Rational Recovery: The New Cure for Substance Addiction Paperback – Illustrated, 1 Nov. 1996

Having been addicted to both alcohol and drugs for 40 years, and now being 'clean' for 5 years, and working in both the drugs and mental health field what a relief to find that Jack Trimpy holds almost the same views as me! Having been coerced into the 'ordination' of the 12 Step Programme, twice by the courts, I always felt that AA was not much more that a religious cult, endeavouring to retain members by brainwashing us into believing that that we are diseased, and doomed to be in 'recovery' for the rest of our lives! I hold no religious opinions myself but do know that neither religion, nor any 'higher power' played any part in my ridding myself of my addictions. We selfishly choose to become addicts, and we do it to intoxicate ourselves, yet we blame our past, parents, environment etc. and in my view, this is not the reason that we self-intoxicate, but we do so merely because we like intoxication! Ultimately, if we wish for abstinence we need to do this by using the power of our own minds. And believe me, addicts need powerful minds to maintain their addiction, let's face it an addict will walk 20 miles, barefoot, in 10 foot of snow, and skint, to get a bag of 'gear'. That's a pretty powerful mind in my book.Of course a 'recovering' addict needs support, and I personally support many through my work. However, the support AA gives seems to revolve around keeping you 'diseased', making moral inventories, admitting you are 'powerless' over your drink/drug, and submitting all to your God...whoever that may be. Non of this stuff is necessary, I know, because I've done it, and without all this rubbish!Though I don't agree with everything in this book, on the whole it makes a lot of sense, and is a very interesting, and refreshing alternative to the AA culture, which in my opinion aims to keep you bogged down in addiction forever.(for both political, and financial reasons) I recommend this book to any person struggling with addiction, and looking for an alternative to AA. Also, workers in the industry, and families or friends of an addict.I have just read the book twice, put some of its concept into my own working practices, and having some very positive results. I rest my case!If you have any views around this subject, either one way, or another, and from whatever background, I'd love to hear from you. You can message me at [email protected] the book!

Having been an alcoholic since I was a teenager (now in my 40s), I felt doomed to die young and forever "relapse." I recently felt so desperate about my alcoholism, with my wife virtually having had enough of these occasional but severe binging episodes, I went to a second AA meeting 15 years after my first and only time. Both were profoundly depressing experiences. If AA has been likened to a cult, which I can relate to - both times in an eerily similar way I had a fervent man trap me in conversation for a good 15 minutes and give me his number in what felt a lot like a religious recruitment - then it is I think a death cult. People seem to be just trying merely to lessen the pain of being doomed by sharing that feeling. So I googled "atheist alternative to AA" since I'm also not keen on the Christian aspect one bit, and found this book. Suffice to say, it has been a revelation. I love the book’s reasoned argument, its zero-BS nature and its immediacy – the idea that recovery is not a process, it’s an event. The notion that I could be “cured,” be able to say “I used to be an alcoholic” or to declare (and mean it) “I’ll never drink again” is so monumentally empowering it has fundamentally changed me almost overnight. Of course to some that sounds naive, even delusional. But it's based on solid ground and I can tell you, it's no delusion. To Jack Trimpey I say simply: thank you.

It blows my mind that this is not implemented as the go-to treatment for those with addiction issues. It is so simple, logical, and effective.After having been to about 10 AA meetings, I got fed up with many aspects of it. Looking around to find a secular alternative, I found a few that offered interesting support networks and ways of staying sober.But this book is revolutionary, it’s totally different in its approach and you can do it by yourself. No need for support groups, in fact, the author argues that these groups are detrimental.Take back the power to recover. You’re not helpless or powerless as AA would have you think, if you want to stop drinking/using, you already have all the tools you need inside you to quit.Everyone in the grip of addiction should read this book, please!!!

You may thought that the idea of a simple trick of mind is going to end your addiction is “too good to be true” so did I, until I end forever my binge eating the moment I red about that technique, these book was all I needed to end my addiction!

I found out about this book from a DJ in Liverpool called Lee Butler. He recommends this book to all of his followers and credits it with helping him quit his addictions.I have listened to him go on about it for months now before I looked into it myself. I have had my own struggles for many years but have failed in my own attempts to quit alcohol and the things that usually come with it.Lee Butler wrote a post on his Facebook page to his followers saying how this book helped him quit and how every aspect of his life improved as a result! His finances, his work, his relationship, his health, his mind.... everything improved once he quit! I decided to pick it up and give it a go and have to say it’s already been life changing for me!The book does teach us not to look at the time scale we have been abstained as we can only control of today, the here and now so I know saying 4 weeks is irrelevant really for me as I know I won’t drink or use again but in this short time my life has already improved a great deal.I have saved over €800 already, I’m back in the gym 5 days a week and recently started boxing again. My head feels much clearer now and I am working much harder with my work. I now have a plan and I am working on that each and every day.These last few weeks have been liberating and I can’t thank the author of this amazing book enough and Lee Butler who tries to help all his followers who suffer with any addictions for bringing it to my attention.I recognise my beast; I know what my enemy is and I know what I am up against and now and I have the tools and the mindset to defeat it!

Love this bookMakes so much sense.

I decided to read this book after seeing/hearing Kathryn Hansen reference it in her book 'Brain over Binge' and in her blog posts. I was already doing well through Kathryn's material but I felt like she had an overly soft and kind and slowly paced recovery guide in her 'Brain Over Binge' and 'Brain Over Binge Recovery Guide'. She mentioned how reading Rational Recovery was a rather harsh way that pushed her to quit binging in a blog post and I decided that I need that. I needed someone to give me a hard push to recovery.The book is expensive in India but it is well worth it. I was challenged and given new information in every page. Trimpey's sense of humour and caustic no-holds-barred approach is also very effective and instigating. I read 50 pages and I just stopped binging. I took personal responsibility and decided to quit and I did. I am in control now, not the urges to binge or the need for pleasure from foods.The book was written for drug users and alcohol dependent people and it is bound to be very effective for them. It is brilliant for people who suffer from binge eating - they can just replace alcohol or drugs with food and they are good to go. Interestingly, taking personal responsibility and being aware of the 'Beast' as the author calls the voice that drives us to do bad things to ourselves, is also very very effective towards becoming more mentally and emotionally healthy.This book is above and beyond everything problem eaters, problem drinkers and drug users need. It redefines 'treatment' and drug/alcohol abuse and brings responsibility back to the user.The only issue is that I just read 50 pages and I'm good. What about the remaining 250? Do I just leave it? After paying so much? (So little, considering the lifetime of pain I have saved myself) Do I read it anyway for interest's sake? It's a petty complaint about a book that has transformed my life in less than an hour. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Reading this book has changed my life in the most positive way. I highly recommend it.