The War of the Gods in Addiction: C. G. Jung, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Archetypal Evil

The War of the Gods of Addiction, based on the correspondence between Bill W., one of the founders Alcoholics Anonymous, and C.G. Jung, proposes an original, groundbreaking, psycho-dynamic view of addiction which explains both the creation and successful treatment of alcoholism and other addictions. Using insights from Jungian psychology, it demonstrates why the 12 steps of AA really work. It emphasizes the crucial process of neutralizing the Archetypal Shadow / Archetypal Evil, an aspect of all true addictions, and explores this concept extensively through theoretical and clinical material, modern and ancient myths, and fairy tales. The significance of using dreams for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of addiction is also explained. This book bridges the longstanding gap between the mental health community and 12-step recovering communities and translates concepts necessary to understanding the addictive process in ways that encourage mutual understanding and benefit.