Chris,

I just finished The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure and Zen and the Art of Happiness and want to thank you for your insights.

My difficulties with alcohol began with my first treatment center when I was fifteen years old in 1985. Since then I have tried everything and anything. I have attained some measurable sobriety in AA several times and in other programs through the years but inevitably ended up with less than favorable results. Finally a few years ago, at my wits end, I started putting together my own program through individual doctors, what I learned in AA, and literally dozens of books that I have read. I followed a path similar to the one you took with Pax. What I did not realize, though, until I read Cure, was that I was still carrying the disease concept of alcoholism with me and not asking myself the simple question of “why?”.It was a weight that I have carried for so long I did not realize it there and the damage it was causing. Thanks to your book I have had that “paradigm shift” and I think I have found the missing piece to my lifelong puzzle.

Keep writing and I expectedly look forward to your next book.

Your friend,
Chris T.




Hi Chris!
I hope all is going well for you and Pax! I wanted to thank you again for taking the time to respond to my e-mails over the last month or so. Your book has opened doors, door's that have been opened and explored by many yet those individuals who believed as you do found it difficult stand on firm ground because of opposing views. I was one of those people who had a drinking problem in my early twenties and saught help at 24, have been sober ever since and am now 32. AA I can honestly say set a great foundation for my recovery, however, after sometime(5 years going to meetings every week, working the steps, you name it) I began to feel like I was trapped in the AA bubble, and it was like a marry-go-round of up's and downs, always feeling like you had to do more and if you stopped, you would ultimately fail, was many people's beliefs. I have found through trial and error on my own, that those beleifs just made me feel worse than I needed to feel, I would stop going to meetings for awhile, and actually felt better, more stable and on an even keel. AA can create a sense of urgency that is just not always necessary, especially after someone has acheived years of abstinence! I have grown inside and outside of the program, and now continue to grow into my own man, with my own set of spiritual tools and values that I beleive everyone contains, some just explore them in more depth than others, there is no right or wrong! I just want to live my life as full as I can without feeling like I am doing something wrong, or that somehow something will sneak up on me as AA instills in it's members if they move on from it, so NOT the truth!!!
Anyway, I have decided to pursue a new career path in healthcare and am currently taking classes. I feel like I want to devote my life to helping others in one realm or another. I have been in sales and Real Estate for the last 9 years and want a change! I hope that you all continue your good work down there, god bless you and please feel free to ask any candid questions to me about AA, as someone who can see both the good and not so good sides of the program, I may be of help to you guys!

Take care-
Cory



Hi Chris,

I have had a problem with drinking much of my life. In 1980, I was able to not drink through AA but stop going to meetings and after 8 years thought I could just have 1 drink. That one drink was 20 years ago, and as you may have guessed it was a lot more than 1 drink! After particular bad bouts of drinking, I would swear off and try AA again only to find that the “magic” was gone and my drinking seemed to escalate. My wife was ready to leave, my life was becoming to be resolving itself to a life of loneliness, just me and the bottle du jour. I saw your book in the NY Times and read it and believed every word of it. I wanted you to know I have been working “the cure program” (TCM, Acupuncture, Clinical Psychologist, Spirituality, etc..) and it has been 6 weeks today since I have had a drink. The desire has left me and I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your book and your bold stance on curing vs hanging by a thread. I am certain you have had your share of criticism with the non-AA stance. I even got it from my initial visit with a clinical Psy. Anyways, thank you for my sobriety and thanks for having the guts to say what needed to be said.

James H
Birmingham, Michigan


I bought this book for a family member and was expecting another dull book an addiction, but to my surprise, it was so well written and the stories (like Pax's) were so exciting and read like a fiction thriller. I just could not put it down! (Hence it delayed me sending out the book).
What captivated me the most was Prentiss' novel outlook on the cure for addictions. He seems to have nailed it on the head - look to the root cause of the problem - which is often multi-faceted and he addresses each one of the possible treatment aspects in a holistic way. Most other treatment programs blame alcoholism on genes and call it an incurable disease. That approach does not seem to help people.
Prentiss' research and wisdom is a breath of fresh air. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand how to cure addiction - either their own or someone else's.

Annika R. - Miami, Fl.


Truth when understood cannot be denied...this therapeutic approach is comprehensive & effective in that it addresses the heart of addictive issues as opposed to a cure for the symptom(s). Anyone of us who are not living life to the fullest might check the closet for unaddressed addictive behavior (I've a few of my own.) Ahhhhhhh that this love cure could be bottled and prescribed. Addiction is a route we choose for various reasons in order to cope.... yet are oft unaware of why we made this (these) choice(s), nor of the ultimate price of these choices.
To acknowledge the choice(s), sincerely repent , identify the root and discover higher ground in the process is nothing less than love in motion. The painful road of this path less chosen is cushioned with gems of equal or greater opportunity. Gratefully, the path for Pax and the choices he made were well seasoned with an intrinsic love and purpose. May others discover the love that resides in each Spirit and brings us to our true purpose.
I've a niece, not yet 16, who has walked this rocky road for years. The financial well is tapped and the symptoms persist. I've sent this material to her mother and am hoping that the message might somehow unveil a light that shines, the true beauty of this young woman.

Peggy F. - Lakewood, CO


I think this book is extremely wistful. It elaborates on the obvious which is that alcohol or drugs are not the problem....it is the feeling that makes one want to use them. The discovery of the issues and then learning some new tools as to how to manage them will eradicate the need for alcohol or drugs. Also, the book discusses how one must be very careful as to how we define ourselves as that can affect our self esteem and future choices (for example saying I am Julie and I am an alcoholic). This book describes a program in which the "user" is not being punished but rather becomes enlightened so that there really can be a cure rather than a "white knuckling" through life on life's terms.

Diane L. - Atlanta, Georgia


This book is greatly needed in our Society where addiction is rife, acceptable at low levels and devastating at other levels. Pax's story is incredible and moving and as a person who works closely with addicted people who have found themselves lock behind bars or in a personal prison of addition at home, its a revelation. Lets embrace change, move into a healthy future and help ourselves overcome our slavery to drugs and alcohol.

K.M.


I believe this book is going to change the world, because it's changing my life. For the first time ever, I understand the truth about my addictions and how to cure them. While every other treatment center views alcoholism and addiction as an incurable disease, The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure says drugs are not the core problem, but merely the substances we use to help us cope with our real problems-- which the book calls underlying conditions.
There are only four types of underlying conditions, the book says. Once they are discovered and cured, our need for drugs and alcohol will disappear, along with our cravings. Until we identify and root them out, which the book explains how to do, we continue to self medicate.
The book gives a great example saying "Suppose you had a chronic itch and scratched it regularly throughout the day--would you be a scratchaholic? More important, if you sought treatment for your ailment, would you be treated for scratchism?"
This book is so well written, the stories so fascinating and the ideas so life changing that after I spontaneously read a paragraph to my wife, she made me continue reading her the entire book aloud every night since she didn't want to wait until I was finished before she started it.
Chris Prentiss, the author says he discovered the cure to any kind of addiction in a desperate fight to save the life of his own son, a long time heroin addict. Based on his insights and discoveries, Chris founded Passages, apparently the world's most successful substance abuse treatment center.
I especially like it that Chris wrote The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure to help those who didn't have the money to go to his treatment center. This book is giving me hope. It's giving me back my integrity. It's giving me answers. For the first time ever, I feel fully empowered to address my addictions and take back my life. If you have addictions of any kind, this book is the ultimate "fix" for you.



Hi Chris,

I wanted you to know that today is 6 months without a drop of alcohol. Where AA did not work for me, as I tried it many times in my desperate search for alcohol addition, your book “Alcohol and Addiction Cure” not only works but has changed my life for the positive. My wife, my family, my friends, and everyone I would run into as a drunk thanks you for my sobriety. Your book is a life changer. I am so fortunate to have read it before I lost everything.

Thanks,
Jim H.


"I am from the New Jersey / New York area. I am a LCADC and have been working in the addiction field for the past 24 years. I was addicted to heroin, cocaine, etc. for many years prior to starting a career in treatment. Reading your philosophy and treatment methods of addiction were so welcomed. Your "story" renewed the energy that has been dormant in me for some time. My wish is the "one size fits all treatment philosophy" becomes a thing of the past. You have a supporter here on the east coast."


"I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have just finished your wonderful book on alcoholism and addiction. I have been waiting for this for a very long time. I believe you guys have indeed created a new way of thinking for all of us with addiction problems."


"This letter is motivated by a deep appreciation of your book: The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure: Holistic Approach to Total Recovery. Pax’s chapter was heart-wrenching. Your book really opened my eyes to many aspects of addiction and just basic knowledge of the body’s chemistry. I have bought many copies to share with friends who are going through the pain of addiction, directly or indirectly."


"I'm delighted to have found you! I read about Chris in The Times (UK) and sent for his book right away. I'm halfway through in one sitting. It is totally fantastic. I am vibrating with certainty that I have found the right people at last. We have been 'on the case' for some time, and at last I feel I've found the right breadth and depth of approach where I've been frustrated before."