Review of Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?
Posted: 31 Dec 2021, 18:04
[Following is a volunteer review of "Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?" by Kyle Oh.]
Kyle Oh, author of Why Can’t Johnny Just Quit? Has set out to teach and inform about addiction. The book is a guide that helps the reader unlearn to learn. It debunks longstanding myths and stereotypes, teaches why addiction happens, and informs about available means of prevention. Perceiving addiction to be a behavioural flaw and a choice is one of the many misconceptions. Kyle redefines addiction and puts great emphasis on how a person’s genetic makeup contributes to their susceptibility to addiction. He further rebukes the wrongful portrayal of what a true high is.
Alcohol and drug abusers are often mistaken to be addicts. However, Kyle discovered that to set them apart, it comes down to one important question; “how did the drug make you feel?” (Page 21).This has drawn a clear line of demarcation between potential addicts and abusers. Understanding the significance and implications of this question will help people on opiates to self-diagnose and be quick to seek adequate help.
There’s a lot to love about the book. The message is clear and well communicated. It also addresses the racial and socioeconomic stereotypes which are often associated with drug use. The case studies provided helped to portray how addiction affects people’s lives. They have focused on people hooked on pain medication, and this eliminates the stereotype that addiction is a choice.
Within the book, Kyle talks of suboxone and vivitrol, drugs he uses to wean his patients off opiates. This is not common knowledge. It goes to show how little we know of this disease and how poorly equipped we are to deal with it. These drugs have provided a means to help our addicted loved ones beyond rehab programs and NA meetings.
However much I loved the book, it is not without some shortcomings. The author tends to repeat himself so much that it makes the book monotonous and disheartening to read. In light of this and the editorial mistakes, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. Otherwise, it is a good read with a potential to rate higher.
This research has brought us a thousand steps closer to winning the war against drugs. A more specific audience for this book would be physicians and people who are affected by addiction. Yet no type of demographics, lack of prior experience make anyone less suitable to know the message this book entails. It is with this in mind that I also recommend this book to everyone. This is a war that does not discriminate. It goes beyond personal preferences; we are all equally prone to the aftermath and adversities of addiction.
******
Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Kyle Oh, author of Why Can’t Johnny Just Quit? Has set out to teach and inform about addiction. The book is a guide that helps the reader unlearn to learn. It debunks longstanding myths and stereotypes, teaches why addiction happens, and informs about available means of prevention. Perceiving addiction to be a behavioural flaw and a choice is one of the many misconceptions. Kyle redefines addiction and puts great emphasis on how a person’s genetic makeup contributes to their susceptibility to addiction. He further rebukes the wrongful portrayal of what a true high is.
Alcohol and drug abusers are often mistaken to be addicts. However, Kyle discovered that to set them apart, it comes down to one important question; “how did the drug make you feel?” (Page 21).This has drawn a clear line of demarcation between potential addicts and abusers. Understanding the significance and implications of this question will help people on opiates to self-diagnose and be quick to seek adequate help.
There’s a lot to love about the book. The message is clear and well communicated. It also addresses the racial and socioeconomic stereotypes which are often associated with drug use. The case studies provided helped to portray how addiction affects people’s lives. They have focused on people hooked on pain medication, and this eliminates the stereotype that addiction is a choice.
Within the book, Kyle talks of suboxone and vivitrol, drugs he uses to wean his patients off opiates. This is not common knowledge. It goes to show how little we know of this disease and how poorly equipped we are to deal with it. These drugs have provided a means to help our addicted loved ones beyond rehab programs and NA meetings.
However much I loved the book, it is not without some shortcomings. The author tends to repeat himself so much that it makes the book monotonous and disheartening to read. In light of this and the editorial mistakes, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. Otherwise, it is a good read with a potential to rate higher.
This research has brought us a thousand steps closer to winning the war against drugs. A more specific audience for this book would be physicians and people who are affected by addiction. Yet no type of demographics, lack of prior experience make anyone less suitable to know the message this book entails. It is with this in mind that I also recommend this book to everyone. This is a war that does not discriminate. It goes beyond personal preferences; we are all equally prone to the aftermath and adversities of addiction.
******
Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon