Why Don't They Just Quit?

This book offers practical help for the addict and the families involved with this deadly disease. The solutions and advice are much more meaningful and useful coming from an author who has remained in recovery himself for 30 years. If you're struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, the power to change is just a listen away.

Practical advice, Candid, Full of answers

For me, one of the most memorable moments in this audio book is the section on "Raising the Bottom." Joe uses real-life examples from his own experiences to illustrate this point.

A friend who had read the book mentioned this particular part to me and said "I hit a 'Thank you, Lord' moment when reading about raising the bottom. I've wondered about that idea for some time now but couldn't seem to find professionals nor support groups who I felt were smart enough to answer my questions."

Another important section is the one about "Siblings: the forgotten ones. How siblings get hurt" (vital information that every family member should know about). Joe's Mother, Gladys gives her account of how she ultimately intervened; his former wife candidly reveals how his addiction affected her and their young daughter and Joe's daughter Jami speaks about her feelings as she struggled to come to terms with being "left behind."

I particularly like the friendliness, clarity and down-to-earth quality of J.D.'s voice as I listened. I almost felt as though I was sitting down at his kitchen table over a cup of coffee and having a "heart-to-heart" talk.

The addition of a woman's voice to the narration also added authenticity and warmth to the sections from Joe's Mom, former wife and daughter.

The main insight I received from listening to this book is that no matter how "impossible" a person's situation may seem, there are solutions and there is hope.

I also learned that families have much more power than they realize. The more information we have, as family members and friends--the more likely it will be that we can help the person we care about--and also learn to take care of ourselves and our family members in the meantime.

After listening to this book I have a greater understanding of this topic of addiction and recovery and how it affects the entire family. Practical solutions are explained in terms anyone can understand.

I believe that people who listen to this will save themselves many, many days of suffering and stress.

I also think that this format (listening to the book via an audio download) is a great way for a spouse or family member to gain insight and information on the topic of addiction without the addicted family member knowing (no "hiding the book under the mattress!").