Creative Recovery by Eric Maisel and Susan Raeburn, seeks to engage creative people from all walks of life, both scientific and artistic.
Much in this book speaks to me and I wish something like this was available to read earlier in my life. I'd like to see this book required reading in secondary school Humanities or Social Studies courses, as it would serve to forewarn and alert young people to what may be going on in their lives or in the lives of others close to them, while they are still in the early stages of potential risk or substance abuse.
Creative Recovery is an excellent source of information and awarenesses. I like it, because it provides an intellectual step-by-step approach in how to think about and assess addiction; as well as exercises designed to tap into the creative spirit, moving one away from the self-harm of substance abuse.
As with many recovery self-healing books, Creative Recovery advocates keeping a journal as one works through the exercises. At the end of each chapter, there are a series of activities from which one can choose, depending on your creative "bent".
Maisel and Raeburn cover many of the well-established ideas regarding addiction, as well as some of the latest research and thinking about recovery. The new elements they add to the mix are the special challenges creative people may face regarding addiction.
Many of the "basics" of addiction and recovery are so well-covered in other books and in treatment programs many of us have attended, I don't want to re-address those topics here.
However, I do find some of the manifestations and symptoms of BPD concurrent with those of addiction. Additionally, the authors highlight for me, some of the compulsions and rewards of creative endeavours. In other words, creativity is a two-edged sword: there are some elements which have the potential to destroy us; and some elements which can heal us.
to be continued...
Much in this book speaks to me and I wish something like this was available to read earlier in my life. I'd like to see this book required reading in secondary school Humanities or Social Studies courses, as it would serve to forewarn and alert young people to what may be going on in their lives or in the lives of others close to them, while they are still in the early stages of potential risk or substance abuse.
Creative Recovery is an excellent source of information and awarenesses. I like it, because it provides an intellectual step-by-step approach in how to think about and assess addiction; as well as exercises designed to tap into the creative spirit, moving one away from the self-harm of substance abuse.
As with many recovery self-healing books, Creative Recovery advocates keeping a journal as one works through the exercises. At the end of each chapter, there are a series of activities from which one can choose, depending on your creative "bent".
Maisel and Raeburn cover many of the well-established ideas regarding addiction, as well as some of the latest research and thinking about recovery. The new elements they add to the mix are the special challenges creative people may face regarding addiction.
Many of the "basics" of addiction and recovery are so well-covered in other books and in treatment programs many of us have attended, I don't want to re-address those topics here.
However, I do find some of the manifestations and symptoms of BPD concurrent with those of addiction. Additionally, the authors highlight for me, some of the compulsions and rewards of creative endeavours. In other words, creativity is a two-edged sword: there are some elements which have the potential to destroy us; and some elements which can heal us.
to be continued...
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