ABSTRACT
Abraham Maslow is attributed as once saying, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem you see will look like a nail." Maslow's satirical but cogent statement summarizes precisely the potential dilemma of adapting wholeheartedly and unquestioningly any one single theory of treatment and "cure" for addiction. Despite this book's blatant bias for utilizing the disease concept, looking at addiction only from the disease perspective can lead an unsuspecting observer to see only the nail (i.e., the disease of addiction) which has to be pounded into place by the only tool available (i.e., Alcoholics Anonymous, for instance). However, AA is not the only organization that has certain members who are myopically limited because of their tunnel vision. Group psychotherapy, as well as most formal schools (i.e., the psychodynamic, Rogerian, Gestalt, etc.) of psychotherapy have more than their share of adherents who believe their way is the only right way to treat patients who suffer from addiction. Unfortunately, such factionalism is short-sighted and limits the number of options available for utilizing different tools in the treatment of addiction.
