I am writing this book as a guide for those who are contemplating or attempting to recover from addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Addiction is a pervasive and devastating condition that not only destroys the individual lives of the addicts themselves but also deeply and negatively affects the lives of those closest to the addict, including their family and friends. Addiction leads to an unraveling of the very social fabric of our communities with the related problems of crime and lost productivity that accompany drug/alcohol use and addiction.

Dr John Vigil is a board-certified physician in Addiction Medicine and is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). He is the founder and past president of the New Mexico Society of Addiction Medicine (NMSAM) and is the current treasurer. He is also certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as a Master Addiction Counselor. He is also a NAADAC certified Substance Abuse Professional for the Department of Transportation (DOT) and a HIMS trained Airman Medical Examiner (HIMS AME) trained and certified to evaluate, recommend, coordinate, and monitor the treatment of commercial drivers (DOT) and pilots (FAA) who require treatment for a substance use disorder. Dr Vigil is in private practice in Albuquerque New Mexico and has practiced medicine and surgery for over 30 years. He specializes in the outpatient treatment of addiction disorders and has helped hundreds of patients reach recovery from their addictions over the last 17 years. He is also the medical director of New Mexico Wellness Center which is a residential treatment facility for the treatment of addiction disorders. He is on the volunteer faculty for both the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Vigil has been in long-term recovery himself for over 24 years.