Dr. Patrick Carnes

The spirit of the 12 Steps is gentleness and that path is a gentle way. Like water wearing  down hard rock, consistency and time become allies in creating new channels for one's life. A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps is a classic guide for all people in the process of recovery. Each step is clearly explained and examined with carefully designed exercises guiding individuals in working through all 12 steps and integrating them into their life. Throughout the book, the importance of patience with the process through self care, gentleness, affirmations, and meditation are emphasized. Although titled A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps, individuals who embark on this journey will find that harsh truths and pain are also part of the necessary path to experiencing the ultimate serenity offered by the Twelve Steps. This workbook is for those willing to face these realities that come along with the journey in order to reclaim the integrity that is so often lost in the addictive process.

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Excerpt from the book:

"Over the past decades, millions of addicts have embraced the Twelve Steps as an act of intuition or faith. Millions of others were drawn to the Twelve Steps though empirical observation - they knew other addicts whom the Steps had guided to recovery. Until recently, however, we had little scientific evidence to validate the effectiveness of Twelve Step programs.

This has all changed since the turn of the twenty-first century. Thanks to recent developments in neurology, radiology, and genetics, we now have a clear picture of how addiction takes hold in the human brain. We also have solid scientific evidence that working a Twelve Step program literally rewires our brains for recovery."

The very best tool with which to work the steps

If you're embarking on the 12 Steps, THIS is the essential. It is not AA sanctioned literature, but it of course closely follows the Big Book. This work book is tremendous - detailed Q&A for each step. You will be "amazed before you're half way through". It's not the easiest work, but it peels away the onion in, indeed, a gentle way. I found it to be an invaluable tool 20+ years ago when I went through it (in fact I went through it about 5 times in groups of guys). You will find out things about yourself that you were knew or expected - good and bad - perhaps opening up long stored away secrets and memories. But the idea is to HEAL, and this is a tremendous aid in that quest. Working the steps are crucial, and I found this to be a fabulous tool, much of which I indeed use "in all of my affairs".