Woody Giessmann provides an intriguing look into addiction cause and effect through deeply personal stories of his own journey to recovery. His honest and direct writing provides understanding on addiction and mental health behaviors, serving up insights to affected families yearning for help. Many relatable and emotionally tough recollections on a poignant life in pursuit of his true, “Who am I”, self as a musician, artist, husband, father, addiction specialist and interventionist. Great, valuable life lessons from start to finish. Get to reading, learning and living!

While some individuals remain skeptical of the 12-step recovery process, it’s important to acknowledge that the 12 step fellowship has provided solutions for more than 22 million people over the past century. Critics sometimes point out that it is not an evidence-based approach, many participants would benefit from professional therapy,  and the lack of professional training among sponsors. The point is that peer to peer support does have a value. There is merit to one alcoholic helping another alcoholic simply because one understands the challenges of the other. A portion of the the language of the basic text, The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, was borrowed from Christianity. This alone may cause pause amongst people who don’t engage in religious beliefs. The suggestion of “spiritual solution”, as once offered by Carl Jung, has resonated with numerous individuals seeking comfort and recovery, sometimes standing apart from purely medical perspectives. Research and science has come a long way in the treatment of substance abuse and mental health issues. We embrace medications that truly create a better outcome for people seeking recovery.  In light of this, I wanted to share that my new book, “A LIFE OF RECOVERY – BREAKING THE CHAINS OF ADDICTION,” offers an updated perspective grounded in research that supports long-term recovery. You can learn more about it at WoodyGiessmanbooks.com.