Adam Phillips is a British psychotherapist who, as far as I know, has no connection whatsoever to the recovery or 12 Step universe. Nevertheless he has written a book which dovetails in surprising and interesting ways with the collective wisdom found in the rooms of AA. Phillips writes eloquently about the myriad ways that, in our status-driven, materialistic and hyper-distracted culture, “we think we want may not be what we really need.” Not only that, but he draws a link between this approach to life where the majority of us are constantly trying to define and value ourselves within a narrow range of largely superficial criterion and a failure of “self acceptance.” Philips even goes out of his way to downplay the importance of his own profession, something I think would receive approving laughter in an AA meeting, arguing that it is just one mode or activity – some might say “solution” – among many to the problems of contemporary dissatisfaction. In other words, self care and personal growth – hell, let’s just call it RELIEF – relief from confusion, exhaustion and the insanity of “doing the same thing expecting different results” that so many of us experience – can come from a variety of directions, indeed it is more “sane” to approach life this way instead of expecting all of our needs to be met through a single “fix”.

You can read a much more in depth review of “Going Sane” and an interview with Adam Phillips here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/feb/13/booksonhealth.lifeandhealth