The last addiction : why self help is not enough, own your desire, live beyond recovery, find lasting freedom

Introduction: The gifts of addiction -- The lies we tell about addiction -- The evidence of addiction -- The gift of getting caught -- The energy and experience of addiction -- The gift of surrender -- True stories of redemption -- My story : wine and other spirits -- David's story : sex appeal -- Anita's story : nourished by cotton candy -- Jim's story : sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll -- The truth about redemption -- The promised land : loving an addict -- The deepest story -- The healing path -- All things new.;In an age of tell-all addiction memoirs and reality television programs, we gulp down the stories of others in the hope that we, too, can be overcomers'even as we continue to love a person, substance, activity, or ideology too much. As Sharon Hersh writes, "We all suffer from the same condition." In The Last Addiction, she explores why we are prone to addiction'to make one thing in our lives more central than it should be'and how we can break free of our compulsions. This is not a book of "self-help" answers or "how-to" steps. It is a book about falling down and getting up again, about realizing that we need more than ourselves to be saved. The truth is, we're not as bad as we think we are'and we are worse than we ever dreamed. When we live between those two realities, we are ready to let go of the last idol: the belief that we can save ourselves. The Last Addiction invites you to see your own story more clearly as you better understand your longing for intimacy. It invites you to love boldly and receive love in return. It invites you to the freedom of redemption. From the Trade Paperback edition.