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The Toxic Parents Survival Guide: Recognizing, Understanding, and Freeing Yourself from These Difficult Relationships
by Bryn CollinsIf you or someone you love grew up with an emotionally unavailable, narcissistic, or selfish parent, you probably struggle with residual feelings of anger, abandonment, loneliness, or shame. For anyone who endured a nightmare or a wasteland instead of a nurturing childhood, The Toxic Parents Survival Guide will offer you the clinical insights and the day-to-day tools so you can break the chains of toxicity that bind you in a mess you didn't create. Psychologist Bryn Collins pulls back the layers to explore the very complicated relationship with an emotionally unavailable parent. Whether they were unavailable because of addiction, mental illness, or being overly controlling or an iceberg, this imminently practical book will help validate your frustration and emotional struggles, help you set clear boundaries, and learn how to un-mesh yourself and move forward to a place of strength and peace without any guilt. Using case studies, quizzes, and jargon-free concepts, Collins profiles the most common types of toxic parents and offers the tactics and tools you need to change and break free of these painful associations. Your wounds can be healed and you can move forward. The Toxic Parents Survival Guide will help you find different ways of dealing with your parents' painful legacy so that you don't suffer and don't pass along emotional unavailability to the next generation or your current relationships.
Loss is a Four-Letter Word: A Bereavement Boot Camp for the Widowed--Kick Grief in the Ass and Take Your Life Back
by Carole FleetThe word "loss" contains only four letters, but its size belies the amount of fear it produces at even its mere mention. Even more terrifying and enormous is the reality of loss—specifically, the loss of a spouse. For the loved one left behind, the loss of a spouse or partner is frightening, and the ensuing grief can be all-consuming. Regardless of the circumstances, spousal loss devastates on numerous levels and in countless ways. Whether the loss is brand new or decades old, it nonetheless leaves indelible wounds. Worst of all, widowhood has the capacity to keep those affected from moving forward into a new and fulfilling life. The need for relatable and actionable direction and advice remains a very real need for the widowed community. In Loss is a Four-Letter Word, award-winning author Carole Brody Fleet, who herself experienced the numbing pain and grief as a young widow and mother, shows readers a way out, a way to move forward—not "get over"—their most profound loss in positive ways. Fleet combines no-nonsense, directed advice with specific, boot camp style "assignments" that are framed with compassion and humor. Appropriate for both the newly bereaved as well as those who may have been grieving for years, Loss is a Four-Letter Word is also ideal for those who wish to best support the bereaved through a most challenging life-journey.
The Heart Reconnection Guidebook: A Guided Journey of Personal Discovery and Self-Awareness
by Joan Borysenko Holly Cook Mary Faulkner Lee McCormick Dr Will TaegelThis book is written for all who have suffered heartbreak. It is for those troubled by anxiety, depression, loss, grief, questioning their self-worth, caught in addiction or obsessive/compulsive behavior, and struggling to find meaning. While the list is broad in scope, it shares a common theme: The conditions reflect a broken relationship to the core of your being, your own 'healing heart, sacred heart.' For anyone who has struggled with the not enough—not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not strong enough—and the list goes on, this book is written with you in mind. With 300 years of collective wisdom, the path laid out by the authors is well road-tested and culled to reflect what has been—and continues to be—most effective in their own lives and the lives of those they have helped over the years. Through thought-provoking questions, meditations, self-reflection, and creative practices to choose from, the book offers a process of gradually uncovering the uniqueness of your own heart and soul. This multifaceted approach to healing opens a new path for greater awareness and well-being that lasts.Complementing the The Heart Reconnection Guidebook text is a comprehensive teacher's guide which presents the concept of Heart Reconnection Therapy (HRT) and walks the therapist or counselor through wellness-promoting activities, insightful discussions, and meditations related to the The Heart Reconnection Guidebook text. It is an excellent resource for working with individuals and also with groups. This book is based on the wisdom tradition rather than therapy in the usual sense, as it is based on each participant's self-exploration. There is no specific "agenda," meaning the book or the leader Is not taking participants to a predetermined 'right' way to be, but rather creating a context for each person's encounter with their own truth and who they are in the core of their being. Readers and teachers alike will find the wisdom traditions offered within these pages life-changing, self-empowering, and community-building—all for the sake of greater happiness, increased awareness, and sustainable well-being.
Success Stories from the Heart: Passionate and Caring Stories to Open the Heart and Energize the Spirit to Succeed in Life and Love
by Gary Seidler Peter VegsoTo commemorate HCI's 40th anniversary, many of its most loved and revered authors have contributed personal stories of lifechanging events in Success Stories from the Heart. Poignant and inspiring from cover to cover, these authors generously share their personal journeys to find truth, the unexpected discoveries they made along the way, and the spiritual renewals they experienced as a result. A brave and mighty volume, Success Stories from the Heart bares their souls and tells the stories of not only their own lives, but of the many lives they've touched.Each contributing author in this extraordinary book has played a pivotal role in the advancement of mental health services and personal transformation. They coined the phrases, they made the discoveries, they are the vanguards who brought us a deeper understanding of the issues that affect us, our families, our communities, and every one of our relationships. They are the true, indispensable guides and mentors who rescue us from ourselves and each other, that teach us better, more fulfilling ways to live.These stories chronicle experiences that go beyond the educational realm, past office visits and therapy sessions, and brought them deep into the tender realm of the heart. They are the encounters that blurred the lines and made their work personal, the hopes and tears of their careers, the indelible scars that belie their commitment to do whatever it takes to make a difference. It is this blending of personal and professional life that births wisdom, that connects people, and heals a hurting world.Let Success Stories from the Heart inspire you—it's a celebration of 40 momentous years and a thrilling celebration of life!
Psychic Deborah Graham's Guide to Attracting and Keeping Your True Love
by Deborah GrahamFrom the Far East to the Mid-East to East L.A., love is the deepest desire of the human heart, yet often the most elusive. Throughout the centuries sages have sought a path to true love, but the host of SiriusXM Stars 109 Psychic Connection with Deborah Graham actually knows how to harness and hold onto it. Graham has shown many perpetual wayward daters how to navigate text messages and emojis to truly connect with their perfect match on a soul to soul level, and here she reveals how you can, too. As a gifted psychic, Graham is able to read auras: she doesn't look at you, she looks in you. She has spent decades helping people find true and lasting love, and through this book she will coach you to do the same—to look past the outward façades that people project to the world, and to look inward, starting with yourself. By stepping you through a "spiritual cleansing," she will teach you how to purge past issues and baggage so that you are open and ready for real love. Psychic Deborah Graham's Guide to Attracting and Keeping Your True Love includes her no-holds-barred advice and her tried-and-true relationship rules, including: How to tell a psychic match from a physical oneHow to expand your awareness to what you need energetically in a life partnerHow to use the 3s dating rule to see if there is a match How to avoid the biggest first date saboteurs How to listen to your intuition and stop missing the glaring red flagsAnd how to know when it's time to say good-bye (not every person is "the one")
Mind Easing: The Three-Layered Healing Plan for Anxiety and Depression
by Dr. Bick WanckToday more than ever, everyone must be her or his own healer, and this is especially true in the management of anxiety and depression. In the first major conceptual leap in mental health care in forty years, Mind Easing's Three-Layered Healing Plan harmonizes wellness approaches, therapy, and, when needed, medicine into a safe and effective plan tailored to the needs and wishes of the individual. Written by noted psychiatrist Bick Wanck, MD, one of the founders of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and an experienced clinician, writer, and educator, Mind Easing shows how to relieve and often resolve anxiety and depression by assisting the mind's natural ability to heal. Along with non-medicinal healing methods, Mind Easing shows how to use psychiatric medicine (if needed) safely and effectively as part of a mindfully constructed healing plan. Because some psychiatric medicines can blunt feelings and dull thinking, they can impede the flow of healing and interfere with the pleasures of living. Mind Easing suggests when and how psychiatric medicines may be stopped when they are counterproductive to healing. Mind Easing presents a comprehensive Three-Layered Healing Plan for anxiety and depression. Some readers will find all they need in Layer One: Enhancement of Healing without needing the help of a professional. Others will benefit from Layer Two: Guidance which describes how psychotherapy, body and energy work, and spiritual guidance may be used to assist healing. Those readers who experience severe anxiety and depression will find helpful information in Layer Three: Restoration of Healing. where Dr. Wanck explains the concepts of "soft" and "hard" anxiety and depression. Soft anxiety and depression are generally caused by stressful current life events or past adversity where hard anxiety and depression are caused by genetically inherited conditions or by physiologic hardening of symptoms resulting from persistent or severe adversity or trauma.
Shattered by the Darkness: Putting the Pieces Back Together after Child Abuse
by Dr. Gregory WilliamsBrutal sexual abuse. Fear. Betrayal. Shame.After enduring daily sexual abuse for over 12 years, can there be any hope? In Shattered by the Darkness: Putting the Pieces Back Together after Child Abuse, author Dr. Gregory Williams shares his dark and horrific childhood of sexual abuse and 50 year journey of trying to put the pieces of his life back together. The vital lessons learned in the process of finally stepping out of the emotional darkness and into the light will give you strength to ultimately open the deepest parts of your heart and find the courage to face your own personal darkness. Today is the day to take your life back! Discover that no matter what abuse, hurt, pain, or betrayal you have experienced, you no longer have to live your life Shattered by the Darkness. This inspiring book transforms the silence of shame into a rallying cry for hope and healing.
Wrinkles Don't Hurt: The Joy of Aging Mindfully
by Ruth FishelNo matter if we're thirty or ninety, we can learn to live in a way which will help us deepen our joy of living. And while we know deep down that wrinkles don't hurt, sometimes we disagree with those who tell us to seize the day--that the best is yet to come. We know the goal is to greet each day with optimism, enthusiasm, and a zest for living, but sometimes it's hard to know how to begin. Bestselling author Ruth Fishel provides much-needed wisdom, guidance, and inspiration to help us remain positive, present, and more mindful. Studies show that mindfulness may be the best medicine for what ails us physically and emotionally: It's a powerful tool that can keep our memories sharp, alleviate stress, boost immunity, and help us better handle life's ups and downs. Written in a page-a-day format, Wrinkles Don't Hurt is filled with practical suggestions, affirmations, and whimsical illustrations that will help you let go of worries and fears, remember that you are not alone, and help you discover and celebrate the joys that come with living a seasoned life.
Silently Seduced: When Parents Make Their Children Partners
by Kenneth M. AdamsWhen a parent singles out a child for special privileges and attention, that child is often unaware that the relationship is unhealthy—even incestuous. As adults, these children struggle to feel validated, because while they have not been directly abused, they feel a sense of violation and crossed boundaries—usually done in the name of 'love' and 'caring.' The parent's love feels more confining than freeing, more demanding than giving, more intrusive than nurturing. Yet these children suffer from what psychologist Kenneth Adams calls The Silent Seduction—because there is nothing loving or caring about a close parent-child relationship that services the needs of the parent rather than the child.In this revised and updated 20th anniversary edition of his groundbreaking book Silently Seduced, Dr. Adams explains how 'feeling close,' especially with the opposite-sex parent, is not the source of comfort the image suggests, especially when that child is cheated out of a childhood by being a parent's surrogate partner. He offers a framework to understand this covert incest and its effect on sexuality, intimacy, and relationships, and how victims can begin the process of recovery.
As Far As the Heart Can See: Stories to Illuminate the Soul
by Mark NepoStories carry the seeds of our humanness. They help us, teach us, heal us, and connect us to what matters. As Far As the Heart Can See is an invitation to be in relationship with deep and life-giving material. Many spiritual gurus present dense metaphysical theses with an intellectual approach for "working" a spiritual path; poet and philosopher Mark Nepo reaches people through their hearts, bringing something fresh and new to the field by stimulating change through reflection of thoughts and feelings. The stories he shares in As Far As the Heart Can See come from many places—from Nepo's personal history to dreams to the myths of our ancestors. Each one is an invitation to awaken an aspect of living in relationship with the sacred. Following each of the forty-five stories are three forms of an invitation to further the conversation: journal questions, table questions, and meditations. The questions, whether reflected upon in a journal or discussed in deeper conversation with friends or family, are meant to lead the seeker down unimagined paths and back into life; the meditations are meant to ground the learning. These stories and parables about universal concepts and themes offer a poet's sensuality and a philosopher's sensibility to personalizing the journey of the human experience in the world.
Slipping Through the Cracks: Intervention Strategies for Clients with Multiple Addictions and Disorders
by Mark SandersClients who have multiple addictions and disorders are more difficult to engage and treat than clients with a single disorder. Many of the current systems are ill-equipped to address the myriad challenges of these clients—their relapse and recidivism rates are higher, and many of these clients tend to slip through the cracks, often going back and forth among addictions treatment, psychiatric and medical hospitalizations, and incarceration. Too many difficult-to-reach clients are at risk for relapse because their practitioners lack effective, innovative strategies for this unique client base who remain part of a revolving-door syndrome. Now, Certified Alcohol and Drug Addictions Counselor Mark Sanders, LCSW, offers specific strategies to assist therapists and counselors who work with difficult and at-risk populations, including those with: multiple addictions co-occurring disorders adolescents; rural methamphetamine users antisocial personality disorder, criminality, and addiction trauma or grief and chemical dependency history of chronic relapse and recidivism Slipping Through the Cracks is a encyclopedic handbook to specific traits of the difficult-to-reach client, as well as a concise guidebook to effective strategies that will be useful to anyone working with clients in private practice or in treatment programs who have both mental health and substance abuse issues.
The Brain Mechanic: A Quick and Easy Way to Tune Up the Mind and Maximize Emotional Health
by Spencer LordCognitive Behavioral Therapy for Everyone! Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has the incredible power to change the way we think, perceive, and react to stress—for the better. And as an alternative method to mood-enhancing drugs, CBT has only become more popular. But until recently, access to CBT was only available through professional therapy. Now with The Brain Mechanic, Spencer Lord delivers a concise, humorous, and easy-to-use handbook that demystifies cognitive behavioral therapy for the lay user. With simple exercises, clear explanations, and helpful insight, Lord makes it easy for people to fit this technique into their daily lives, improve their mood, broaden their communication skills, and enrich their relationships. • Spencer Lord breaks down the science of cognitive behavioral therapy and turns it into actionable techniques that work immediately, including introducing "emotional algebra" for solving behavior issues in minutes • Provides practical techniques which can simply and effectively combat anxiety, anger, and a number of other emotional problems • Suggests customizable mental exercises for people of every age, background, and pace of lifestyle "Spending one night with The Brain Mechanic can change your life." —Lori Andrews: Legal Chair, Human Genome Project; Ethical Chair, Kent Law "Concise, accessible, and indescribably powerful." —David Geffen: Co-Founder, DreamWorks SKG
Facing the Dragon: How a Desperate Act Pulled One Addict Out of Methamphetamine Hell
by David Parnell Amy HagbergAfter more than twenty-three years addicted to methamphetamine and other drugs, David Parnell put an SKS assault rifle under his chin and pulled the trigger. The blast took off half his face, yet somehow he survived. They called Parnell the "miracle man" at the Nashville hospital where he'd been pronounced clinically dead. Following an afterlife experience where he briefly experienced hell, David woke up in the hospital, and he was changed forever, both physically and emotionally.In Facing the Dragon, readers will witness the slow, agonizing metamorphosis of a good-looking high school athlete into a violent, drug-dealing, psychotic wife beater whose children were terrified of him. In graphic detail, they will relive his suicide attempts and then walk alongside him as he endures countless surgeries to reconstruct his decimated face and learns how to cope with his hideous disfigurement. Now thirty-nine, Parnell is clean and sober and is making the most of the second chance he's been given, bringing his message about the dangers of meth and other drugs to schools, prisons, churches, and antidrug organizations around the world as a full-time lecturer.By experiencing the nightmare of his life-—and his brief glimpse of hell--readers will find hope and healing when facing their own life-threatening dragons.
Boundaries and Relationships: Knowing, Protecting and Enjoying the Self
by Dr. Charles WhitfieldMore than personal boundaries, this book is really about relationships--healthy and unhealthy ones. Here bestselling author and psychotherapist Charles Whitfield blends theories and dynamics from several disciplines into practical knowledge and actions that your can use in your relationships right now. This comprehensive book opens with clear definitions and descriptions of boundaries, a self-assessment survey and a history of our accumulated knowledge. Going deeper, it describes the 10 essential areas of human interaction wherein you can improve your relationships. These include age regression, giving and receiving (projection and projective identification), triangles, core recovery issues, basic dynamics, unfinished business and spirituality. It shows in countless practical ways how knowledge of each of these is most useful in your recovery and everyday life.
Daily Affirmations for Forgiving and Moving On: Powerful Inspiration For Personal Change
by Dr. Tian DaytonThere is a point in our lives when we seem to stand in the center of our own decision about who we are and how we want to be. It comes after enough of the past pain, resentment and grief have been spent, enough deep holes and yearnings have been filled, enough baggage from the past has been dealt with. Now that we've restored ourselves to a "good enough" status, we're ready to meet life more or less as it is happening. At this point we need to recognize which attitudes and behavior patterns will serve us throughout the rest of our lives and which need to be let go. Can the lives we have envisioned for ourselves flourish under the weight of carried resentment from the past? What does it cost us in terms of happiness and well-being to hang on to the blame and hurt?
Affirmations for the Inner Child
by Rokelle LernerAll of us need positive affirmation throughout our lives. As children, these powerful messages helped us to know that we were worthwhile, that it was all right to want food and to be touched, and that our very existence was a precious gift. The messages that we received from our parents helped us to form decisions that determined the course of our lives. If we were raised with consistent, nurturing parents, we conclude that life is meaningful and that people are to be trusted. If we were raised with parents who were addictively or compulsively ill, we determine that life is threatening and chaotic--that we are not deserving of joy. These are the crucial decisions that impact our lives long after we have forgotten them. Unfortunately, childhood judgments don't disappear. They remain as dynamic forces that contaminate our adulthood. When childhood needs are not taken care of because of abuse or abandonment, we spend our lives viewing the world through the distorted perception of a needy infant or an angry adolescent. The more we push these child parts away, the more control they have over us. This collection of daily meditations is dedicated to those adults who are ready to heal their childhood wounds. It is through this courageous effort that we will move from a life of pain into recovery.
Time for Joy: Daily Affirmations
by Ruth FishelWords can inspire, motivate and change us if we let them. Words can lift us to action. Words can move us to anger and rage or to love and tears. Most important, words can heal. May the words in this book be an inspiration for you when and as you need it. Read it by the page, one day at a time, or at random as you are so moved. Know that you are worthy of joy, that you deserve to have joy in your life. May you take this time to find joy and may you know peace and love.
Adult Children Secrets of Dysfunctional Families: The Secrets of Dysfunctional Families
by John Friel Linda D. FrielIt is estimated that as many as 34 million people grew up in alcoholic homes. But what about the rest of us? What about families that had no alcoholism, but did have perfectionism, workaholism, compulsive overeating, intimacy problems, depression, problems in expressing feelings, plus all the other personality traits that can produce a family system much like an alcoholic one? Countless millions of us struggle with these kinds of dysfunctions every day, and until very recently we struggled alone. Pulling together both theory and clinical practice, John and Linda Friel provide a readable explanation of what happened to us and how we can rectify it.
After the Tears: Helping Adult Children of Alcoholics Heal Their Childhood Trauma
by Jane Middelton-Moz Lorie DwinellAdult children of alcoholics have learned how to "survive," but often have difficulty "living" their lives. The trauma and grief of childhood losses affect every aspect of the life of an adult child of an alcoholic (ACoA). Now the authors of the bestselling After the Tears offer further insight into the origin and cost of childhood pain for those who grew up in alcoholic families. In this revised and expanded edition, Jane Middelton-Moz and Lorie Dwinell combine their years of experience in working with ACoAs, tackling issues such as intimacy, sibling relationships, codependency, breaking the alcoholic pattern, building a relationship with the inner child, forgiveness, and opening a window to spirituality.
It's A Guy Thing: A Owner's Manual for Women
by David DeidaBased on questions from women who have attended author David Deida's highly acclaimed relationships seminars, this must-have book puts male behavior under the microscope. Included are chapters on sex, work, relationships and communication. Interspersed throughout are sidebars that shed light on the many faces of men and help women grasp what makes them act the way they do.
Adult Children of Alcoholics: Expanded Edition
by Dr. Janet G. WoititzIn the 1980's, Janet Woititz broke new ground in our understanding of what it is to be an Adult Child of an Alcoholic. In this updated edition of her bestseller she re-examines the movement and its inclusion of Adult Children from various dysfunctional family backgrounds who share the same characteristics. After decades of working with ACoAs she shares the recovery hints that she has found to work. Read Adult Children of Alcoholics to see where the journey began and for ideas on where to go from here.
Struggle for Intimacy: Revised And Expanded For All Adults
by Dr. Janet G. WoititzJanet Woititz, mother of the recovery movement, sensitively addresses the barriers of trust and intimacy that children learn in an alcoholic family. She provides suggestions for building loving relationships with friends, partners, and spouses.
The Power of Hope: Overcoming Your Most Daunting Life Difficulties--No Matter What
by Dr. Anthony Scioli Dr. Henry BillerThe must-read inspirational book of the year designed to combat a global "hope shortage." Following in the footsteps of successful inspirational books like The Power of Positive Thinking and The Purpose Driven Life comes the definitive guide for understanding, developing, and strengthening our most important emotion: Hope. The timing couldn't be better. In this engaging self-help "tour de force" authors Anthony Scioli, Ph.D., and Henry Biller, Ph.D., two renowned clinical psychologists, offer thought-provoking insights, compelling case studies, and practical "hope" exercises rooted in spirituality, religion, psychology, and philosophy, as well as their own personal stories of resilience. The result: a deeper assimilation of hope in daily life. In The Power of Hope, readers will encounter: Strategies for overcoming nine kinds of hopelessness as well as for combating depression and suicide Advice on utilizing hope to manage the "day-to-day"—from work and relationships to serious illness, grief, or loss Ways in which hope can impact overall health, exercise, and diet Hope self-assessments, including a hope provider and spiritual intelligence scale Whether one is dealing with a serious health issue, a traumatic past, or just trying to thrive in a time of political and economic unrest, hope is the key to fostering success, love, and survival. The Power of Hope will inspire readers with renewed faith and possibility. "This book is a must read for anyone dealing with adversity and a resource that every healthcare professional should own."—Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of Love, Medicine & Miracles and Help Me to Heal
How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life (How to Be Like)
by Pat Williams Jim DenneyHow to Be Like is a “character biography” series: biographies that also draw out important lessons from the life of their subjects. In this new book—by far the most exhaustive in the series—Pat Williams tackles one of the most influential people in recent history. While many recent biographies of Walt Disney have reveled in the negative, this book takes an honest but positive look at the man behind the myth. For the first time, the book pulls together all the various strands of Disney’s life into one straightforward, easy-to-read tale of imagination, perseverance, and optimism. Far from a preachy or oppressive tome, this book scrapes away the minutiae to capture the true magic of a brilliant maverick. Key Features This is for the millions of Disney fans—those who admire his artistry or his business savvy or the products of his namesake company. The tone and style of the book will capture the imagination of younger readers, especially teens, in the same way as How to Be Like Mike. Support within the Disney world includes the daughter and grandson of Walt Disney; nephew and former vice chairman Roy Disney; and numerous Disney insiders who are already spreading the word.
Regaining Your Self: Understanding and Conquering the Eating Disorder Identity
by Dr. Ira Sacker"I wish there had been a book like this when I was sick. Dr. Sacker truly understands this complex disorder." – Tracey Gold, actress and author of Room to Grow: An Appetite for Life "Regaining Your Self offers a logical approach to understanding eating disorders. The emphasis on deficits in identify and trust will open doors for therapists who treat anorexia, as well as make constructive demands on them. Above all, Regaining Your Self will remind us that psychotherapy must have a personal element to succeed." – Steven Levenkron, M.S., Author of The Best Little Girl in the World and Anatomy of Anorexia "Dr. Ira Sacker is an innovator in his treatment approach. His in-depth and heartfelt understanding of the minds and souls of people struggling with eating disorders is a breath of fresh air. This book will serve as an invaluable tool for those who work with eating disorders and body image issues." – Jessica Weiner, Author of A Very Hungry Girl and Do I Look Fat in This? You Are Not What You Don't EatNever has there been a mental disorder so controversial in the theories surrounding its causes, treatments, and recovery than that of the eating disorder. Its mysterious nature, onset, and lack of predictability make this an elusive epidemic that causes frustration and fear in those who are afflicted and those who love and treat them. This is exactly why patients, families, and treatment professionals need to be privy to the observations of one of the foremost eating disorder specialists in the world and bestselling author of Dying to Be Thin, Ira M. Sacker, M.D. It is he who continues to be at the forefront of true treatment breakthroughs, the latest of which is evidenced in his latest book Regaining Your Self. Over the last several decades, as theories and books circulated and speculated on whether it is perfectionism, trauma, genetics/biology, or social pressures of the media that has caused the rapid spread of anorexia, bulimia, and related disorders, Dr. Sacker was busy making a breakthrough in identifying the true culprit in eating disorders--The Eating Disorder Identity. With Eating Disorder Identities victims attach to their disorder and view it as part of who they are, ultimately coming to identify with that persona exclusively. (Sometimes individuals will even name the disease "Ana," "Mia," or "Ed," in order to personify the new identity.) Just as a musician cannot live without his instruments, an eating disorder individual will feel inauthentic and lost if ever they give up their eating disorder, contributing to a higher rate of relapse. In Regaining Your Self, Dr. Sacker explains the phenomenon of the Eating Disorder Identity and describes why this is the least identified concept in traditional treatment methods, yet most detrimental aspect of the disorder. Further, Sacker explains how in an attempt to substitute their former identity, many eating disorder patients adopt their eating disorder as a more acceptable definition of who they are; therefore blurring the lines between their disorder and their self. Like any thing that is viewed as intrinsic, the eating disorder becomes nearly impossible to cut off and turn away from. To combat this crisis, Sacker lays out his effective program called PIRT or Personal Interaction Rational Therapy, which assists families, clinicians, medical doctors, and therapists in identifying the issue of identity (the lack of one, the disdain for the one they have) exhibited by patients and offers them techniques on replacing the eating disorder identity with a new and healthier one--the major component in facilitating recovery. In addition, Dr. Sacker created a brand-new workbook section exclusively for this paperback edition, which offers both interactive and introspective exercises to help treatment professionals and patients successfully execute the bold new approach of Regaining Your Self.