Ariadne's Clew; escaping heroin's labyrinth.
John C . Constantinides

Ο Μίτος της Αριάδνης
1 rst edition, 2004

Every now and then, governments announce and undertake 'crusades' and 'wars' against the so called 'drug problem'. Despite all the money and expertise poured into these efforts, the drug epidemic is getting wider and problems associated with it multiply. The general public feels blindfolded and powerless in doing anything about it.

" Ariadne's Clew; escaping heroin's labyrinth " addresses the drug issue in a clear and direct manner, contributing a balanced and comprehensive scholarship, at a time when the issue is very clouded, misunderstood and misrepresented.

•  It addresses the history of opiates, and in particular the political and economic interests that turned a widely used medicine (opium) in social menace, as it is heroin today.

•  It illuminates the dark sides of the issue, by pinpointing to the current interests that prefer and support the perpetuation of the present situation.

•  It separates reality from all the mythology that surrounds heroin use, dependence and therapy.

•  It proposes that a more humanitarian approach to that matter would have made things easier to address and, in many cases, would have lessen the suffering many people and the society currently undergoes.

This book is a very powerful tool for every parent, educator, health professional, drug user and his/her family, as well as for every concerned person in the community. It provides the necessary knowledge in order to change our attitude and escape heroin's labyrinth .

Popular psycology/Relations between sexes
Pages 232
ISBN 960-349-007-6
Size 14x21

Sometimes a relationship becomes like a seesaw. We decide to end it and after a while we find an excuse and we re-unite. The author describes one by one, fourteen different mechanisms that may lead to this oscillating behavior. Among these are mobile phones, written messages, alcohol, substance abuse, confusing compassion with love and many others. Some people return to their mate simply because they have difficulties in finding another person.
The book is divided into three parts:
The first describes the mechanisms that lead us into going back and forth.
Since jealousy is one of the reasons people break up with each other the second part is a detailed description of the elements of jealousy such as, possessiveness, lack of trust and unrealistic expectations. The author suggests ways to control these habits.
The third part describes the most common difficulties in flirting behavior and what can we to overcome such difficulties.
Written with a lot of humor this book is written as if it were an operating manual for human behavior.

I Don't Know What I Want

George Pinteris, Ph.D.
Δεν Ξερω Tι Θελω
I Don't Know What I Want
The psychology of our needs
1rst edition, December 2001 - 10th Printing, 2003

Are you feeling an inner void ? You don' t know what you want ?
Maybe you have lost touch with your organism. Yet, it is possible to re-establish communication with your inner self. How? This book points out paths that may lead you into a better touch with your emotional needs. You have 23 emotional needs.Would you say that at least the essential ones are satisfied? Read some real life stories that will help you recognise what emotional needs really are. Do you know the difference between Self and Organism? Does your Organism respect your Self or you frequently state:
I DON' T KNOW WHAT I WANT
Shutting down the door to our emotional needs we open wide the door to depression.

Popular psycology/Self-knowledge
Pages 200
ISBN 960-349-025-3
Size 14x21

Why do I feel this way?

This is a book about emotions. What exactly are they? How are they created? Can we control them?
Based on cognitive theory and the recent findings on motional intelligence, the author claims that there are two different types of feelings:
The first kind derives from the way we interpret reality. This is affected by our self-image, our private map of the environment and our expectations. Some of us are pessimists, while others are over-optimistic. This personality aspect affects how we interpret external events.
The second kind is the result of unconscious emotional memories. This kind of feelings is triggered by any situation that we perceive as threatening. This explains why sometimes we feel angry or afraid for no obvious reason.
The book also suggests specific ways to handle unexpected feelings.

When a relationship becomes an obsession

George Pinteris, Ph.D.
ΟΤΑΝ ΜΙΑ ΣΧΕΣΗ ΓΙΝΕΤΑΙ ΕΜΜΟΝΗ ΙΔΕΑ
When a relationship becomes an obsession
1rst edition, 1996 - 5th Printing, 2003

Sometimes a relationship ends but we are unable to get over it for an unexplainably long time. Our mind gets trapped and we cannot think of anything else.
The author, an experienced psychotherapist found himself trapped in such a situation. So, he decided to observe how this phenomenon is created.
Using a lot o humor he describes seventeen different psychological mechanisms that can lead someone in this form of obsession. Among them is confusing hope with illusion, having a competitive mentality, the need for revenge and several others. He names these mechanisms "ropes" and he suggests specific ways of untying these ropes.

Popular psycology/Relations between sexes
Pages 232
ISBN 960-349-007-5
Size 14x21

Discover the way you relate

George Pinteris, Ph.D.
ΔΙΑΛΕΓΟΝΤΑΣ ΣΥΝΤΡΟΦΟ
CHOOSING YOUR PARTNER
Discover the way you relate
1rst edition, 1995 - 4th Printing, 2003

How truly "intimate" is your intimate relationship? When you fall in love, for how long does it usually last? Do you relate in an emotionally exclusive way?
Are you sexually exclusive? Can you adapt in living with someone else permanently? Do you pick the "right" people, or you are trapped in a repeatedly dysfunctional pattern?
In this book, a psychologist invites you in a deep examination of the intimate relationships you've had so far using humor as an anesthetic. Let you personal history reveal to you how you actually relate. Discover your style and pinpoint your dysfunctional habits.

Eros, Love And Dependence

George Pinteris, Ph.D.
EPΩTAΣ, AΓAΠH και EΞAPTHΣH
Eros, Love And Dependence
The crucial factor is choice
1rst edition, 1993 - 7th Printing, 2003

To what degree are your intimate relationships the result of your choice? Can you distinguish between love and dependence? Are you the victim of your own vulnerability, or the vulnerability of others? What is "being in love"? How does it relate to "true" love? The Greek language makes a clear distinction between the two states by naming Eros the former and Agape the latter. What are the elements of a growing intimate relationship?
This is a book that defines Eros, Love and Dependence in a concrete and tangible way that alleviates confusion. Written with humor it offers guidelines for the building of meaningful and lasting intimate relationships.

Popular psycology/Self-knowledge
Pages 168
ISBN 960-7161-57-2
Size 14x21

Solve your problems by yourself

George Pinteris, Ph.D.
ΛYΣE MONOΣ ΣOY TA ΠPOBΛHMATA ΣOY
Solve your problems by yourself
Free yourself from psycho-mythologies
1rst edition, 1991 - 7th Printing, 2003

This book consists of three parts: In the first part the author explores how we sometimes become the victims of the very language we choose in order to describe our psychological problems. The second part, titled "psychological mythology" exposes how we may become victimized by the various psychological theories we read about. The third part, "practical psychology" offers a number of suggestions that help readers of popular psychology books make the best of what they read and avoid book-induced confusion.