14 Outstanding Books About Addiction and Recovery

Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and more, exploring how creativity in these artists is linked to their drinking. More importantly, though, she dispels the myth that alcohol is somehow responsible for their genius. Survival Math is an incredible look at race and class, gangs and guns, addiction and masculinity. Mitchell S. Jackson frames the narrative around his own experiences and those of his family and community. Weaving together poems, historical documents, and photos, this is an essential book about, among many other things, alcoholism and survival. I read this book before I became a parent and was floored, but have thought about it even more since. It is the heartbreaking and astute account of Sheff’s experience of his son, Nic’s, addiction and eventual recovery. He viscerally paints the picture of the hope-tainted despair, anguish, and havoc that addiction wreaks on an entire family. Annie’s book is so important (and she’s a wonderful human to boot). She brilliantly weaves psychological, neurological, cultural, social and industry factors with her own journey.

Whether the parents of an addict agree or disagree with the 12-step philosophy, we are pretty sure that there will be many eye-opening moments while reading either of these two books. Another note to consider is, families, friends, and some members of society often feel the substance user is a hopeless victim when they believe the disease model of addiction. Whether or not it is a disease, enabling, codependency, and playing out counterproductive family roles does not correct it. There are many diseases best books on alcohol addiction globally, and they all have their suggested solutions. One of the problems we see with addiction is that some of the suggested solutions by way of consequences and accountability is different than almost every other disease. You would not treat other diseases the same way you treat a substance use disorder. One of the many differences is that family and friends of loved ones suffering other diseases do not have to set boundaries, consequences, and accountability for the patient to seek help.

We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life

James went to my college, Denison University, and is friends with many of my friends, so I loved reading the parts that took place (“fictionally”) in Granville, Ohio. This is one of the first books I read about addiction ever, before I realized I had a problem. I really liked this book because it focuses a lot on her spiritual crisis and how it related to her alcoholism. She is a Christian, as am I, and I often battled in my head with being a Christian and being an alcoholic. Eventually my faith brought me to my knees and I began my journey of sobriety after having a spiritual experience. This was the first book I read on this subject, and I instantly could relate to her feelings. She made a huge impact on me and is someone I will always be grateful to. The Trip to Echo Spring,” author Olivia Laing delves into the lives of several prolific writers and their relationships with alcohol.

The book’s authors do a great job of helping the reader understand how their experiences have profoundly impacted the affected person’s relationships with others. Almost every substance user we have encountered has had some form of childhood trauma. This can range from emotional, sexual, and physical abuse to growing up in a one-parent home, being adopted, or not feeling your parents’ love, attention, or affection. For some reading this, they may think, “That didn’t happen in our house.” Firstly, you don’t know for sure if something happened outside of the house and is a buried secret.

“Proven Supplements To Help You Break The Addiction Cycle”

Drink brings to light the increase in DUIs, “drunkorexia” , and other health problems among young women in the United States. She started sneaking sips from her parents’ wine glasses as a kid, and went through adolescence drinking more and more. By the time she was an adult in a big city, all she did was drink. Blackout is her poignant story of alcoholism and those many missing hours that disappeared when she had just enough to drink to wipe out her memory. Hepola gets through the darkest parts of her story with self-deprecating humor and a keen eye on what she was burying by drinking.

Jun 13, 2022 Addiction Resources Family Boundaries and Addiction Why are boundaries so important in addiction recovery? Who needs to set boundaries for recovering addicts and alcoholics? As you re-feel the event, you become angrier with every passing thought. When a child cannot discuss what is going on at home, it has a profuse effect on their brain development and ability to form healthy relationships and bonds.

Dry by Augusten Burroughs

Sign up to Unusual Suspects to receive news and recommendations for mystery/thriller readers. Weekly inspiration, new podcasts and music, reading and watching recommendations, and encouragement for your week. Plus up-to-date info on upcoming courses, events, podcast interviews that Laura is hosting or attending. If the religion-focused themes of Alcoholics Anonymous don’t resonate with you, you’ll likely appreciate Holly Whitaker’s refreshingly female-focused take on sobriety as well as the “insidious” nature of the alcohol industry. Her program focuses on root causes of overindulgence and how to break the cycle. Such a story serves as a warning, but also proof that recovery is attainable, no matter how negative the circumstances might be.

• I remember the first time I heard someone say that their church suggests God first, your spouse second, and your children third.
• Families continue to control the situation instead of facing the fear of the change that will come if they stop.
• For people with addictions, finding support can mean the difference between success and relapse, or even life and death.
• About 21.5 million people in the United States ages 12 and above have substance abuse disorders.

Napoleon Hill spent two decades studying the great industrialists, learning firsthand from the likes of Andrew Carnegie, and compiling information about the mental habits that lead to success in any arena. At best, going to bed with a bottle of wine will make you wake up feeling dry-mouthed and stupid. Going to bed with a book will tire your eyes naturally, ease your subconscious tension, and fill your mind with endless possibilities. In addition to ACOA and Alateen, here are some book suggestions for young people and adults who can benefit from reading. A frank, fresh, and empowering take on facing addiction, doing recovery, and savoring the joys of a new way of living…. Like many women, Clare Pooley found the juggle of a stressful career and family life a struggle, so she left her successful career to look after her family…. Craig Beck is a well-regarded family man with two children, a nice home and a successful media career….

Her focus is on her recovery journey from a street addict to a successful, stable mother of three. George’s daughter Terry was found frozen to death in Madison, Wisconsin in December of 1994. Her blood-alcohol level was higher than three times the legal limit. Learn to live your own life and stop assisting a loved one in destroying theirs.

She spent many years on the streets of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. He was a US Senator, US representative and the Presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in 1972. I included this book to point out that depression and addiction can happen to anyone. It can help change how we all feel about the expectations placed on us. We are all important and are put on this earth for a specific reason. Maia Szalavitz shares a new perspective on the addictive personality. During my career, I have spent countless hours in psychiatric and community hospitals, as well as medical centers. My main interest has always been psychiatry, especially concerning addiction. As a child, Helaina Hovitz was a very close witness to the attack to the World Trade Center on 9/11. These events leave her with a serious case of PTSD that in turn throw her into despair and later lands her into addiction.

Alcohol Explained 2: Tools for a Stronger Sobriety

Situated in the heart of St. Lucie County, our retreat-like environment provides a tranquil setting in which our patients can heal. We offer 24 hour mental health services provided by licensed professionals in various disciplines. The hospital has varying programs that can be tailored to patient needs, as well as the traditional 28 day inpatient treatment program for patients with dual diagnosis issues. In We Are the Luckiest, author Laura McKowen emphasizes appreciating the gift of sobriety instead of lamenting the loss of casual alcohol use. While based on her own sobriety journey, McKowen’s candidness has connected with thousands of readers thus far who have credited the book with helping them face getting sober. Education is just the first step on our path to improved mental health and emotional wellness. To help our readers take the next step in their journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness.

I could not put this book down , talk about gut-wrenching honesty and not holding anything back. When I worked in beauty, Cat was a beauty editor at Lucky and xoJane.com, so I knew of her. I found this book uncomfortable at times and very funny at other times. It is the real deal Sober Home and Cat is a talented writer, but most of all a survivor. I used to work in fashion/beauty/celebrity PR, and I related to her lifestyle before she got sober. I thought my party-girl ways were so glamourous, but it was really sad and unfulfilling, despite the glitz and glamour.

They offer people solutions to problems and words of encouragement that motivate them to act. Books on addiction are excellent resources to receive information about why the brain forms a physical dependency on drugs and learn skills on how to break away from cravings. With its combination of proven general treatment techniques together with the best in faith-based Christian addiction counseling, the Freedom program provides ideal Christian help for addiction. Published in 2016, “Understanding Alcoholism as a Brain Disease”, by Linda Burlinson, is the second book in a four part series titled, “A Prescription for Alcoholics – Medications for Alcoholism”. For this reason, the book seeks to explain alcoholism and how it affects people through a purely scientific perspective, rather than in the personal way in which a memoir might do the same, and without the spiritual component. These authors have shown incredible bravery and resilience as they share their most painful experiences and deepest vulnerabilities in public. If you’ve wondered what it would be like to live your life sober, this book is for you. More than just a memoir, this book explores the psychology and neuroscience behind the societal traps that lead us to drink and how drinking affects our brains and our bodies. In this memoir, he talks about the car accident that killed his mother and baby sister when he was just two years old. Then about how he lost his beloved big brother to brain cancer… and all of the hardships that led to his years-long battle with addiction.

Online sobriety groups and local resources are both key resources to stop drinking. Searching for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, free to all, in one’s area is a good place to start. Speaking to loved ones, and explaining one’s problem, can also be a valuable means to find help and achieve recovery. There are also movies about alcoholism that you can watch if you’re not big on reading. Books about alcoholism can absolutely help someone understand alcoholism either through the vehicle of fiction, memoir, or nonfiction. The memoir is effective because Marnell does not hide the warning inherent in her story. Alcohol and drugs are incredibly addictive, and Marnell is incapable of managing her abuse of both substances. For those who are struggling in a similar way, Marnell’s story serves as a warning, as well as a reminder, that although it may seem impossible, escaping from the control alcohol and drugs has over an individual is possible. As far as the history of alcohol and alcoholism is concerned, “The Big Book” takes its place as one of the first examples of a new perception regarding the science of alcohol addiction.