- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: The Sow's Ear Press (28 Sep 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0955367700
- ISBN-13: 978-0955367700
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 14.8 x 1.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
176,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Books > Science & Nature > Medicine > Diseases & Disorders > Addiction
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'... people with addictions will find guidance, help and encouragement. Their families will find information and reassurance ... For professionals who work with addiction, No Big Deal is an inspiring resource to use with clients ... an important addition to the literature.' --Andrew Stilwell, Free 'n Easy magazine, January 2007
Product Description
Drug addiction, alcoholism, anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating, compulsive gambling, sex-addiction, compulsive overspending, smoking, compulsive overworking, compulsive risk-taking, compulsive helping and compulsive controlling are here discussed as among the many different manifestations of addictive disease.
These apparently disparate behaviours share the characteristics of being excessive, of being mood-altering and of having increasingly negative consequences in the lives of those who are enslaved to them. The damage caused by addictive disease usually extends to parents, partners, children, spouses, friends, relatives and colleagues.
There is increasing evidence that addictive behaviours are related to genetically mediated malfunctions in the production, metabolising and reuptake of neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine etc.) within the brain and Central Nervous System.
This book explains, in a clear and practical way, the thoroughly tested Twelve Step path to recovery and freedom from addiction. The book is informed and enriched by the author's own life and work. In recovery from a number of addictions, John worked for many years in the addictions field.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a fantastic book! Because of an increasing contact with addicts of all kinds I wanted to get a good understanding of how recovery courses can work. Based on the 12-step programme developed by AA (like the wheel it works so why necessarily try and re-invent it) John Coats has written a book that is so easy to read that you are worried that getting on to the path of recovery cannot be that simple.
Coats's gift is being able to put into very simple english something that could be extremely complicated and that makes it particularly good for the likes of people like me who aren't at the university end of the educational spectrum. He religiously avoids the treatment jargon of the day (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Neuro-linguistic Programming, Transactional Analysis and the like) and has come up with something that a person with no formal education can get to grips with. If it has a fault (and it seems churlish to write this given that the first objective of an author is to produce a jolly good read), it is such a good read that you find yourself wanting to go straight on to the next chapter, whereas the idea of the book is to pace yourself and to do the 'courses of action' after each section. I read the whole thing in two afternoons because I couldn't put it down! I shall now go back and do it properly.
Although I am not a 'professional' I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone struggling with addiction and wanting to start looking at ways to deal with it, or to friends and family who want a better understanding of how the addict's mind works and how they have got to the place they are. It is full of hope and down-to-earth practicality based on a programme that has worked for millions of people over many decades.
Coats's gift is being able to put into very simple english something that could be extremely complicated and that makes it particularly good for the likes of people like me who aren't at the university end of the educational spectrum. He religiously avoids the treatment jargon of the day (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Neuro-linguistic Programming, Transactional Analysis and the like) and has come up with something that a person with no formal education can get to grips with. If it has a fault (and it seems churlish to write this given that the first objective of an author is to produce a jolly good read), it is such a good read that you find yourself wanting to go straight on to the next chapter, whereas the idea of the book is to pace yourself and to do the 'courses of action' after each section. I read the whole thing in two afternoons because I couldn't put it down! I shall now go back and do it properly.
Although I am not a 'professional' I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone struggling with addiction and wanting to start looking at ways to deal with it, or to friends and family who want a better understanding of how the addict's mind works and how they have got to the place they are. It is full of hope and down-to-earth practicality based on a programme that has worked for millions of people over many decades.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
An excellent read, written by a recovered alcoholic. A practical guide to how to work the 12 Steps (AA) which the author sees as the best way to overcome the emotional and spiritual emptiness at the core of all addiction. This book really makes sense of what the 12-Step approach is all about and why it works - mostly because John Coates has clearly 'been there'. The book is particularly good at explaining the dishonest, sordid and compelling way that the addictive process/personality takes over the mind of the addict so that he lives in a kind of self made hell of his/her own denial. Working the Steps is a powerful exit strategy from this. Partly because 'denial' is counter-acted by seeing in other members of AA the denial we cannot see in ourselves! The book examines having relationships whilst in recovery, how to make amends to people we have hurt, interspersed with the authors own autobiographical account of his recovery. Each of the steps is discussed with practical examples of how they should be worked. Coates is an excellent recovery role model, now 14years recovered and being the director of an addictions agency in Norfolk. It should be borne in mind for anyone exploring recovery for the first time, that AA is not the only route to addiction recovery - the other main ones being Human Givens, Rational Recovery (check out the books of Jack Trimpey and de Sensa) and the Cognitive Behavioural approaches (CBT, REBT, Cognitive Analytic Therapy). Ultimately everyone has to make up their own mind out how to recover - and find out through practical testing which is the best route for them. This review written by a qualified addictions counsellor.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I loved this book! I was already familiar with Dr Lefevre's works which had initially opened up my mind to working a 12-step programme and recovery. The reason I loved this book though is because the author, John, speaks directly from his own account to illustrate points but doesn't get drone on with drunk-a-logs. He explains how to practically get abstinent and how to work the steps in an 'idiots guide' style making it easy to grasp what to do! 10 out of 10.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Useful to atheists like me
I had a lot of trouble with AA and the 12 Steps because of their ideas about a higher power. Thanks to this book I realised that I could define my own higher power. Read more
Published 9 months ago by BenBen
How to kick drink
This book is predicated on one thing, but it isn't made clear until some way through the text. If you believe in a God, then you may find this book useful. Read more
Published 9 months ago by A. Bennett
Wise, funny and hard-hitting.
I admitted my drink problem to myself two years ago. Since then I've read book after book trying to find out what to DO about it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Paragot
The best if you're serious about recovery
Don't know what book the previous reviewer read. Not the same one I read! No Big Deal is a pleasure to read. Well-paced, intriguing and informative. Also very practical. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Melanie Ankoli
Didn't like this Book at all!!
It is very hard to read. Uninteresting. Does not have any sort of flow. I thought it would be an intense experience and written from a personal view but from page one I found it... Read more
Published 9 months ago by P. Mulvihill
Informative and funny
Written by an ex addict this is an informative journey though the 12 steps based on the authors experience and others he now treats. Told with warmth and British humour.
Published 19 months ago by BertieBox
No Big Deal by John Coats
I will start by saying this is a fantastic book!!! It is a book for anyone who may think they have an unhealthy addiction to anything. Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2010 by Martina M
Something that works
This is a wonderful book. I think it should be read by everyone on the planet as much of it refers to how we should be living. Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2008 by Eileen
Life-saving and life-changing
It would be no exaggeration to say that this book helped to save my life. If I hadn't read this book I would probably have carried on drinking. Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2008 by Cicelie H
Best I've read so far
This book answers nearly all the questions I had about how to recover from an addiction. I've read quite a lot of books about addiction and recovery. Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2008 by mickie
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