Natural Strategies for Addiction Recovery: Complementary Healing for the Addicted Brain (3rd Edition) - Self-Help Book for Overcoming Substance Abuse & Mental Wellness

First let me start by saying this is an excellent book for alcohol addiction. I have not tried it for drug addiction, but It treats addictions in general as brain imbalances. Most addicts and drug abusers have a history of imbalanced neurological hormone production (sometimes going back to childhood) so they self-medicate. The alternative of putting them on SSRI's, anti-depressants, or stimulants such as Adderall or Ritalin, only worsen the problem. Although the 12 step program helps some addicts and alcoholics, it does not address the cause, and for many their abstinence is like forever trying to ignore a bad itch (only much more profound!).As a nutritionist I have recommended this book repeatedly. In two words: it works -- if one is serious about getting sober because nothing will help without the want-to.However, be forewarned regarding the older, 2005 first edition. They sellers here have combined the reviews for both the 1st edition and the 2008 2nd edition so it's gets a bit dicey leaving a review. Once the reviews were combined I had to edit my review to cover both the older and newer edition. The newer book has a blue cover and the publication date is 2008. The first edition has a yellow cover.Amazon no longer stocks and ships this book. When they did I used to get it for about $12 with free Prime shipping. Other booksellers who are still selling it here are price gouging. My local Barnes and Noble told me it was out of print. Since I give these books away and was not willing to pay the ridiculous prices on Amazon I contacted the authors to learn when the 2nd edition will be back on Amazon. I was told the distributor ran out of stock. This was in June, 2013 and distribution still seems to be a problem, and as of this update, October, 2014 it is no longer listed on the publisher's website. Thinking they might have chosen to self-publish I checked the author's website and found it for the cover price plus shipping. This book is well worth the trouble of buying if from the authors directly. I am posting the link in the comments section. (Amazon does not allow links in reviews.)Here is another excellent book I recommend on this subject:Seven Weeks to Sobriety: The Proven Program to Fight Alcoholism through Nutrition.And these books address mood disorder's which often lead to addiction: The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today and The UltraMind Solution: The Simple Way to Defeat Depression, Overcome Anxiety, and Sharpen Your Mind