When people we love are struggling and hurting, it’s so easy to throw ourselves right into the middle of their situation. We can’t control or “fix” anybody but ourselves, and Beattie does a masterful job of explaining how to reign in our codependent tendencies. If you feel like you’ve lost sight of your own life while dealing with the drama of a loved one’s life, this book is for you. More than a journey through addiction and recovery from it, this is a tale about how trauma shapes us, and how we can only free ourselves from its hold by facing it. Few people know that the actor Joe Manganiello had a fifth-a-day whiskey habit in his mid-20s.

We chose these books from the many recommended by our Alumni – one is even written by one of our alums. After quitting her career in order to dedicate more of her time to her family, Clare Pooley found herself depressed and feeling sluggish with a daily drinking habit to keep her company. More than just a memoir, this book is about the societal traps that lead us to drink, how drinking affects our brains and our bodies, and the psychology and neuroscience behind it all. Transcending addiction is a worthy goal because, as Tony Robbins says, you feel what you focus on. If you make your entire life about perpetual recovery from alcohol addiction, then alcohol will always be on your mind by default. It also rests on the premise that an unhealthy attachment to drinking is endemic to a person’s identity, and therefore impossible to get over.

Most importantly, it illustrates that alcoholism and addiction are not moral failings, but rather scientific differences in our brains. Grace would know – she was a high-functioning alcoholic who drank heavily every night while working as the president of a multinational company. Now, she uses her experience to help others gain back control of their lives.

Based on the principles behind “Steps Six and Seven”, Drop the Rock combines personal stories, practical advice, and powerful insights to help listeners move forward in recovery…. 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 Weaving together poems, historical documents, and photos, this is an essential book about, among many other things, alcoholism and survival. Cupcake Brown was 11 when she was orphaned and placed into foster care. She grew up with a tragic journey, running away and becoming exposed to alcohol, drugs, and sex at a young age, and leaning on those vices to get by.

The Night Of The Gun: A Reporter Investigates The Darkest Story Of His Life His Own By David Carr

Marketed as a memoir, a 2006 Smoking Gun exposé suggested elements of the story had been fabricated. He continues to write fiction and remains in committed recovery. Don’t let the fact vs fiction debate over this book put you off. Personal stories are one of the best ways to learn about any subject, and addiction is no exception.

• It can be hard to separate the idea of celebration with sobriety, but that’s what Catherine Gray explores once a drinker makes the decision to drink no more.
• This book is not about alcoholism per se, but it can be an empowering guide for separating yourself from those primitive and demoralizing urges to drink.
• ‍Beautiful Boy by David Sheff is a heart-wrenching memoir about his son’s addiction to meth and the impact it had on the entire family.
• There has been a clinical trial published on October 25, 2018, demonstrating the effectiveness of this method.
• This may be why so many ER doctors get burned out or deal with addiction issues.

This is not a long book, but it does cover how to be happy with ourselves. I believe this is an excellent read for any recovering addict. 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.

Quit Like A Woman: The Radical Choice Not To Drink In A Culture Obsessed With Alcohol By Holly Whitaker

He comes from the book publishing world and, again, was someone who was successful and smart, but in active addiction. He lost trust of people around him and in his field, but through sobriety he has been able to regain that trust and help many people along the way. Terry achieved long-term sobriety at one time, and she helped many women. It made me realize the pain I would have brought to my parents if they had lost me. I too was a high-functioning professional with a drinking and cocaine addiction.

I often think about what it took to publish this when she did, in the 90’s, as a female and a journalist in Boston. This one likely feels very different from the rest of the books on this list – but hear us out. Often, alcoholics struggle with letting go of their drinking habits because of the fear of missing out on “all life has to offer.” Simply put, many feel like it’s impossible to have fun without booze.

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In this book, celebrated journalist Anne Dowsett Johnston intuitively intertwines her own life story of alcohol use disorder with some great in-depth research and relevant interviews. Her book includes the perspective of those leading the charge in this field, shedding some much-needed light on this crisis and the factors that have contributed to it. Eventually, she runs through a series of nine-to-five jobs, but ultimately, she ends up living behind a dumpster as she descends into crack cocaine use. In this gripping memoir, she turns it all around with the help of a family of eccentric fellow substance users, friends, and strangers who come to her aid. This gripping tale is about the resilience of spirit combined with the worst of modern urban life. Cupcake survives thanks to a furious wit and an unyielding determination. The Recovering takes a deep dive into the history of the recovery movement while also examining how race and class impact our understanding of who is a criminal and who is simply ill.

This may be why so many ER doctors get burned out or deal with addiction issues. For Dr. Remy, his job meant waking up one morning to find himself in rehab for alcohol use disorder. She is the perfect example of a high-functioning alcoholic whose life looks perfect on the outside, even as it crumbles on the inside. Her beloved habit of over-drinking and staying until bars closed, however, meant that her nights and the following mornings were also all about her regular blackouts. His investigation into his own history is an epic story through addiction, recovery, cancer, and life as a single parent that you won’t be able to put down. Takes an intimate look into how being over-stressed and overworked can take people down the path of addiction.

These are but five of hundreds of good books about drugs, alcoholism, and recovery that are available to help people heal at their own pace. However, for those still at the beginning stages of recovery, sometimes books aren’t enough. If you or someone you know someone is struggling with addiction and ready for help, contact Futures Recovery Healthcare today. Of books about heroin use, none is rawer than this bravely told memoir about the life of Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis. Published in 2004, Scar Tissue holds immense value for as a cautionary tale for anyone prone to glamourizing drug use, especially heroin use. The book does a terrific job at taking the reader through the depths of sadness and despair that accompany heroin addiction. Lisa Najavits discusses the effects that past trauma has on a person’s addiction.

His sobriety inspired him to heavily research alcohol and its effects on the body, mind, and we continue to drink even when we know it harms us. The result is a thorough, in-depth scientific look that is still easy to digest. Author Veronica Valli is an addiction therapist and recovered alcoholic herself, offering a deep and sincere understanding of an alcoholic’s journey. If you’re looking for guidance, a place to start, or just want to know you’re not alone in your journey, these books on alcoholism and sobriety may help. If you are struggling with your drinking, a trained therapist can help you find treatment.

Codependent No More: How To Stop Controlling Others And Start Caring

The book also discusses Kiedis’ relapses and reveals what inspired him to get sober. Caroline Knapp’s powerful memoir chronicles her twenty-year battle with alcoholism. She began drinking as a teen and used alcohol as a coping mechanism for the harsh realities of life. Knapp takes a critical look at her battle with addiction and gives insight on ways to fight best alcohol recovery books it. During our alcoholism recovery book research, we found 1,200+ alcoholism recovery book products and shortlisted 20 quality products. We collected and analyzed 189,562 customer reviews through our big data system to write the alcoholism recovery books list. We found that most customers choose alcoholism recovery books with an average price of $13.

• However, I found that it offered subtle applications for combating groupthink of any kind.
• I’ve recommended it dozens of times to people who’ve asked me where they could find out more about alcoholism, if not for themselves, then for those they love who have a serious drinking problem.
• I would’ve listed it as my first choice if not for the possibility of being prematurely judged by those who need to get clean and sober but don’t want to use A.A.
• Early recovery is a challenging time, but it’s one filled with important and exciting revelations about yourself, your addiction and your life.

After returning to the states after his tour in Iraq, he and his girlfriend become addicted to heroin. George’s daughter Terry was found frozen to death in Madison, Wisconsin in December of 1994.

We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic Of A Sober Life By Laura Mckowen

If you’re already in recovery, you quite possibly attend a 12-step group like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. James Frey’s autobiographical novel about addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine is a riveting first-hand account of a life completely out of control. When you’re struggling with the challenges of leaving drink or drugs behind, reach for an inspiring book if you’re tempted to fall back into your old ways. …to say that codependency is prevalent among people whose loved ones are fighting addiction would be an understatement.

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. Wolynn is a trauma specialist and director of the The Family Constellation Institute in San Francisco. If you’re looking to uncover more of your trauma , then you may want to give this a read. For some, this means medication prescribed by a trained medical professional. If you’re looking into other options for your alcoholism, the Sinclair Method, the process of retraining your brain to not crave alcohol, may be a solution for you.

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I recommend this book for those who wish to learn the history of one of our country’s biggest struggles. He was a US Senator, US representative and the Presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in 1972.

She is adept at making the intangible just a bit easier to grasp. In doing so, transformative practices appear as simple, logical steps. I’ve read dozens of books on addiction, treatment, and self-help. Believe me when I say that this book is unlike any of the others I’ve read. Written by experts at the Center for Motivation and Change, Beyond Addiction is a truly unique guide for people who are dealing with a loved one’s substance use disorder. This isn’t another tough love book that tells you to get your loved one into rehab and totally detach from them. Instead it teaches you how you can play an active, important role in affecting change in your loved one, by using—are you ready for this?

Scruffy handwriting, unkempt clothes, shabby attitude, Duncan was a mess. Hank showed him the comfort of chocolate and the liberation of alcohol, which won Duncan friends, frivolity, and even fortune. He gate-crashed a diabolical cheese-and-wine party in his own mind and ended up living on the sofa. Something had to change, so he took out the rubbish, escaped an untimely death, and found joy, vitality, and fruitfulness.

Iranian American novelist Porochista Khakpour’s elegant, vibrant memoir is primarily about being sick and trying to find answers. But it also details her journey with addiction to the pills prescribed to treat her insomnia and her struggles with mental health. Having been in recovery for many years, and working here at Shatterproof, I often get asked to recommend books about addiction. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ So here’s a list of my all-time favorite reads about substance use disorders. In this piece of quit lit, the reader is challenged to quit drinking alcohol for 30 days to re-evaluate their assumptions about alcohol. During the 30-day journey, Grace offers insight into addiction, includes exercises for mindfulness, and discusses how to recognize destructive habits connected to drinking.

Influencer Recovery, Part One

Her masterpiece provided me with a wealth of new information and a blueprint for further supplementation. Blackouts are a special horror and humiliation, and not all drinkers experience them. Hepola’s tone is often funny and loose but she writes with a journalist’s precision and the book reads almost like a thriller. After one particularly harrowing experience in a hotel, Hepola gets sober and the reader realises she has been holding her breath for a couple hundred pages. Sethe is haunted, literally and figuratively, by the daughter she killed while escaping slavery in this devastating Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.