Exit the Maze

Book excerpt: In this easy-to-read revised and expanded edition of Exit the Maze, Dr. Donna Marks makes the revolutionary claim that there is only one addiction with many faces, and the key to overcoming addiction is self-love. Millions of lives are lost to addiction every year, causing more direct and indirect deaths than any other illness. In a world where many things are uncertain, we do know this: There are many kinds of addiction, and in spite of treatment and everything else we’re doing, addiction is only increasing. Dr. Donna Marks, a renowned psychotherapist, addictions counselor, and teacher of A Course in Miracles for more than thirty years, merges her professional experience and her own personal history of substance dependency to offer a single revolutionary solution to all addictions in this expanded and revised edition of Exit the Maze. No matter what someone is addicted to—alcohol, prescription or illegal drugs, smoking, working, gambling, and so forth—loving yourself is the key to recovery. This doesn’t mean the road is easy or a few acts of self-care will do the trick; the journey to true self-love includes delving deep into your past trauma to understand where your addiction began, addressing those fear-based traumas with compassion and forgiveness, exchanging bad habits with beneficial ones, and staying committed to the recovery process. Allow love to guide you through the maze of addiction and back to living your best life.