How to Stay Sober: A Practical Guide to Overcoming Alcoholism and Drug Addiction was published on December 4, 2020, by Dr. Emmanuel Nzuzu (Author), Dr. Melissa Caudle (Foreword)
This ground-breaking book and workbook are all about preventing relapses and staying sober long-term. It takes an innovative approach to the treatment of alcohol and drug addictions. The set is intended for people who tried traditional systems and failed to stay sober after their treatment. Written by a distinguished addiction expert who dedicated his life to researching and finding an effective addiction treatment model that actually works, “How to Stay Sober” offers a structured roadmap to people with substance use disorders that helps them to recover and stay clean.
The book and the workbook outline practical strategies designed to reduce the risk of relapses by changing your established thought patterns and habits and helping you stay motivated. Each chapter of the book includes real-life examples and case studies that every person battling alcohol and/or drug addiction will be able to relate to, questions for you to work through that will help you to find out what is missing from your recovery, and motivating signposts to support your determination to stay clean. The workbook includes practical, straight-forward exercises that will teach you valuable skills essential for being able to stay sober permanently.
What’s also unique about this book is that the author is not only a distinguished addiction expert with a solid academic track record and a thriving addiction treatment practice in Florida, but he also knows first-hand what it’s like to be an addict. For years, he battled his own alcohol addiction and therefore fully understands how difficult it is to stay sober after your treatment successfully ends and you are left all by yourself, trying to stay sober, one day at a time. Therefore, the book offers more than just a guided tour through addiction recovery – it provides real hope to the sufferers that they will be able to overcome their addiction and have a meaningful life.
In a recent interview, the author, Dr. Nzuzu, shared, “It was heartbreaking for me to see that after all the effort the patients put into cleaning up and recovery, they did not have the skills and the tools to maintain their sobriety once their treatment came to an end. When they relapse, and statistically, 50% to 90% of them do, their families are utterly devastated, and the patients feel like a complete failure. Even worse, their relapse undermines their confidence in their ability to stay clean in the future. I wrote this book for people who want to stay sober but everything they have tried so far failed. It is a hands-on, practical guide that will give them the tools they need to change their established thought patterns and habits forever.”
Here are the Editorial Reviews:
“If you want to stay sober, take the next step. You can find help, and you aren’t alone. The good news, you are already on your way by reading this book. Don’t look back and blame yourself or anyone else; look forward and make your path toward HOW TO STAY SOBER and sobriety and staying that way. You can do it. Seek the professional help you need because you can’t do it alone.” Dr. Melissa Caudle
“From the outset, the book offers hope and enlightened optimism to the reader, as the author boldly avers that quitting alcohol and drugs is a real possibility, provided one is self-motivated, has the willingness to be rigorously honest, and to surrender totally. A clear and specific vision of life after alcohol and drugs is key to long term sobriety… The book comes as a complete package, with a well-thought-out workbook of useful and relevant practical exercises designed to enhance and enrich the recovery process. This gem of a book is a must-read!”
As an author, can you tell everyone about your first book?
Over the years, I have seen many alcoholics and drug addicts move in and out of treatment programs without overcoming alcohol and drugs. This book was written for people who have a desire to be sober but have run out of their options. It is a lifeline to those people who believe that they have tried everything, but nothing works.
The book seeks to convey the message that recovery is possible and always available. The major ingredients for sobriety are motivation, a clear vision, and honesty. Recovery is possible when you need it and seek it from inside the heart. You can live a life free from alcohol and drugs, but you must cherish and embrace the new life and give up the old one. Your willingness and commitment to becoming brutally honest with yourself are key to a successful recovery. A desire without a willingness to change will remain just that, a desire, and nothing else.
Have you written in different genres, or is there one that calls to you?
I have not written any other books and have no particular genre that I prefer over others.
What is the secret to your success in becoming an author?
Observation and learning from experience. I like to capture and write about real-life experiences. I pay a lot of attention when I interact with people to gain a deeper understanding of people’s words, thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behavior. I am extremely interested in grasping the factors that make people behave the way they do, and this is what I seek to bring out in my book—the link and connection between beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and actions. Thoughts and beliefs are at the heart of effective change. One cannot have a new life while continuing to think the same thought patterns and believing the same beliefs. I have observed that many change programs don’t accomplish much because they leave old thought patterns and beliefs intact.
From the beginning of your career to the present time, how much have you grown as a writer?
Over the years, it has become more apparent to me that thoughts and feelings are interconnected. For a long time, I struggled to change how I feel, but my efforts produced very limited results because I was trying to change my feelings only. I was not aware that my feelings come from my thoughts, so if I were bored or unhappy, I would drink alcohol or just mess around with other people hoping to feel better. All this produced more boredom and unhappiness, so I kept searching for a more effective way to change how I feel, and this led me to a book—“Breaking “The Habit of Being Yourself” by Dr. Joe Dispenza. I no longer have boredom and unhappy days because anymore. There are many opportunities to be bored and unhappy, but I now choose not to be unhappy because I know the cause of my boredom and unhappiness—my thoughts. This is how I have evolved as a person and a writer.
Can you give us a hint of future projects that you have planned or works in process?
I will continue paying attention to other human needs where I can facilitate and contribute to effective change. Prayer and healing are interesting subjects. I am also fascinated by why believers in God are not living a life of prevailing, overcoming, and victory—-this is the life Jesus lived.
If there’s something professionally you had to do over again, what would it be?
I enjoyed my years as a self-employed business management consultant from 1996 to 2003. Those were very rewarding years professionally and financially. I was able to help companies improve performance, reduce costs, and increase profitability through management development programs and interventions. I had more time and money for myself and my family during those years.
Is there anything you need or want to let your readers know?
Change and transformation are possible—–anyone can do it—-the essential elements for success in any area of life are-
1-Attention,
2-Focus,
3-Concentration,
4-Expectation, and do all this with
5-Elevated Emotion.
You were expectant and passionate about doing alcohol and drugs; how excited and passionate are you about being sober today.
Thank you so much for giving us your precious time! We wish you the best for your journey ahead!