<p>As a therapist for over forty years, in the field of substance abuse/addiction treatment, I have met many remarkable people and have been privileged to assist them in their journey of recovery. Over the years, I have gained an assortment of insights, tips, and practical advice, shared by my clients, that many have found useful in their own recovery. I have come to call this knowledge "Collective Wisdom." Together with twelve cognitive-behavioral themes, this information provides an effective framework for establishing long lasting sobriety.</p> <p><em> </em><em>"It introduced me to one of the most promising recovery approaches I have known in the 45 years I have devoted to the substance abuse field. Case after case cited in detail will give hope to those persons needing help. These cases will also stimulate professionals to consider the use of the Paradigm Developmental Model of Treatment (PDMT), described in the book, as an addition to any treatment in use or as a total recovery paradigm change." </em>Frances L. Brisbane Ph.D., MSW, Professor, School of Social Welfare (Former Dean, School of Social Welfare) Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York</p> <p><em>"Paradigm Change-the Collective Wisdom of Recovery is truly a one-stop shop for a lifetime of recovery treatment wisdom." </em>Carole, Los Angeles (19 years sober)</p>
<p>We are bombarded by extremes. Life is presented to us in our social media feeds, <br /> by our politicians, and sometimes by our opinionated friends and relatives as if<br /> every issue were simple and only open to two opposing sides. In our real experiences, <br /> though, we often find ourselves between things -- between opinions, <br /> between places where we spend our time, between identities, between moods, <br /> between life stages, between networks of people, and even between preferences<br /> for clothing styles, food, and furniture. Between: Living Life in Neither Extreme<br /> takes issues that emerge from the news, popular culture, and the author's past<br /> and present experiences and plops them into a set of essays that reflect the reality<br /> of our complex and messy lives. From family life to politics, from body<br /> issues to the workplace, each essay contains bits of sociological wisdom from<br /> the author, who has spent the last two decades helping students learn about the<br /> blurred boundaries of our everyday social lives.<br /> </p>