This Book

The structure of this book is simple: clarity, strategy, sobriety. It begins by explaining your current predicament, suggests an overall strategy to tackle the problem, and then lays out the practicalities for each stage of recovery. The information is mainly presented in a linear, progressive order, so you will benefit most from reading it this way.

As you will see, the earlier chapters are conceptual, and the latter are practical. While you can and should read the conceptual chapters first and in full, you may want to read the practical chapters as and when they become relevant. You may also want to jump back and forth from the practical chapters to remind yourself of previously presented concepts.

The intention of structuring the book this way is such that the conceptual information lays the groundwork for the later practical suggestions to make sense. If you understand why you should do something, you’re far more likely to engage wholeheartedly. You’ll also notice plenty of content repetition, especially throughout the practical chapters. The reason for this is twofold: certain themes have recurrent relevance, and repetition more successfully influences subconscious behaviour.

Now that you understand the overall structure, let’s examine each of the book’s three parts.

Clarity

This part of the book clarifies your situation—past, present, and future. It describes and characterises the addiction and recovery process and orients you within it. To know where you’re going, you need to know where you are and how you got there. This framing both starts and finishes this part of the book.

In between, we look at three closely related and overlapping topics: the subconscious mind, the dopamine system, and the higher brain. These topics explain why you behave the way you do and why you’re seemingly not in control.

Strategy

This part of the book explains the overall strategy for achieving sobriety. It explains why the approach is structured the way that it is and what to expect from it. Again, by helping you understand the ‘why,’ you’re more likely to engage and persevere. This is especially important where the value of earlier suggestions only becomes evident in later stages. Without understanding the ‘why,’ suggestions may seem otherwise pointless or ineffective.

Sobriety

This part of the book puts theory into action. By providing an example skeletal plan, it describes when and how you could apply, practice, and integrate these principles in your life. You are encouraged to adapt this model to your circumstances, personality, and preferences.

Feel free to read all chapters at the outset, but realistically, you should give them your focus and attention as you move from each stage of recovery to the next. Progression through the different stages of recovery greatly alters your overall outlook, mood, and mental clarity. The needs of someone in long-term recovery just aren’t the same as those of someone in early recovery. Neither perspective makes sense to the other because they are completely different states of being. Finding your life’s purpose is irrelevant to someone struggling to make it through the day.

The penultimate chapter covers the unfortunate occurrence of relapse. At the outset, I’ll emphasise that relapse is to be viewed as a learning experience. It’s part of the trial-and-error process of recovery. It does happen, though, so this chapter aims to limit damage, dust you down, and send you back into the recovery process as painlessly as possible. You can go to this chapter whenever appropriate.

The book concludes in the final chapter with some closing thoughts and good luck wishes.

Avatar

The book also refers to the following avatar throughout. This avatar represents both me (and you) and illustrates the three key elements in the battle for sobriety: the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the body. Master these elements, and you’ll master sobriety.

So, wherever you see a small black circle, it represents the conscious mind; the larger white circle represents the subconscious mind. The body, unsurprisingly, represents the body.

Don’t worry about the details for now. We’ll explore this topic when the time comes.

Website

For additional content and resources, you can also visit the Practical Sobriety website: