Dr. Donna Marks - Exit The

Title: Mental Health And Addiction Counselor, Educator, Psychotherapist Website: https://drdonnamarks.com/ Author: Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Solution Speaking Points: Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Solution sheds light on the failed addiction treatment industry and what can be done about it. Blame is useless. There is a solution. After decades of personal and professional experience, Dr. Marks claims abstinence and addressing the underlying trauma of addiction is not enough. With this approach, one addiction simply replaces another, and genuine self-fulfillment is never achieved. She asserts that addiction is not a brain disorder but rather an attachment disorder. When an attachment with a loving parent is missing or disrupted, an invisible hole forms, and addiction covers that void. Marks contends that every addiction is a substitute for love and the only lasting remedy is to substitute every addiction with an act of self-love. Each chapter provides exercises designed to help the reader heal the underlying void and focus on replacing addictive behaviors and reactions with loving behavior and actions. The more a person makes a loving choice in place of a self-destructive one, the addiction is forgotten, and one’s life is restored with meaning and purpose.