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Addiction Free Forever WorkbookCopyright 2007 by Dennis MarcellinoPrinted in the United States of AmericaAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form orby any electronic or mechanical means including, but not limited to:Information storage, recording, photocopying, and retrieval systems or by anyother means, without permission in writing from the publisher and author,except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.Published by Lighthouse PublishingP. O. Box 40Gladstone, OR 97027www.LighthouseBooksAndMusic.comEmail: LighthouseOrders@aol.comCover design by Kathryn Marcellinowww.MarcellinoDesign.comISBN-13: 978-0-945272-30-4ISBN-10: 0-945272-30-8
Table Of ContentsR5Read Me First6Disclaimer7Initial Strategy Decision891013Phase 1: Become InspiredAssignment for Phase 1: Alcohol/Drug InventoryAn Emotional InventoryThe Basic Philosophy of Life Test22 Phase 2: Make a Commitment22 Assignment for Phase 2: My Commitment to this Program23 Phase 3: Understand Life24 How to Choose an Addiction Recovery Program25 Assignments for Phase 334 Phase 4: Establish a Spiritual Connection34 Assignment for Phase 435 The Ultimate Guarantee: A Contract37 Phase 5: Re-evaluate Your Goals and Activities37 Assignment for Phase 539 Finding and Choosing the Right Environments43 Phase 6: Realign Your Heart43 Assignment for Phase 644 Phase 7: Reprogram Your Mind44 Assignment for Phase 752 Phase 8: Restructure Your Life52 Assignment for Phase 854 Plan for Adjustments as Necessary in Relationships
58586164Phase 9: Get Through WithdrawalAssignment for Phase 9Suggestions for Going Through WithdrawalDaily Record66666768Phase 10: Map Out Your Continued Growth PlanAssignment for Phase 8Life’s Basic Functions Weekly Improvement ChartAn Overview of this Recovery/Transformation Method70 Appendix A: Reviews for Addiction Recovery Books by Dennis Marcellino72 Appendix B: Personal Coaching73 Appendix C: Terms of Use, Grant of License, Disclaimers of All Warranties
READ ME FIRST!A Message from the AuthorHi! I’m very pleased that you have decided to put in the effort to solveyour current problem and put your faith in and work through my AddictionFree Forever Program. I know that if you follow it to the letter you will get manygreat benefits not only help for an end to a drug or alcohol problem, but alsoa very positive upgrade in your life even to attaining the best life possiblefor you. So as you go through the reading and assignments, have confidencethat in the end your work will be well rewarded. You will be well on your wayto a very fulfilling and meaningful life. I testify to this not only as a person whohas received great letters and feedback from people who have read my books,but also as someone who personally had an addiction problem for 18 yearswith a number of things including alcohol and drugs. I attempted many solutions, programs, classes and counseling to alleviate my problems before I foundthe solutions I present in this program.And I can testify that they have worked for me and others. For myself,I have been free from any desire for alcohol or drugs or other addictive tendencies (such as gambling and smoking) for 25 years now and have been living a very inspired, fulfilling life. Plus I haven’t felt like I’ve missed out onanything by giving up the addictive substances and behaviors I was previously hooked by. And as you’ll come to understand in this program, I am nota special case. (You can see some quotes and reviews from others about thisprogram in Appendix A at the back of this workbook.) There are things thatare common to the design of all human beings, and therefore there are somecommon solutions that work for all, which you’ll learn in this program. Theway to go through this program (which includes the Addiction Free Foreverbook and Addiction Free Forever Workbook) and absorb all of the materials, willall be dictated by this workbook as the main guide. So start with this workbook. It will lead you in and out of the other materials in the program. For thebest results, go through workbook in the order it presents.Thank you and I’ll look forward to your progress along with you. P.S. If you need some personal help with anything in the program, I’m available by appointment for personal coaching through telephone or e-mail. Forinformation on this see Appendix B in the back of this workbook.-5-
DisclaimerRPlease note that this program is not intended to be exclusive of medicaladvice in that withdrawal has the possibility of putting a stress on the bodyand therefore the body needs to be analyzed as to the gradient of what yourbody can safely handle. Therefore it is highly recommended that you reviewyour case with a doctor, especially one who is familiar with your medical andpsychological history before you start any alcohol, narcotic or drug withdrawal process. Please read the full disclaimer and terms of use of this bookbeginning in Appendix C at the back of the book before beginning this program or using any of its advice.-6-
10 Phase Addiction Free Forever ProgramRStart the program here. Follow the instructions in each phase, and in the orderthey are given. Please do not look ahead in the workbook or the book.Initial Strategy DecisionBefore starting the program, a strategic decision must be first made regardingyour current state of drinking and drug use and your ability to carry out thisprogram. Because this program requires reading and thinking, it is importantthat you are clear and sharp enough to be able to adequately perform thesefunctions. There are a few ways to help you get you into that state. Here aresome of your options.Option (1): You have enough hope in the program and enough willpower totemporarily stop using alcohol and/or drugs so that you can go cold turkeyand put all alcohol and drug use on hold immediately (assuming this is safemedically with a clearance from your doctor if necessary) so that you willhave enough mental faculties to carry out the program. If that is the case, stopall alcohol and drug use and proceed to Phase 1.Option (2): You aren’t strong or clear enough yet to be able to put your useof alcohol or drugs on hold, but you don’t think that they will hinder you frombeing able to proceed with the program. You think you will be able to carryout the program as you are now until the withdrawal phase is entered (whichis Phase 9). That means you have the ability to read, study and do homework.If at any time you discover that you don’t have the ability to do those thingswhile continuing in any level of alcohol and/or drug use, skip to Option (3).Option (3): You have hope that the program will work but don’t have theability to do Option (1) or (2). That is, you don’t have the strength to go coldturkey, but alcohol and/or drugs are having too much of an effect on you foryou to be able to carry out the reading, comprehending and assignments. Ifthis is the case you should start with Phase 9 and then after you’ve completed withdrawal, or at any time during withdrawal that you feel like you can,go back and continue the Phases in numeric order, starting with Phase 1.-7-
Phase 1Become Inspired.RThis phase will help you gain an overview of what this method is and whyit will work where other methods may have failed.Assignment for Phase 1: Alcohol/Drug InventoryWrite down in detail:(1) Why do you use alcohol or drugs? (Be specific really examine yourself and write down ALL of the reasons both emotional and decisional).-8-
(2) What are the blocks that keep you from stopping their use? (Once again,be specific and really examine yourself and write down ALL of the reasons both emotional and decisional, even if your decisions are based on perceivedoutside pressures).-9-
3. Do an emotional inventory.An Emotional InventoryExercise 1: List all of the emotions you experience in an average week. Hereare some emotions you can pick from: Happy, Sad, Pained, Angry, Peaceful,Worried, Fearful, Anxious, Excited, Nervous, Depressed, Elated, Paranoid,Anticipation, Discouraged, Encouraged, Prayerful, etc.- 10 -
Exercise 2: On this page, make a pie chart as to what percent of time youspend in each emotion. The purpose of this exercise is to get an inventory ofhow things are now so that you can see the areas needing improvement.Example of pie chart:Draw your pie chart here with lines and emotions:- 11 -
Exercise 3: Now, make a list and pie chart of how you would like your emotional life to be.- 12 -
4. Do the 'Basic Philosophy of Life' test. This will help you to see where youare now and also give you an idea of areas in your life that can benefit fromimprovement. Even if things seem bleak in some areas right now, write themout as they are now, but do know that there are remedies for each of theseareas and we will be going through how to improve them to a better state.The Basic Philosophy of Life Test1. What grounds you? That is, what makes you feel emotionally and mentally stable?2. What gives your life meaning?3. Who and what do you look up to?- 13 -
4. With whom do you feel a sense of family?5. Where do you find your security?6. What gives you purpose?- 14 -
7. How do you escape loneliness (or do you)?8. How do you relate to death?9. Who and what are the authorities in your life?- 15 -
10. What feels real?11. What feels false?12. Who and what do you identify with?13. Who and what do you belong to?- 16 -
14. How do you relate to everything that goes on inside you?15. What motivates you (in general every day every moment)?16. How do you explain existence?- 17 -
17. Who and what guides your path?18. Who and what forms your attitudes?19. What excites you?20. What inspires you? The 3 wise men followed a star. What is the star thatyou follow in your life?- 18 -
21. What are your goals?22. What is the basic philosophy of your personal life?23. What is the basic philosophy of your family life?- 19 -
24. How do you relate to your job/career?25. What is your basic philosophy of how to relate to the world/nation/others?The importance of having a basic philosophy, based not on possible faultyprogramming from our past or the society or parents or friends or the mediaor entertainment industries or schools, but on THE truth and reality aboutourselves and of life: A basic philosophy of a “true life” is based on truth and what is real andallows nothing that is untrue or unreal to dominate or control us, like faultyideas that have been programmed into our memory banks and automaticpilot subconscious’ impulsive reactions. It is in harmony with our body, nature and the universe. It creates peace and deep fulfillment in us. It leaves us with no intellectual or experiential problems that can’t be quickly resolved to our intellectual satisfaction and peace in our heart.- 20 -
Our basic philosophy is the MOST IMPORTANT thing in our life becauseeverything we think, say and do is screened through it.5. Now take the time to read the entire Addiction Free Forever book.Don’t move on to the next phase until you’ve read the entire book.Notes from the Addiction Free Forever book:- 21 -
Phase 2:Make a Commitment.RMake a whole-hearted commitment to be alcohol and drug free based on astrong sense that you now have a method that will help you accomplish that.Assignment for Phase 2: Read and sign the ‘Contract with yourself’. (Seebelow). If you have any counter feelings for being able to wholeheartedly signthis, write them down. We’ll address them later that is, unless at some pointyou can come back and decide to sign this.My Commitment to this ProgramOn this day , I, the executive of my life, make the following commitment to myself and to all others who are tied to me and who Iaffect in life, including the One who created me and the world in general.Based on the exercises in Assignment 1 and the inspiration that I’m currentlyfeeling, I, wholeheartedlycommit to the following:1. To stick with and faithfully follow this program until I have fully completed all 10 Phases2. To not relinquish my skepticism until it is naturally satisfied3. To achieve the goals that I established in the Emotional Inventory4. To keep an open mind and not judge anything in this program unless I’mabsolutely certain that my judgments are correct, which I will only determine after very careful reflection and actually trying what is presented and,not by impulsive responseSigned this dayBy (your signature)- 22 -
Phase 3:Understand Life.RYour basic philosophy of life and way of viewing it is the foundation fromwhich all of your decisions are made. Therefore if your decisions are to be inharmony with reality, nature, and work smoothly within your overall being,you need to recognize and understand the basic overriding truths about life aswell as understand how life (which includes all of our relationships) and ourbeing (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual) were optimally designed tooperate. From what you’ve already read, you know by now that the Bible isgoing to be a major resource in this program. But out of all of the advice in theworld on how to get rid of an addiction problem and even how to live in general, how do you really know which advice will bring the best results? Andout of all the explanations in the world as to what the truth is about this life,how do you know which one (if any) is true?There are two ways to find out which one is true and they are: ‘try it’ and‘prove it’. Now in the “try it” approach, there are two problems: (1) there areso many things to try, and (2) to fully try each one takes a long time. You canread in the “About The Author” pages beginning on page 211 of Addiction FreeForever as well as the web page it refers to on page 102 in that book and see allof the things that I tried and how many years it took me to find the one thatactually worked.(A side note: isn’t it strange how what turned out to be the truth and real solution is something that isn’t acknowledged by the mainstream and isn’t supported by insurance, both of whom still say they can’t solve the growingaddiction problem in this country, yet they still won’t acknowledgeChristianity as a solution that has worked many times for many individuals,me included? But even more strange is the fact that this is occurring in a country where 97% say they believe in God and 83% call themselves Christians. Incompleting the assignment for this Phase you’ll come to see why that is.)So, we are going to start with the “prove it” approach in the Phase 3 assignment, and eventually we will get into the “try it” approach.- 23 -
How to Choose an Addiction Recovery ProgramIt’s not that hard to get motivated to want to transform if you recognize thatalthough you’ve been in charge of your life so far (even when you chose to letothers be in charge or perhaps yielded to them out of fear or other feelings), ithasn’t worked as well as you’d like. There’s a problem though after you feelthat motivation and then commit to wanting to do something about it. Oncewe recognize a “need” and decide we want to satisfy it, we then move into“hope” that there will be a way to do that. That is true for many types of needs(e.g. finding a good mate or a good job). The next challenge is, where are wegoing to place our hope? It is typical in this world to place our hope in the“recognized” authorities and practitioners in the world. And that recognitionis often based on the letters after their name. But we shouldn’t let our hopeand need cause us to be too hasty in making a decision to put our hope in thehands of others.To make good choices there are two things to consider:(1) Look at the results of the profession and method that they are in. Now, wedon’t see the social statistics or addiction rates in the world improving. So thatshould make us wary of putting complete faith in the endorsed methods ofthe world and its credentialing system. Plus, the recent HBO “Addiction”series reported that the average number of visits to a rehab center werebetween 4 and 5 times, whereas the program here has often had very quickcomplete cures (I’m one of them). And it is also good to recognize that credentials don’t tell the full story about the quality of a counselor or treatmentcenter, no more than a person saying that have a music group reveals the quality of the music. Besides credentials, one might want to ask how developed isthe individual counselor or treatment center and what the program successrates are.(2) Has the person you are going to trust for help actually satisfied the sameneed that you are trying to satisfy (and therefore knows the path to beingaddiction free first hand as well as knows what the hurdles feel like)? Or havethey successfully helped many others to do so? For example, I used to takesinging lessons and wondered why I wasn’t making progress until I recognized that none of my teachers could sing well themselves. All they could dois run me through a method that they learned and cost me a lot in the process,while I hung on to hope and trust (for results that never came). But like you- 24 -
read in my story, I have resolved a long-time problem of addiction and knowexactly what it takes. And that is what motivated me to put this programtogether because I want to see others get the great benefits that I did. (Andthere is much about the human design that is the same for all). So I presumethat a big reason why you decided to give this program a try is because of mypersonal success with it and the fact that I say that only this approach solvedmy addiction problem after trying many other approaches in the world. Thatis a big reason why I put this program together to try to save people themany years of suffering, expense and experimenting that I went through.Besides gathering information from the many areas, including psychology, theone thing I found that was very important and necessary for success wasadvice I found in the Bible. So because I’m basing some of this program andmy success on following this Biblical advice, first I’m going to start by proving to you that the Bible is actually a book of truth. Most people would probably say, “Well that sounds nice” about some things they’ve heard about orread in the Bible. But a quality life and ridding oneself of an addiction requiresmore than that. It requires basing your life on all the Bible as a whole and notpicking and choosing this or that. So if I’m proposing that you take the Bibleseriously and follow what it says faithfully, especially amid a society thatdoesn’t generally follow that path, it would be good to first prove to you thatthe Bible is all true and worthy of being followed (amidst all the other explanations in the world.)Having this kind of assurance, knowledge and understanding will alsoempower you and inspire you. Plus it is good to clean out all lingering doubtsin regards to the Bible and the real meaning of our lives, including any questions and doubts, questions or negative thoughts or feelings you might haveaccumulated over your life about what’s in the Bible or the Bible itself.Therefore this next assignment will help you to clear those out so that you areready, strong and single-minded to be able to tackle a major life change.Assignments for Phase 3: After reading the Addiction Free Forever book, ifyou are convinced that God exists and the Bible is all true, then move on to“The Basic Philosophy Of Life Test” below. If you aren’t totally convinced(and I would HIGHLY recommend this anyway), read Why Are We Here? andits workbook and complete the assignments in the workbook. If you do nothave them they are available at www.lighthousebooksandmusic.com.- 25 -
Note: Read the Why Are We Here Workbook and do its assignments beforereading Why Are We Here?You probably have some preconceived notions about what you will read, andyou most likely have heard comments and judgments by
10 Phase Addiction Free Forever Program R Start the program here. Follow the instructions in each phase, and in the order they are giv
