[.ca] Seven Weeks to Sobriety: The Proven Program to Fight ... (ISBN 0449002594)

From Amazon.com:
In recent decades, many of those studying alcoholism have come to see it as a disease, rather than as a character flaw or a failure of will. And yet, alcoholism is most often treated through counseling. Joan Mathews Larson and her colleagues at the Health Recovery Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, discovered a series of nutritional deficiencies in alcoholics, and found that with proper dietary adjustments, they could help almost three-quarters of their patients kick the bottle for good. Seven Weeks to Sobriety is the updated version of the less interestingly titled Alcoholism--The Biochemical Connection, which was published in 1992.

A marriage saver!:
I learned about this book when I attended my first Alanon meeting. My husband had just come off another binge and I was at my end. He agreed to stop drinking to save our marriage and began attending AA meetings, but it wasn't enough. He'd stopped drinking before and always returned to it eventually. He needed a different solution. So, I purchased this book and we both sat down and read it. I didn't order the vitamins through their treatment center, but found everything we needed through Puritan's Pride There are A LOT of vitamins to swallow, but it's worth it. We learned that there are different types of alcoholism and that there is a chemical imbalance that causes the cravings and mood swings. By replacing what your body is missing, you can eliminate all of these things. If you are skeptical, try it and you'll be convinced. My husband was skeptical and now he's been sober, HAPPY, free from depression and mood swings, and has NO DESIRE TO DRINK for 6 months now. These changes began happening overnight. As soon as he introduced the right chemicals (through the vitamins) into his system, he began to feel "normal". I more than recommend this book, I insist on its importance to the health and well-being of anyone that wants/needs to quit drinking. So often it's the emotional side-effects of quitting drinking that drives the drinker back to their old ways - depression, anxiety, mood swings, anger, frustration, etc. Quitting drinking is not enough to save a marriage, as we found. You have to fix the emotional side as well. By fixing the WHOLE PROBLEM, we've saved our marriage and our family. Thank you to the developers of this system and the authors of this book. I will forever be grateful for what this book has done for our lives. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Old and New Knowledge to Win Against Alcoholism!:
"Seven Weeks to Sobriety," by Joan Mathews Larson. "The Proven Program to Fight Alcoholism Through Nutrition," as claimed on the front cover's subtitle. Proven by whom is not asserted; it is assumed to be of "Health Recovery Center" for which Dr. Larson is the director. I have few negative comments about any attempt at promoting recovery from alcoholism. Dr. Larson with Keith W. Sehnert, M.D. want to catch the coattails of AA's success and ubiquitous big book. Covering 12 chapters and three appendices over 335 pages, it offers their advice for breaking the habit of alcohol addiction through a specially modified diet. I found nothing harmful in "Seven Weeks," except one exaggeration that claimed one naturally occurring supplement (GLA?) could "reverse aging" (I tried to find it again, but it's in there). There are also some practical mentionings of "research indicates that..." many times throughout the pages, although to which research they are referring is not indicated. Most of the time, Dr. Larson does cite her sources, and that makes all the difference. On page 44 there is a nice and simple comparison chart of a Swedish Study vs. HRC results; but in this chart, the HRC study is claiming a 100% recovery rate from alcoholic symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, tremors, dizziness and three others. Can they really do that? Is anything 100% effective? Most of the information in "Seven Weeks..." is sound, although at times a little eccentric. On page 108-109, for example, we read "Since most alcoholics suffer blackouts, it makes sense to assume that insufficient tryptophan is to blame and that it also underlies any depression and sleeplessness they are experiencing." In any kind of scientific work, it NEVER makes sense to assume anything. It is either conclusive or it isn't. On page 144, they also state, "Insulin is the fat-storing hormone." Insulin metabolizes sugar, it doesn't store fat (or, that it is an indirect action of insulin). On pages 94-113, everything mentioned about the role of vitamins, minerals and aminos is believable, verifiable and duplicable. I believe this book can be helpful for recovering alcoholics, in spite of that the carbohydrate-restricted diets might be difficult to follow. To cut out colas, coffee, bakery products, fried foods, margarine, taco shells, or anything made with hydrogenated oils from the diet--even diet sodas and nicotine--all at once may seem too much at once for someone in recovery. (We've got to have something left!) The proposed diet is rigid, taking a strong will to accomplish, but the price of sobriety is incomparable (did I give away my anonymity?) Details of the HRC diet and "Week Three: Correcting Chemistry" are at Chapter 7, page 115. I was particularly interested in the section "The Role of Adrenals," in which the authors discuss the effects of placing to many demands for adrenaline on the system, leading many alcoholics to suffer additional stress and emotional instability, even for a time after early sobriety. In this case, I can personally verify that, and it makes perfect sense. At Chapter 8, "Week Four: Tailoring Repair," many suggestions and formulas are given for certain vitamin, mineral and amino acid combination which assure the reader they will help to reverse the undesirable effects of alcohol abuse. Given the few overstatements and yet unproven FDA claims for certain minerals (e.g., chromium), and a few borrowings from the big book, I found nothing malignant in "Seven Weeks." I won't dog anything meant to help people get off of alcohol. It is not meant for the general public; it is meant to be used in conjunction with a doctor's help to break the addiction to alcohol. AA's big book was the first of its kind to offer a self-help plan with other alcoholics in attaining this admirable and monumental goal. This book is another next step, advancing this and new knowledge for the benefit of the common good.

Stop starting to drinking again, for good!:
At last! A book on diet that really DOES work! This is no gimmick. 7-weeks addresses the nutritional deficiencies suffered by problem drinkers and alcholics, brought about by heavy and/or daily drinking. Discover why only a very LITTLE wine only, is good for you, and why this over-promoted addage is even less accurate for women drinkers. Satisfying nutritional deficiencies, using the means outlined in this book, will go far in reducing, even eliminating cravings for alcohol, in addition to helping your body recover from years of over-drinking.

19 months sober:
Having been a "social" drinker since age 20, my dependency on alcohol crept up on me; not until I realized my relationships were going downhill(friends as well as spouse) did I try to cut back drinking---not very successful so I decided to research my condition. This book was full of inforrmation I needed; I didn't change my diet that drastically but relied on the nutitional supplements which I still take altho not all of them or as many anymore. Not sure I could have done it alone.

This book should be left in the last century!:
Please save your money! Of course, if one wants to stop craving alcohol (metabolized as sugar) one needs to go on a high protien, low carbohydrate diet. A diet like Sugar Busters is what is proposed. And of course, everyone can benefit from vitamins - so buy some and take them! The thing I found offensive about this book was that the author thinks that everyone who has a drinking problem is "alcoholic" (an antiquated term!) and that he or she can be defined as one of three or four different "kinds" of alcoholic. What a bunch of bunk! Instead of this book buy: Sober for Good and Sugar Busters.