Professor Pens Book on Alcoholism Recovery

Scott Wuerz - Belleville News

An associate professor at Lindenwood University`s Belleville, Ill., campus has penned a book he hopes will give struggling alcoholics the tools they need to turn their lives around.

The book, "Recovering Alcoholics - Why They Say They are Successful" is based on the stories of people who have straightened their lives out, according to author Ken Kubicek. Some did it on their own, while others relied on the help of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous.

"There are millions of alcoholics in this world who have recovered without seeking treatment from a professional," said Kubicek, who lives in Glen Carbon, Ill. "This book is a tool for the counseling field to give people the tools they need to help recovering alcoholics to be successful in their efforts."

Lindenwood Belleville Campus Director Mary Radcliff said the school was thrilled to have someone with Kubicek's background and experience working at Lindenwood. She said the school places a big emphasis on hiring faculty members who have real-world experience in the field they teach.

Kubicek, 57, said he became fascinated by alcoholism more than a decade ago when he was working on his doctorate in substance abuse and family counseling at St. Louis University. He began to research the topic of how people tried to beat alcoholism and what worked the best.

Before joining Lindenwood a year and a half ago, Kubicek worked for 16 years as a counselor in treatment facilities, including 12 years at Memorial Hospital in Belleville.

"Writing a book is something I always wanted to do, and this was an amazing experience," Kubicek said. "I`m already thinking about a second one."

His book is self published and available over the Internet through the www.lulu.com distribution Web site.

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