Destined to Recover: A Story of Addiction, Rehab, God, and Genetics

Alcoholism and drug addiction exact a devastating toll on society, producing millions of broken people and scores of broken homes. What then, if anything, can be done to help? Destined to Recover takes an unblinking look at the problem from a unique vantage point, that of a physician-scientist who is also a recovering alcoholic and addict. Fast-paced, provocative, and intended for the general public, the author’s account will bring the reader face-to-face with the heartbreaking reality of addictive disorders and our frustratingly limited ability to help those in need, even in the face of twelve step recovery programs that work so well for some alcoholics and addicts.

Perhaps there are new approaches to recovery that should be explored. As one example, emerging from the author’s experiences and observations is the notion that fundamental neurobiology and genetics underlie the recovery process, concepts that may help improve future treatment methods, offering the possibility that fewer of the next generation of alcoholics and addicts will suffer the same sad destiny as those of the past.