The Soul of Recovery

Christopher D. Ringwald is a journalist who has written on mental health, religion, books, law and social policy for The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Commonweal and Governing. He was named the 2002 Albany Author of the Year, won a first place award from the Catholic Press Association, and is author of Faith in Words. Ringwald directs the Faith & Society Project at The Sage Colleges in Albany, N.Y.,and is a senior writer at Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. He may be reached via email at ringwc@sage.edu or by phone at (518) 292-1727

• 1. Addictions and Spiritual Solutions ; 2. Mainstream Treatment and the Middle Class ; 3. Women's Treatment, Women's Spirituality ; 4. Native Americans in Treatment and Indian Spirituality ; 5. Measuring Results, Measuring the Soul: Science and the Spirit ; 6. No God, Our God: Secular Approaches and Religious Methods ; 7. Harm Reduction: Challenging Tradition on the Street ; 8. Treating Hard-Core Addicts: From Secular Practicality to Practical Spirituality in Therapeutic Communities ; 9. The Recovery Movement: A New Religion or a New Openness ; 10. Faith-Based Solutions in a Democracy

"An impressive, straightforward synthesis of diverse and controversial issues."--Library Journal"An encouraging, well-researched book on an important topic."--Publishers Weekly"A sober and well-documented look at some of the unquestioned claims of the burgeoning recovery movement. What makes 'The Soul of Recovery' stand out from the pack is the way Ringwald approaches the recovery movement as a journalist, not as an evangelist or protagonist. He understands the power of spirituality in treating substance abuse, yet still asks some hard questions."--San Francisco Chronicle"Ringwald's book is a paradigm shifter, his clear presentation, and extraordinary research can't help but have the reader "thinking outside the box." If anyone is questioning the role that faith plays in the life of an addict this book is for you."--Counselor Magazine"An articulate and extremely well-reported exploration of how nurturing spiritual beliefs can help addicts recover. As such, The Soul to Recovery is a much-needed and welcome antidote to the prevailing medical paradigm that chalks up troubled human behavior to 'abnormal brain chemistry,' amenable to a pharmaceutical solution. Ringwald shows that the paths to addiction are many, and that the most successful treatment programs are those that help healthe mind and soul."--Robert Whitaker, author of Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill"The unqualified best among recent 'recovery' books. Eminently readable."--Ernest Kurtz, Historian"The Soul of Recovery captures beautifully the role of spirituality in the treatment and recovery of people with addictions. Not only is it immensely informative, but the writing style is captivating, passionate and powerful."--Harold G. Koenig, co-author of the Handbook of Religion and Health"A sober and well-documented look at some of the unquestioned claims of the burgeoning recovery movement. What makes 'The Soul of Recovery' stand out from the pack is the way Ringwald approaches the recovery movement as a journalist, not as an evangelist or protagonist. He understands the power of spirituality in treating substance abuse, yet still asks some hard questions."--San Francisco Chronicle"An impressive, straightforward synthesis of diverse and controversial issues."--Library Journal"An encouraging, well-researched book on an important topic."--Publishers Weekly"An important contribution to the necessary task of bringing a discussion of the spiritual dimension of the human into the marketplace."--America"Ringwald's book is a paradigm shifter, his clear presentation, and extraordinary research can't help but have the reader "thinking outside the box." If anyone is questioning the role that faith plays in the life of an addict this book is for you. The author presents spirituality (and religion) in treatment and recovery in a broad array of modalities, and also discusses more secular approaches, which have little or no spirituality or faith-based components. Inthe process he has written a primer on the varieties of addiction treatment available, clearly describing what a participant in a specific treatment may be experiencing, and then just to make sure youhave a clear picture of it all, he offers numerous case presentations that personalize the process."--Counselor Magazine"The Soul of Recovery captures beautifully the role of spirituality in the treatment and recovery of people with addictions. Not only is it immensely informative, but the writing style is captivating, passionate and powerful."--Harold G. Koenig, co-author of the Handbook of Religion and Health"An articulate and extremely well-reported exploration of how nurturing spiritual beliefs can help addicts recover. As such, The Soul to Recovery is a much-needed and welcome antidote to the prevailing medical paradigm that chalks up troubled human behavior to 'abnormal brain chemistry,' amenable to a pharmaceutical solution. Ringwald shows that the paths to addiction are many, and that the most successful treatment programs are those that help healthe mind and soul."--Robert Whitaker, author of Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill