Addiction Alternatives

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How do you find alternative treatments to addiction?

Is it true that there is only one method of alcoholism
treatment or addiction rehab that works?

Why does addiction recovery have to be so public?

 

In the treatment for substance abuse as in most other areas of life, there are choices, options and points of view.

One size doesn't need to fit all!
Can you imagine having Cancer and going to a medical specialist, who finished his medical training in 1935 (the year Alcoholics Anonymous began), when only a decade earlier a Nobel Prize was awarded for scientific research claiming that cancer was caused by a type of worm. And you were told that your request for a second private opinion was a sign that you definitely had cancer. Wouldn't you just stand up and walk out of the clinic?

The only time you would probably accept the "There is only one treatment to cure Cancer" argument is when that treatment worked 100 percent of the time. Otherwise, we would expect the Cancer researchers to continue to improve the success rate of their Cancer treatment procedures. As of 2008, just as there are numerous successful treatments for Cancer, there are now over 50 procedures or treatment approaches for alcoholism (Hester and Miller) that have been researched with the results replicated.

This website is a portal for addiction recovery options outside of the traditional AA/12-Step approach. This is one of the most comprehensive directory of addiction information and treatment options on the web with breadth of diverse treatment options available under one umbrella.

You can take control of your addiction, without shame, without blame. The future is now and it offers you great choices for addiction recovery.

  • Did you know that there are five non-12-step based, free support groups meeting nationally?

  • Are you aware of a support group whose goal is to help you “moderate” alcohol use?

  • Did you know that there are several new medications which reduce the discomfort of withdrawal and reduce craving?

  • Did you know that there is a web site on the Internet with over 2,000 useful and practical articles, written by world-class authors on the cutting edge of their profession? And another place on the Internet with over 200 free videos about addiction?

  • Are you up to date on the recent findings about the success of online house calls; virtual visits which you can arrange from your home or office for an individualized consultation?

  • Did you know that there is research supporting that some alcoholics can return to non-problematic drinking levels? Is this really true and are you a candidate for this “Harm Reduction” approach?

  • Did you know that there is a network of non-12-step based physicians and addiction treatment professionals all across the U.S.?

Click here to get to these resources now.
 

I think you agree that the right to privacy in personal matters is a necessary condition to making sound, well-informed choices.


What does the lack of anonymity feel like on a personal level?

  • Groups usually feel the most intimidating. Like the dream, when you walk through the door to a meeting, it feels like everyone on the other side instantly knows your most embarrassing hidden secret. Walk through enough doors and someone you know will see you, and your secret will probably travel beyond the walls of your meeting. Your anonymity will be compromised.

  • Often heard at the closing of 12-step meetings is the following phrase: "What you see here, what you hear here, when you leave here, let it stay here!" I doubt if a statement like this is sufficient enough to completely protect and secure your reputation. It wouldn’t reassure me.

  • Life's secrets should be yours only to give away, not to be controlled by strangers or bystanders along the road to answers. There is a way to get information on treatment for an addiction without trusting your anonymity to strangers.

  • Not all choices have the same risk of anonymity being lost. For example, reading books, listening to audio tapes, or viewing DVDs carry almost no risk of intrusion into your privacy. Written by me, Take Control Now! covers the fundamental ideas, concepts, strategies and practical techniques of the Addiction Alternatives approach. The book includes numerous practical exercises, worksheets, and self-improvement quizzes.

  • The quickest method of gaining knowledge, direction and support is to talk privately with a trained professional addiction specialist, who knows the wide range of addiction recovery options available for providing a customized plan for your recovery today and in the future.

  • Click here to go to the HabitDoc website and read about the "Bridging Session" which will take you to a description of a service I personally provide where we talk on the telephone and discuss a personalized treatment blueprint plan. This approach is anonymous  and is available to you anywhere without leaving your home or office. I look forward to helping you jump-start your life and tackle your addictions at whatever level of contact you find comfortable.


What does the lack of choice feel like on a personal level?

Without informed choice, someone else chooses for you!

We all want multiple choices and options. Its our nature to examine what is out there, gain perspective and decide for ourselves on each and every opportunity.

To make an informed choice to educate ourselves about the subject matter, investigate the claims that the choices make, assess the risks and make the informed choice for ourselves. As for addiction treatment more choices are becoming apparent and available for those who dare to choose.

None of us would want just one choice in anything. It is our nature to examine "what's out there," gain perspective, and decide for ourselves on each and every opportunity. Without our curiosity satisfied, our dreams stimulated, and our values revitalized, we would become a very shallow and ignorant people.

To make the best choice requires us to educate ourselves about the subject matter, investigate the claims that the choices make, assess the risks involved for each, then make the right choice, the best choice, for ourselves. As for addiction treatment, more choices are becoming apparent and available for those who dare to choose.

You need to take control when your negative behavior or addiction…..

…puts your life and health at risk…

…is destroying your marriage and personal relationships…

…has alienated the people most dear to you……

is jeopardizing your career and financial future…..

…….When you have run out of second chances.


Why addiction alternatives can make informed choices?

Anonymity, Privacy and Choices are essential to create an atmosphere of trust and openness necessary for you to begin your journey of recovery. It is my promise to you that your identity will be kept confidential and never shared with anyone. I know how important it is! Anonymous addiction help is now available to you anywhere in the world, without leaving the comfort and safety of your home or office.

I am one of the few recognized experts on addiction treatment options in the United States with professional credentials from institutions of higher education. I have spoken at professional conferences, consulted on legal court matters, conducted workshops and seminars, and appeared on several national television, radio stations and documentaries.

If you want an expert who has the integrity and credentials to give you an action plan for your recovery to a healthier life, I am that expert.

My successful approach to treatment is a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, Dialetical behavior therapy and a little existential/eastern view, on a customized one-to-one basis, to change the way a person thinks and behaves. My methods are not 12-step faith-based as is Alcoholics Anonymous.

You won’t find what I offer at 12-step meetings because you’ll encounter too many people discussing and still struggling with their own recovery. You’ll rarely come away with specific tools for dealing with your own addiction. The information that I give is customized for each person, based on their specific addiction and personal history as well as other environmental and social factors.

In summary, You now know that you have options. Feel free to browse additional free information by clicking on one of the three buttons at the left.
 

This valuable, online resource has grown to include over 2,000 useful and practical articles, written by world-class authors on the cutting edge of their profession.

In this website, I have included several items for download that are very informative.  One of these is Take Control Now! which covers the fundamental ideas, concepts, strategies and practical techniques of the Addiction Alternatives approach. The book includes numerous practical exercises, worksheets, and self-improvement quizzes.

 
This button-link will take you a service I provide personally called the "Bridging Session" which is a one-time-only event that will give you a blueprint to a personalized recovery plan. This approach includes 100% anonymous treatment and is available to you anywhere without leaving your home or office. I look forward to helping you jump-start your life and tackle your addictions at whatever level of contact you find comfortable.

There is a wide variety of options out there, scientifically sound and empirically verified. You don't have to suffer any longer. Take advantage of this opportunity to make the most important change in your life. Recover from your addiction. Measure success on your terms. Plot your own course through life.

Sincerely,

Marc

Marc F. Kern, Ph.D.
Certified Addiction Specialist
Certified Rational Addictions Therapist


 

Alcohol Treatment

AddictionAlternatives.com®, HabitDoc.com, and SelfHelpGroupLocator.com are divisions of Life Management Skills, Inc.
9171 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 680, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 -
info@habitdoc.com
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Over the last 30 years, I have helped thousands of clients make an informed choice between moderation and abstinence. My expertise is in non-12-step addiction treatment.
Marc F. Kern, Ph.D.

 

"Rather than viewing the client as helpless and weak, he believes that intelligent people can regain control of their lives."

 

"I referred a distraught mother and her drug-using adolescent to Dr. Kern after little progress was made with another therapist. After a few visits, she told me how very grateful she was for the referral--her son was finally making a noticeable turnaround! Dr. Kern's community workshops are equally inspiring as his teaching abilities are topnotch."

 

"After decades of alcohol abuse I had lost all interest and motivation toward accomplishment. My only goal was to see the sun go down so I could begin my nightly drinking. Dr. Kern saved my life!"

 

"Dr. Kern directs your cognitive ability toward regaining rational, productive skills and life and living that have atrophied due to your long association with some form of addiction. I assure you that, with Dr. Kern's guidance and your sincere effort, these skills can be recovered!"

 

"If I have any regret, it's that I didn't pick up the phone (to call Dr. Kern) a lot sooner."

 

"I contacted Dr. Marc F. Kern with a feeling of helplessness concerning my son. I believed that he was on a destructive path, and my effort to communicate this only caused division. The term "life management skills" took on real meaning during that session. Dr. Kern gave me the insight to approach the whole person and to relate to my son that taking control of the issues that are in our power leads us to the strength we all need to manage our lives. His approach has direction, and it is my pleasure to relate this positive experience to others."

 

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