Author: Dr Randall Green

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1-4327-2492-4

Stepping into Joy: Your Guide to the Life You've Always Wanted was written to help people recover from alcoholism or any other ism you may possibly be addicted to: e.g. gambling, work, religion, chocolate or anything at all.

Randall Green says you deserve to be “happy joyous and free.” The book is more taken up with the spiritual side rather than the chemical dependency part.  He goes on to define the disease with several definitions. Green informs us that alcoholism is a true disease like cancer or high blood pressure.

A chapter is devoted to A.A. which began in the late 1930s when people, who were suffering from alcoholism, tired of going to professionals as doctors, psychiatrists, and thus they banded together and formed an organisation Alcoholics Anonymous.

Alcoholism is an incurable disease and we read about why and its cause. This section of the book is from a lecture by Dr David L. Ohims M.D and is quoted by the book’s author.

Another of the author’s friends, Lynn Hankey contributes a chapter wherein she tells us that the alcoholic is not responsible for having the disease because it is not wilfully self-induced or self-inflicted. However, once diagnosed, he or she is responsible for his or her recovery. It does not absolve one from having social responsibility.

Then follows a chapter of amusing anecdotes by various people - some of which failed to amuse me but that’s just me!

“The Secret,” says Green, is in the twelve Spiritual Principles known as the twelve steps plus the Serenity prayer. This is free to everyone, you just have to want to do it but the rewards are amazing!

You must read this book to discover what they are and I felt that if I were an alcoholic I would not hesitate to purchase this book.

After completing these steps, you will have a taste of Joy, self-pity would begin to leave you and your outlook on life will change. BUT you have to work at it .You will enjoy the sensation of being happy once again with a new vision of awareness.

There is also a selection of suitable prayers in appropriate places as you read which would appeal to some people.

The book also touches on how the disease of addiction affects the whole family. Depression is also explored but there is always hope running throughout the pages. In addition, it touches on relaxation and yoga techniques, which some people may find helpful

I found it a very uplifting book to read and to study for anyone suffering from any kind of addiction. Well set out and easy to understand, Dr Randall must surely give hope and joy to many people who are struggling in the dark depths of an addiction.