I spent the rest of that day and most of the night thinking about all the hundreds of people I had met in rehabs and sober living houses and on the streets. We were all medicating our fears and our pain!

— Pax Prentiss

I wrote this book to show you that a cure is entirely possible because I've seen it happen over and over again.

— Chris Prentiss

Millions of deaths would not have happened if it weren’t for the consumption of alcohol. The same can be said about millions of births.

— Mokokoma Mokhonoana

My father gave me everything he had. Everything I had I gave to alcohol.

— Dmitry Dyatlov

One of the first actions we take at Passages is to ruthlessly scrutinize, always under a doctor's supervision and care, the specific necessity of any mind-altering or mood-altering medications that our clients are taking. As soon as any non-essential drugs are out of their systems, the feelings they were trying to suppress usually emerge. When that happens, we can see what symptoms the client was masking with drugs or alcohol.

— Chris Prentiss

Sam groaned. A warmth on her face alerted her to the new morning. She opened one eye and peered at the fuzzy daylight streaming in through the window. Her head throbbed like a bitch. Her mouth felt like a carpet. She pushed herself off the couch and stood up shakily, kicking bottles as she stumbled to her small kitchen. Every movement was painful and slow. She was a sloth tight-roping through time. She held onto the basin for a moment to steady herself. Furthermore, she grabbed a plastic cup and opened the tap, letting it flow as she filled and refilled it, gulping down as much water as she could. Furthermore, she splashed her face, neck and chest with water, then refilled the cup and dumped the contents over her head. Furthermore, she stood there, unaware of the moments passing by, as the water dripped down her body. Willing herself to wake up and feel better. Willing the nausea into oblivion.

— Adelheid Manefeldt

...there is a saying used in twelve-step programs and in most treatment centers that "Relapse is part of recovery." It's another dangerous slogan that is based on a myth, and it only gives people permission to relapse because that think that when they do, they are on the road to recovery.

— Chris Prentiss

The treatment must fit the malady and the malady are not alcoholism or addiction, or addictive drugs and alcohol. Once the correct cause is diagnosed, healing will take place and hoped-for cure will come about.

— Chris Prentiss

To give up power to change for the better is inherently distasteful to everyone, and to force people to affirm that they are addicts or alcoholics so they can speak in a meeting is shameful and demoralizing.

— Chris Prentiss

Treatment for dependency at substance abuse treatment centers must change if alcoholism and addiction are to be overcome in our society.

— Chris Prentiss