Book review: Impatient Rehab, by J. Larry Vaughan

impatient rehabJust like he did with his previous book, Tell Me How You Feel About That, Larry Vaughan has delivered another powerful, practical, gem of a little book about helping people. More precisely, it’s a book for people who need help, in this case with the problem of addiction.

Although Vaughan warns us up front about his “untrained” writing style, we realize within the first few sentences that this simple, straightforward, utterly-stripped-of-pretense mode of communication is something to be celebrated rather than apologized for. Reading Impatient Rehab feels like a sit-down with a cherished mentor, or an extended, wisdom-filled session with a master therapist. Vaughan speaks plainly and directly to his target audience—i.e., the person in pain who is struggling with a chemical problem. Refreshingly free of the jargon and narrow-mindedness that so often characterizes professional discourse about drug abuse and addiction, Impatient Rehab cuts right through to the human core of this complex issue, and does so with integrity, humor, and a profound respect for the reader.

As a counselor in training, it’s easy for me to imagine having several copies of Impatient Rehab in my future office, and handing them directly to clients who might be suffering from substance use/addiction problems. In fact, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. In the meantime, I recommend this book to any folks—mental health professionals, students in training, medical professionals, friends, family members—who work with or support people struggling with addiction. Most of all, I hope this book finds its way into the hands, heads, and hearts of people who are themselves looking for help to pull through their particular problem and onward toward a life of increased health and happiness.