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The Myth of the Self-Help Book

Once we finally acknowledge to ourselves that we have a problem with alcohol we are faced with the challenge of how to fix it.

If you are anything like me, discretion is of the essence, you probably don’t consider yourself an ‘alcoholic’ and the thought of getting support in any sort of public setting is horrifying.

What to do?

At this stage it can be tempting to browse the self – help section on Amazon.

Let’s say you decide on this course of action, what happens next?

Well for a small amount of money you effortlessly download a book onto your kindle preferably one which makes all kinds of amazing upbeat claims. You heave a sigh of relief and close your kindle, congratulating yourself for taking action. Job done.

What happens next?

Well unfortunately the reality rarely matches the hype.

For starters most people who buy self help books don’t actually read them, as the act of buying them has addressed the immediate concern, making you feel better and you then move your attention onto something else, promising yourself you will definitely read it …soon.

But let’s assume you are one of the minority who reads the book.

Chances are you may absorb some useful information, (ignoring the sections at the end of each chapter telling you to write stuff down) and then feel excited about your new found knowledge, confident you have solved the problem.

Which is why it is even more frustrating to find yourself a few weeks on, still stuck drinking too much, and even more frustrated because you realise the solution you tried didn’t work.

What went wrong?

The problem is that if you are drinking more than you intend to there is no quick fix solution.

Buying a book to get control over alcohol is a bit like sticking a plaster over an infected wound.

It gives you a false sense of security – you think you have fixed the problem but all you have done is kick it further down the road, only to realise the book has not worked which makes you frustrated and even more concerned and you may drink more as a result.

So why do self-help books not work?

Because it contains information, but what you actually need is a transformation.

A book does not hold you accountable or customise an individual solution that works for you, based on your life experience and challenges.

Now you may be reading this and saying, ‘but Sandra my friend/Granny/Auntie’s cat managed to get control over alcohol from reading a book!’.

And I agree, there are a small number of people who are able to change their life simply by reading a book.

But for the vast majority of people who want a lasting solution to their problems with alcohol, getting support from an expert will massively increase their chances of success.

So if you are done with the book, and are looking for a shame free solution that actually works, with a focus on upgrading your life along the way, you should definitely book a call with me.