Bøger af Olivier Ameisen

Heal Thyself is the paperback edition of The End of My Addiction-a memoir of Ameisen's struggle and a call to action."[This book is] the story of the dazzling discovery of a cure that could soon be within reach of all . . . you must read this book." -David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PHD, author of Healing Without Freud or Prozac and AnticancerWhen Olivier Ameisen's book was first published, Barbara Fisher noted in The Boston Globe that "this is not your usual memoir of addiction, degradation, and redemption." His story is indeed unusual-not because he was a brilliant cardiologist who developed a profound addiction to alcohol, or because he tried numerous treatment options and none helped. His story was the story of millions of alcoholics-until he decided to take his treatment into his own hands.Searching for a cure for his deadly disease, he happened upon baclofen, a safe muscle relaxant that had recently shown promising results in studies with laboratory animals addicted to a wide variety of substances. Ameisen experimented with increasingly higher dosages until he reached a level that left him free of any craving for alcohol. That was more than six years ago.In the past year, a growing number of researchers and doctors have been inspired by Ameisen and begun prescribing baclofen and lobbying for wide-scale studies into how the drug works. Last spring, no less an authority than the leading medical journal Alcohol and Alcoholism endorsed the book. Hailing Dr. Ameisen as "a remarkable medical researcher," it summed up its assessment strongly and directly: "This book is to be recommended."

Dr Olivier Ameisen was a brilliant cardiologist and running his own successful practice when he developed a profound addiction to alcohol. Fearing for his life, he immersed himself in AA, rehab and therapy. Nothing worked. So he did the only thing he could; he took his treatment into his own hands. Searching for a cure for his deadly disease, he happened upon baclofen, a muscle relaxant that had been used safely for years as a treatment for various types of muscle spasticity, but had more recently shown promising results in studies with laboratory animals addicted to a wide variety of substances. Dr Ameisen prescribed himself the drug and experimented with increasingly higher doses until he finally reached a level high enough to leave him free of any craving for alcohol. That was more than six years ago. Baclofen, as prescribed under a doctor's care, could possibly help many addicts. But as long as the medical and research establishments ignore a cure for one of the most deadly diseases in the world, we won't be able to understand baclofen's full potential. This book is a plea for research that can rescue millions from the scourge of addiction.