The My Way Out FAQ

Hi and welcome! The following is an overview about the My Way Out program. If you're new and looking for specifics about how to navigate this forum, please visit this FAQ instead, as it should help familiarize you with our message board!

What is “My Way Out” and how do I get started?

My Way Out is an easy to follow program to overcome dependence on alcohol. You can decide whether you want to stop drinking forever or change your habits and body chemistry so that you can drink moderately, in a controlled way. Some of you will make that decision right up front and for others, your choice will evolve over time. Both goals are achievable and My Way Out will help get you there.

Unlike any program before, My Way Out combines new and emerging anti-craving medications, hypnotherapy (with CDs you can play at home), nutritional supplements and a light exercise program. Each element is essential, although some opt to not take medication. When done together—as outlined—they can dramatically curb your craving to drink. You’ll read on our message board stories of the many people who were overjoyed when their desire for alcohol diminished, often quickly and painlessly. And finally, you can take control of your addiction in the privacy of your own home. You can also follow My Way Out with a 12-step program, but again, do it completely on your own, if you wish, without fellowship based meetings or inpatient treatment. Support is important, however, and you'll find it here "on the board."

The program really works and may sound too good to be true—but scientists and researchers now agree that alcoholism is an illness like hypertension or diabetes. You can finally stop blaming yourself and get practical, effective help. It’s very much like the shift in treating depression a decade ago when doctors began prescribing the antidepressant, Prozac. A condition that was once seen as shameful lost its stigma when it became easily treatable. My Way Out is based on sound medicine, but it doesn’t require a physician with a specialty in addiction medicine or an arcane knowledge about brain biochemistry. The therapy is easily administered—in fact, clinicians all over the world are now making it available to their patients.

Interestingly, this program was developed by a lay person, a management executive and mother who suffered from addiction to alcohol most of her adult life and simply couldn’t bear to let her addiction control her future.

Under the pen name Roberta Jewell, she describes her story in a book called My Way Out. She recounts her chance discovery of a key article in The Lancet medical journal about the drug Topamax. Having struggled her entire adult life with addiction, Jewell used this information and enhanced it with other research and experimentation she’d done for twenty years. Ultimately, she developed a simple program for her own use and it worked. Others soon learned about it and it's now catching the recovery community by storm.

On her website and message board you'll read stories like hers and join the fellowship of people who have decided to take action against their illness. We advise you to seek the help of a health care professional who can prescribe any medication you need—besides Topamax, there are alternatives such as Campral and naltrexone—and oversee your progress. Some people bypass the doctor and buy their medication online, but we urge you to get all the help you deserve, without shame. The program itself is very straightforward. It involves taking medicine and nutritional supplements, listening to hypnotherapy recordings, and doing light exercise. That’s it.

But don’t be fooled. All of the strategies in combination stimulate a powerful change in your body, reversing the damage alcohol has done to you over the years, and promoting a remarkable, anti-craving response. Combined—and again, that is the key—the results can transform you.

The first step is to read the book and determine if the program is right for you. It’s available in soft cover on this site; our fulfillment center, Book Clearing House; Amazon; Barnes and Noble online and number of other sources. If you wish to purchase it locally you can special order it from your favorite bookstore. The downloadable version is available as a PDF and can be read with Adobe’s free reader, is 87 pages, and has become increasingly popular. It will allow you to purchase and thoroughly understand the program within a couple of hours of reading this message.

2) Do I need a prescription for the medication? What if my doctor won’t provide it to me?

These are two very common questions. You will need to work with a health care provider if you opt to take the medicine. Again, some people decide against the meds, but we againbelieve the therapy is most effective when an anti-craving medication is incorporated. The most popular medications are Topamax (topiramate) and Campral (acamprosate.) Naltexone, available earlier as an oral medication, is now provided in a once monthly shot called Vivitrol.

These medications can be issued by any prescribing health care provider: a family doctor, prescribing nurse practitioner, naturopath, doctor of osteopathy, or mental health physician. (Psychiatrists are sometimes more familiar with addiction treatment.) If you have difficulty locating a doctor, look for an “addiction specialist” in your phone directory, or call your state or region’s medical board for a referral. Consider seeking the counsel of a physician at a research or university hospital if there’s one nearby. And remember, this therapy is relatively new, but usually not unknown by those in the mental health and addiction fields.

It may be helpful to print out a copy of the May 2002 Lancet article upon, linked above, upon which this program is based. Also consider bringing articles in which our program has been featured, such as the June 2005 Newsweek story in which Dr. Linda Garcia, MD, medical director of the My Way Out program, was quoted. An August 2005 Wall Street Journal piece mentioned one of our patients, as well.

If you live in the US, you may wish to look into the online Substance Abuse Treatment locator. While its primary focus is residential treatment, it's possible to find a physician with this system. We recommend selecting the “Mental Health Services Locator” tab on the left and then use the pull down menu to find your state. You should be able to locate a number of resources which can serve as an excellent starting point. Moderation Management also provides an excellent link for those who are interested in controlled drinking. And finally, the online Find a Drug Rehab Program is another really good option.

Bottom line: don’t give up until you find a health care professional who is willing to help you address your illness. Alcoholism is a progressive disease. It doesn’t go away.

3) Can’t I simply take an anti-craving medicine—isn’t that enough to overcome my addiction?

We don’t think so. And the experience of those in our program over the past three years certainly seems to bears this out. If you’re serious about overcoming your addiction, you need to be serious about committing to the program. It's flexible but usually incorporates medication, hypnotherapy, nutritional supplements and exercise. As stated in My Way Out, there’s no magic bullet or simple pill approach. This therapy tackles your addiction from a biochemical, behavioral and cognitive level. The nutritional products like kudzu, evening primrose oil and amino acids have a profound effect on balancing brain chemistry. Exercise—only three times a week—releases endorphins, which have been proven to support recovery, prevent relapse, and encourage the growth of neurons. The highly customized hypnotherapy system incorporates relaxation, positive visualization, self-hypnosis and other effective strategies. They all promote fundamental changes in the way you respond to specific triggers and deal with alcohol.

4) How much does this program cost?

Probably not as much as you spend drinking, and certainly not as much as treatment at an inpatient center. However, there is a cost associated with the program. The book is $17.95 in soft cover format or $12.95 for the downloadable version. It is critical in understanding the program. The 4-CD hypnotherapy system is $98, but as explained in the book, originally cost $298. It incorporates a custom “script” written by Roberta Jewell specifically to overcome her drinking problem. It was designed for use within the context of this program. Jewell worked with the hypnotherapist to provide the CDs to the public for the lower price. The cost of the supplements is wholly dependent upon source; recommendations are provided in the book. We estimate cost to be approximately $130 USD for the six weeks program initiation. Topamax, Campral and Naltexone, when used under the care of a physician,are usually covered under most insurance plans in the US. Please refer to the message boards to see what individuals usually pay when purchasing the medication online. It can be quite expensive when paid out of pocket. Again, we absolutely urge you to undertake this program in partnership with a qualified health care provider. Your individual health needs and history should be taken into account before beginning any new medical program and you must be monitored for potential side effects.

5) Where can I purchase the hypnotherapy recordings?

The CDs are available from our Health Store or may be purchased from hypnotictapes.com.

6) What if I can’t find the vitamins I need?

You should be able to find most nutritional products locally or online and it’s important you incorporate all of them in the program once your health care provider approves. The nutritional supplements include a combination of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, and a homeopathic supplement first recommended by Roberta Jewell in her book. Modifications to the original recommendations have been made following new research and feedback of a more broad international patient base—including invaluable input right here on the MWO message board. The supplements are a powerful aid in reducing craving and are essential to the program. A specific list is included in the book, and online global sources are linked from the message board by those who have shared the names of companies they feel are reputable. You'll also find important program updates and recommendations at the My Way Out home page.

Once we offered the program online, many people contacted us asking us to provide them with the supplements because they felt it would allow greater convenience. They said they preferred to order from us when they purchase the book and/or CDs. Frankly, we resisted, because our focus had always been on sharing information and support about the MWO program. However, as we found ourselves spending increasing amounts of time and energy assisting people in finding nutritional products, it began to make sense.

Even though most of the recommended supplements are readily available, we understand that people are very busy and their time is valuable. It became apparent as our program was adopted by a global customer base that the task of locating, purchasing and waiting on vitamins from numerous vendors was frustrating and expensive for our customers. Many times much of what they purchased didn't come in the appropriate quantities for our six week program--which made it expensive. Quality is also extremely important, and as mentioned in the book, is tied directly to optimum results in curbing craving.

For those reasons, we began to work with a certified and licensed industry leader (NOW Foods) to launch a new private label My Way Out product line. This means customers can order any or all of the nutritional products directly from us and receive them within three to five days (domestic) or ten days (international), along with the book or hypnotherapy CDs. We believe this one-stop source provides both convenience and quality assurance, so it's a move we feel very good about.

As always, and in keeping with the philosophy of My Way Out, we continue to encourage individuals to seek the most convenient and cost effective source for the vitamins, minerals, herbs and homeopathic supplements. It’s all about choice.

Whether you purchase from us or a local shop, we want you to have the most updated nutritional supplement recommendations (new since the book was published). They follow:

Nutritech All One Powder: (Original, Fruit Antioxidant or Active Seniors Formula)
Kudzu: We have increased our original recommendation to higher levels: 1,000 mg. to 3,000 mg. depending on craving and program customization. Note: You shouldn't take kudzu if you have endometriosis. a reproductive cancer, are pregnant or breast feeding, or suffer from a serious heart condition. If you have diabetes and take high doses of kudzu, check their blood levels regularly to make sure you do not develop hypoglycemia.
Milk Thistle/Silymarin: 300-600 mg.
Magnesium: 200
Evening Primrose Oil: 2,600 mg
Calms Forte: 2-6 tablets
Optional:
L-Glutamine: 1,000-3,000 mg.
Additional amino acids: as per provider's recommendation

7) Where do I go to learn more?

You'll find lots right here on our message board. Also, the My Way Out website is loaded with information. Look to the tabs above and you’ll see it’s only a click away. Check out the research; we update it regularly. Purchase or download the book to find out more about how the program works, or ask others on the message board about their experience with it. Visit the various discussion forums, which are rich in the real-world experiences of individuals currently involved in the program who generously share their stories. Get involved with the discussions yourself—in fact, register as a member if you like. It’s easy, anonymous, free and you’ll find the most wonderfully supportive community there. Promise!

If you’re really ready to make a change, you’ve come to the right place. It won’t be easy every day. And it won’t make all your problems go away. But it may, for the first time perhaps, provide you with the tools to completely turn your life around. To allow you to wake up in the morning without the self-loathing you’ve so often felt. To feel a sense of joy during unexpected moments when you realize you forgot to want a drink. To read the words of strangers thousands of miles away and think, my God, that is me. To realize you’re not alone. You’re not a bad person. You’re simply a person who got stuck with a brain and a craving you did not choose.

But now you can choose to do something about it.