Freedom from Addiction

The Chopra Center Method for Overcoming Destructive Habits

By: David Simon, Deepak Chopra

Narrated by: Alfred Gingold

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

If you've ever wished you could just stop…

• drinking
• eating
• smoking
• gambling
• shopping

For anyone struggling to break the cycle of addiction comes the groundbreaking approach from The Chopra Center, the world-renowned facility that has successfully helped thousands of people change their lives for the better.

Chopra Center cofounder and medical director David Simon, M.D., and best-selling author and personal-growth expert Deepak Chopra outline their revolutionary approach - one that defies outmoded beliefs about recovery, particularly that people 'are' their addictions or that they are powerless to control them. By integrating the best of Western research with Eastern traditions, Simon and Chopra give anyone the tools to uncover the true cause of their addiction and provide comprehensive steps to end it for good. Listeners will discover how to:

• Recognize the purpose their habit serves and how to fill the void- Identify triggers and avoid relapse
• Deal with disappointments, insecurities, or anger in ways that provide lasting relief, not a temporary high
• Use meditation to counter stress
• Choose foods and supplements that will detoxify the body and curb cravings

By following the path thousands have used to turn their lives around, now anyone can have access to the renowned Chopra Center's program to achieve lasting freedom from addiction.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2007 David Simon and Deepak Chopra (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Great Content - Narration is less great

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I think this is the best book on the market for the freeing yourself from any addiction. The content is extremely insightful. For example: I learned that I can change my mindset from "something is being taken away" to "I am giving something up" and it has had a very positive effect on my mind.

What did you like best about this story?

There was so much new and useful information in this book for me. From realizing that my ego is powerless over my addiction but my true inner self ISN'T powerless! To oleation in the detoxification phase. The approach is FAR more holistic than the 12 step method.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Alfred Gingold?

There are ALOT of reviews that pan the narrators voice and I agree with them. I think Gingold's narrative voice isn't consistent with the books message to "pay attention to the ingestion of healthy sounds". I found myself enduring the sound of Gingold's voice rather than enjoy the narrative. But I endured it anyway and was still pleased. Because the content is so good I REALLY hope that they re-record this book with someone whose voice sounds more pleasant.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Learning to "give something up" rather than relate to it like "something is being taken away" was huge for me. The content here is so rich. There are so many helpful tips that it will probably take me another few readings just to fully absorb them.

This book offers hope that change is possible.

I highly recommend this book to everyone since I believe we live in an addictive society. whether it's an addiction to drugs, alcohol, work, exercise or food... Most of us are looking to to escape. The book offers real alternatives & practical advice which are sure to improve our quality of life.

Useful for all addictions

I used the lessons here to deal with bad habits I've been trying to get over for years. By going through the steps in this book you will learn to get rid of any ‘addiction’ and a bad habit is an ‘addiction’. You will also get a history that is taught at all AA/NA meetings. It is important to understand the history of how we came to the current ways to free people from addictions of any kind. Just remember that this is not an easy path as your addictions will fight back to keep where they are.

Excellent Content, DREADFUL narration!

I really love Chopra and am a self-help fanatic, admittedly ;) I loved the ideas in this book, really well written and presented. It helped me with my shopoholism! And just helped me feel more whole.

However - as an earlier reviewer mentioned - the narration is absolutely awful. Honestly, Gingold butchers this content. I actually gave up on this audio, and bought the e-book from Amazon to read on my Kindle.

Gingold (the narrator) drones on in a mechanical, clipped voice. Seriously, he sounds like he's reading a list of ingredients from the back of a cereal box. It really ruined the content for me, as I was constantly repeating in my head, in a more soothing voice, the words so they would feel right.

So, in conclusion, this was an excellent book, but, because of the poor narration, it is much better to just by the printed or e-book version.

I wish I could have listened, but the voice!!!

What disappointed you about Freedom from Addiction?

I was shocked when the reader's voice began--nasal, too loud, awkwardly read. The material was clearly powerful, but there was no way I could listen to that for more than a few minutes. I feel so ripped off--honestly, couldn't someone have advised them? Really--it's the quality of the recording that will help make this medium work; I don't know whose voice that was

Would you be willing to try another book from David Simon and Deepak Chopra ? Why or why not?

Not if the same voice is on it as on the start of this one--was that David Simon or Alfred Gingold?

Would you be willing to try another one of Alfred Gingold’s performances?

Possibly...but I don't know. I've heard him elsewhere--was that him or David Simon at the start of the recording?

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

YES--the text...which I'm now going to have to go buy to read after wasting my credit on this here.

Any additional comments?

DISAPPOINTED...wish I'd never bought it here. What poor quality control.

and fyi, I am a voice and performance teacher and do voice overs myself. I don't expect my students to sound like pros, but when I'm paying for something that is internationally advertised, I expect quality. If it wasn't the voice, then it was audible's media. Either way, a big disappointment.