I want to wish a happy mid-summer greetings to my followers!  God bless you and thank you for your interest in www.3rdstepcounseling.com.  Today I just rolled out my "solutions to addictions" section which is a partial list of my thoughts, experiences, and training on how to overcome chemical addictions.  Please feel free to give me your own thoughts and feedback here in the comment section of this blog!
        For more complete understanding of my thoughts about the dynamics behind addiction and recovery, I encourage you to buy my book - "THE LITTLE BOOK - Alcoholism, Drug Addiction & Recovery Made Simple!" at http://www.3rdstepcounseling.com/store.html.  In 81 pgs you will have more understanding of the dynamics of addiction and of recovery than most mental health counselors.  
        Look forward to your feedback and comments on this section and/or any other part of our website or about "The Little Book" itself!  Take care and God bless you on your journey to recovery and/or helping others to do the same!

Christopher J. Daniel, LPC

As the marijuana culture celebrates 4/20 as a day of celebration and "420" as an invitation to go get high, I am preparing for the release of  "The Little Book - Alcoholism, Drug Addiction & Recovery Made Simple!" and getting high on the excitement of bringing an end to drug addiction and alcoholism. The e-book is going through the final editing process. We hope to have it uploaded to Amazon.com today and be available tomorrow, 4/20.

Here is a press release I am sending out as a way of announcing the release of the ebook as well as annoucing my own personal war on alcoholism and drug addiction through the use of "my pen":
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4/20 offers up a little more than “420” this year.

Every year about this time, hundreds of thousands if not millions of teenagers and young adults come together in unity of purpose and action to celebrate “420” on April 20, 2012.  The celebration they engage in is the “ritualistic” rolling of the joints (marijuana cigarettes) and smoking them with buddies in some hidden, “safe” (from the law) place.  Today, “420” is a code used among many young drug users that communicates “let’s go smoke some weed”.

It appears that the origin of “420” goes back to the early 1970’s when a small group of high-schoolers in San Rafael, CA used this term to communicate let’s go smoke some weed at 4:20 pm after school.  This group had some friendships with the original Grateful Dead musicians to whom they apparently passed this phrase “420” onto.  Subsequently, the Grateful Dead spread that phrase throughout the rest of the world.

With the passage of time, and newer generations of young users growing up and using this term “420” to communicate “let’s go smoke weed”, new stories were birthed about the original meaning of “420”.  One rather common “story” is that 4/20 is Bob Marley’s, the famous Jamaican singer, birthday or death date; but neither is true.   Another story is that it arose from the fact that 4/20 is Hitler’s birthday – which is true.  But, there is no truth that “let’s go smoke some weed” = “420” was started for the purpose of celebrating Hitler’s birthday.

So will you “fire up a joint” to celebrate 420?  I have another choice that you might want to consider.  This 4/20/2012, is the premier/debut of an e-book that has the potential to cause youth thinking about using drugs/alcohol to “think again” about “using” drugs/alcohol so casually.  This same e-book also has the potential to help the 22 million Americans enslaved to alcoholism/drug addiction to understand exactly what has happened to them, and how to move out of their addictions and into full sustainable recovery.  This book is a short 2 hour read which brings together truths of addiction and recovery from the past mixed with present day science of addiction and recovery.  Written by Christopher James Daniel, M.A., LPC, this book “has the potential to change your life”, says Dr. Daniel Boone, Medical Director of the famous La Hacienda Treatment Center in Hunt, TX.

By the way, the name of the e-book is “The Little Book – Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, & Recovery Made Simple!”  Available on Lulu.com as an e-book on “420”!
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So to you who have had the misfortune of having addiction problems personally or in your family, this book will help you move to a new level of understanding of the problem as well as the solution.   May God bless you and yours in finding fulfillment in this great life as well as finding your ultimate purpose . . . Take care!  CJD

I am publishing my first eBook today.   It's a great little book, if I may say so myself! - "The Little Book - Alcoholism, Drug Addiction & Recovery Made Simple!". In it I explain the difficult and confusing subject of alcoholism/drug addiction and recovery from it in every day common language.  After this short 2-hour read, you will understand the “what” and “how” of these addictions and the solution to recovery.  I also explain the little nuances that have prevented you or your loved one from recovering, as well as how to overcome these and move forward into recovery.  You will learn:
-          the difference between recovery and sobriety.
-          The difference between “obsession” and “cravings” for alcohol/drugs.
-          the difference between an “85%er” and a “15%er” and how this affects recovery.
-          about the hazards of cross addiction and its effects on recovery.
-          how accidental relapse occurs.
-          how all the “pieces” of recovery work together to ensure complete recovery.
-          how to help your family in the midst of the chaos and destruction of addiction.
-          and much, much, more . . .