Our Drink: Detoxing the Perfect Family by Chris Volkmann, Toren Volkmann, Toren Volkmann, Toren Volkmann

Our Drink: Detoxing the Perfect Familyby Anonymous

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December 16, 2004: I stumbled across this book at an addictions conference in Montana. I was first mesmerized by the authors (Christina and Toren Volkmann) who have such a strong belief in their work and who have exposed the agony of addiction in such an open and educational manner. The book is a roller coaster ride, from heart-warming to heart-wrenching, every gritty detail of the road to alcohol dependence laid out through raw, fresh storytelling. The plot shifts between the mother-who is forced to hear the terrible news of her 23 year old son admitting himself to a rehabilitation program-and son, who tells gripping, lively stories of the years of his young life abusing alcohol until he comes to a life-changing crossroads. The candor is fascinating. The book also switches gears many times to talk more technically about alcohol abuse and the very latest alcohol and addiction research which is affecting the way our health and addictions professionals will treat and prevent this epidemic. As an educator myself, the readability of this book mixed with the well-researched facts makes this book a very desirable tool in the worlds of psychology, sociology, addictions counseling, public health, and drug and alcohol prevention areas. I feel like we will see this book as a learning resource in academia and counseling and treatment for a long time to come. Even away from academics, the quality of writing in this masterpiece of non-fiction cannot be overstated. It is an exciting page-turner for any age, family member, or friend. A truly amazing piece of work.