In part, this book is my story, an account of how I overcame adversity, outlining my struggle and the steps I took to find a happier, more peaceful life. For over thirty years, I lived with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), chronic depression, anxiety disorder, and the relentless cycle of addiction. I turned into an angry, resentful, unforgiving, negative, cynical person who was filled with fear. I didn’t know how to handle life’s challenges.

Likewise, I catastrophized about every unwanted event and ruminated on all my past mistakes, bad choices, and failures. And although self-help methods and talk therapy helped me, they only did to a point. It wasn’t until I came upon the spiritual program of Alcoholics Anonymous, Yoga, and Buddhist philosophy that my life took a turn and transformed.

I wrote The Unself-Help Book because I am a living testament to the fact that our greatest hardships can lead to our most extraordinary transformations. Today, in these pages, I share my story not just as a man who found his way out of the darkness, but as a researcher and a teacher. My mission is to reveal to you a grounded path that will guide you to create great change—one that begins the moment you decide to get out of your own way.