Craving for Ecstasy

This work explains how any of us can lose control of our lives through striving after pleasure, and what we can do to escape these obsessive habits.

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Alcohol, tobacco, sex, food...escape the pleasure trap and regain control of your life! The chemistry and psychology of addiction are described with considerable insight. These authors know their stuff, and they make a compelling case...All in all, Craving for Ecstasy is a challenging, well-considered analysis. - Los Angeles TimesMilkman and Sunderwirth offer a new and different perspective from which to understand a very complex and confusing pattern of human behavior. Their ideas are vibrant, provocative, stimulating, and written for a public that is demanding a better explanation. - Howard J. Shaffer, director, Center for Addiction Studies, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and The Cambridge Hospital Addictive behavior goes far beyond the compulsive use of drugs and alcohol. It is possible to become addicted to what may seem a harmless pleasure such as sex, jogging, watching television, or eating. In this powerful book - written in easy-to-understand language - two scientific researchers, Harvey Milkman and Stanley Sunderwirth, explain the biology, chemistry, and psychology of the universal desire for pleasure and escape.
For example, they reveal how the brain produces mind-altering substances and what the skydiver has in common with the heroin addict. But, most importantly, with the use of a self-assessment test and an invaluable guide for treatment, the authors show what steps you can take to regain control of your life.