About

"AA-Not the Only Way" responds to the growing demand from recovery experts, U.S. court rulings, problem drinkers and drug addicts for a global resource directory of alternative treatments. The highly anticipated 2nd Edition is now available, where you can find a multitude of different self-help groups, a variety of alternatives to help with your alcohol or drug use, such as hypnosis or acupuncture, a section for family members and other loved ones, what works and what doesn t, how to choose a treatment program and a comprehensive directory of licensed professionals all over the U.S., and treatment facilities both within the U.S. and abroad. While everyone has heard of Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve-step programs that suport millions of people each year with addiction, they are not the only effective programs available.

Melanie Solomon's book compares and contrasts many different self-help programs so the client can better choose which one best suits his or her needs, as well as contact information for licensed professionals and treatment facilities throughout the U.S. and abroad. "This book is ideal for any addiction professional's waiting room, treatment process, or as an integral part of the client's continuing care plan." (NAADAC-The Association for Addiction Professionals).

"AA-Not the Only Way fills an important niche in the recovery literature. It offers a compact but wide-ranging guide to addiction support and treatment options. The author's recovery story will also be an inspiration to those who find themselves battling a one-size-fits-all system that is supposed to be helping them." (Dr. Tom Horvath, President of SMART Recovery).
About the Author
After a twelve-year battle with addiction, including a vicious cycle of rehabs, sober livings, 12-step meetings, recovery, relapse, and overdosing, Melanie Solomon is now living a normal, balanced, functioning life. Melanie Solomon graduated from the University of Michigan, with a B.A. in psychology with honors. While making Phi Beta Kappa, she also volunteered at a Women's Center, counseling and placing abused and/or chemically addicted women into safe facilities. She had to drop out of UCLA Law School after completing one year to enter a well-known rehab, which is where she was first introduced to AA and the 12-steps. This began the 12 year odyssey of addiction and treatment that concluded with an experience that left her for nearly dead on Mother's Day when she was 33 years old,where soon after the first book was written (the 2nd Edition was written in 2008 when she was 36). It was then that she realized that there had to be another way. Due to her unyielding research of alternatives to AA, and the other 12-step programs, she started uncovering the scientific research that had been going on for over 3 decades, which sadly, most Americans are largely unaware of. She now devotes her life to researching recovery options, and then sharing these findings with others. First through her book, and most recently through the updated 2nd Edition, as well as through her website, where there is a wealth of information about alternatives, current research, and other products, plus a FREE discussion forum, which will expand the dialog and knowledge about recovery options. A full-time writer and lecturer, she has taught at the Huntington Beach School District's Drug and Alcohol Program and The Learning Annex in California.

"My therapist gave me a copy of "AA Not The Only Way" to read. I have since bought it for myself. I am struggling with a drinking problem and have been off and on the wagon for the past several years. This book was like a breath of fresh air I so desperately needed. Doctors and therapists have been hounding me for years to go to AA, which I tried and do not feel is right for me - the meetings left me feeling frustrated and helpless. It was liberating to find out that there are actually alternatives. I always felt like people thought I was in denial because I did not want to go to AA. I acknowledge that I have a problem, I have sought and received help - I've had successes and failures and through it all maintained that AA was not the way for me! This book opened up a whole new world of options!"
Angie V

"Some books get better and better with each passing edition. This is the case of "AA Not The Only Way"...Overall, this is a book whose existence needs to be shouted from the rooftop, evangelized on street corners, and should be REQUIRED READING in EVERY Alcohol and Drug Counselor certification program in the United States! A copy should be sent to every drug and alcohol treatment center in the U.S., and most importantly, this book should ON THE DESK OF EVERY "coercing authority" that has the power to "force" people with addictive disorders, into treatment facilities.. If you are in recovery, or know someone who is, or wants to be, this book is a MUST READ! Don't start or continue a recovery path without it!"
John McCready