12 steps on Buddha's path : Bill, Buddha, and we : a spiritual journey of recovery

12 Steps on Buddha's Path is an inspiring firsthand account of what happens when life seems hopeless and the miracle of finding out that it's anything but. The author describes her own journey of recovery from alcoholism - an astonishing passage through strange and frightening territory - and marks out the path that allowed her to emerge from that darkness as a wise and compassionate person living a life that is joyous and free. This book is a powerful and enriching synthesis of the 12-Step recovery programs and the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism. It is sure to appeal to anyone touched by addiction, including those looking for new ways to understand and work with the tried-and-true 12-Step system. Tens of millions of Americans suffer from alcoholism and other forms of dependence, and 12 Steps on Buddha's Path offers hope and help for any one of them. Though writing anonymously out of deep respect for 12-Step policies, the author is in fact a well-known professional author, deeply involved in the recovery and meditation communities. 12 Steps on the Buddha's Path is the extraordinary spiritual journey of a woman once trapped in the downward spiral of alcoholism. Misdiagnosed, Laura Keene was put in a mental hospital and given more than 40 electroshock treatments. Left incapable by the treatments of even speaking a coherent sentence, Keene was released against medical advice and ended up in the back row of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting where she embraced the 12 Step program and gradually recovered. Yet the black hole inside her remained, until, on a trek in the Himalayas, Keene discovered Buddhism and began a new path on the road to recovery. With humor and grace, this brilliant author shows that the experience, strength, and hope of Alcoholics Anonymous meld seamlessly with Buddha’s teachings of wisdom and compassion. "When you hit rock-bottom with an addiction, life seems hopeless, yet in truth it's anything but...the author describes her own journey of recovery from alcoholism--an astonishing passage through frightening territory. She marks out the path that allowed her to emerge into a life that is joyous and free" -- Page [4] cover