Find Treatment

Addiction is a compulsive behavior, which means it can be understood like other emotionally-driven compulsions: by uncovering the emotional content behind it. I have expanded upon these ideas in some depth in my prior books The Heart of Addiction and Breaking Addiction.

Introspective psychotherapy offers the best chance of achieving self-knowledge and insight. A number of professional organizations across the nation offer free referrals – start here for a basic list. I recommend searching for a therapist who is conversant in the notion of addiction as a compulsion, and who resists the facile and discredited “brain disease” theory of addiction.

In the absence of therapy, addicts can still make use of these same ideas on their own, by carefully considering what is happening emotionally at the moment when the urge to drink, or use, arises. This first insight can unlock a fuller picture of what is driving the addiction, and eventually lead to an answer about how to resolve those feelings in a more direct way.  My second book, Breaking Addiction: A 7-Step Handbook for Ending Any Addiction offers a detailed map to this self-guided process.

I welcome further thoughts on treatment professionals, organizations and facilities that reach beyond 12 Step dogma toward a more humanistic understanding of addiction.

Interviews, Articles and Excerpts:

  • Article about The Sober Truth on The Dish by Andrew Sullivan
  • Dr. Lance Dodes Interview on WBUR Boston
  • Article in The Atlantic by Jake Flanagin on The Sober Truth
  • Excerpt from The Sober Truth on Salon.com
  • Dr. Lance Dodes on All Things Considered
  • Lance Dodes on Airtalk with Larry Mantle
  • Dr. Lance Dodes in Macleans Weekly Magazine
  • Dr. Lance Dodes on The Scholars' Circle Radio

Share Your Story

Click here to share your experiences in addiction treatment. Good or bad, personal or professional, I am keenly interested in what you have been through and how you found your way to this site. From time to time, I plan to feature these stories on my blog, with each author’s permission.

Get the Book

The Sober Truth is available from these sellers.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iTunes
Indiebound

Get Involved

This space will soon become a launch point for advocacy to change our national paradigm for addiction treatment. Check back soon!