families and therapists. Highly recommended.

This book is a valuable guide to anyone who treats someone suffering from alcohol addiction and is not familiar with the depth of the role that AA plays in treatment.

If you really wish to understand Alcoholics Anonymous and work with its members, read this book.

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Book Details

Table of Contents

Foreword, by Paul R. McHugh, M.D.
Preface
1. Alcoholics Anonymous
2. A Matter of Definition
3. Alcohol and the Alcoholic
4. Getting Sober
5. Mending: The Steps in Getting Well
6. The Components of Sobriety
7

Foreword, by Paul R. McHugh, M.D.
Preface
1. Alcoholics Anonymous
2. A Matter of Definition
3. Alcohol and the Alcoholic
4. Getting Sober
5. Mending: The Steps in Getting Well
6. The Components of Sobriety
7. The Alcoholic and the Family
8. The Road to a Life Well Lives: The Promises
Appendix A: Events in the History of Alcoholics Anonymous
Appendix B: How It Works, the Steps, and the Traditions
Notes
References
Index

Author Bios
Featured Contributor

Paul R. McHugh, M.D.

Paul R. McHugh, M.D., is the Henry Phipps Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus, the former director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the coauthor of The Perspectives of Psychiatry, also available from Johns Hopkins. He was selected by President George W. Bush to sit on the Presidential Council on Bioethics and by the U.S...