10 Best Books About Recovery

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts was written by Gabor Mate and is based on his experience working as a physician of addicted individuals. This author described addiction as a complex interplay between a person’s history, development, chemistry, and the drugs the person uses. Written by John Dupuy, Integral Recovery works to modernize drug and alcohol treatment using the latest research, techniques, and information.

Dr. Harry is the former physician director of The Betty Ford Clinic this classic recovery book reveals a step by step plan to stay sober. The raw and deeply personal struggles of addiction come to the surface in this bestselling book. In it, Nick Sheff gives a detailed depiction of his daily struggles as an addict. He gives readers a firsthand account of the thoughts and feelings that an addict wrestles with. Many readers that struggle with addiction resonate with Nick and his rocky journey to recovery. For this inaugural Book List post, I thought it best to start with the 13 books I think make up a great starting point in terms of building a holistic recovery. Learn more about alcohol abuse, drug addiction and the recovery process.

You might gain a stronger insight into why your loved one is behaving as they are. Pamela D Pesta gives you a snapshot inside the mind of someone descending into full-blown alcoholism.

Neuroscientist Marc Lewis uses the true stories of five people who have journeyed throughout addiction and explains why the disease model of addiction is wrong. He instead illuminates a path of recovery that reveals addiction is an unintended consequence of the brain seeking pleasure and relief in a world that isn’t cooperating.

Addict In The Family: Stories Of Loss, Hope, And Recovery

Our hero, Eddie, who has no hands, struggles to drive a stolen car to a sweeter place off interstate 45, where his aunt lives, in order to escape a horrible series of events that are not revealed until the end of the story. Darlene, Eddie’s mother, is grief stricken by the sudden death of her black activist husband; her identity becomes entirely eclipsed by crack cocaine. Darlene is literally held captive and drugged by a sinister food chain, human trafficking operation. Author Michael Dash, entrepreneur and recovering addict, draws many parallels between his life pursuing business success and his obsession with gambling that caused him to bottom out. Dash also developed a drug addiction before he cleaned up and embarked on the road to recovery.

Lawford, the goodwill ambassador for drug dependence treatment and care for the United Nations, wrote this book in 2014 after 25 years in recovery. He shares what he’s learned in his personal recovery journey and in his role as an international advocate for addiction treatment. You can also call treatment centers like Michael’s House to learn facts about addiction, treatment, and recovery from a live person. You can learn how reading can support your rehab experience and your long-term recovery. More people than ever before see themselves as addicted to, or recovering from, addiction, whether it be alcohol or drugs, prescription meds, sex, gambling, porn, or the internet. But despite the unprecedented attention, our understanding of addiction is trapped in unfounded 20th century ideas, addiction as a crime or as brain disease, and in equally outdated treatment. Addiction is a complex disease that can impact an individual, as well as their family and loved ones.

In many of them, especially the fiction titles, addiction plays a role but is not necessarily the focus of the book. Addiction is powerful, complicated, and appears in our lives in a variety of different ways. The beauty of literature is its ability to convey all the exciting, ugly, complicated best addiction recovery books nuances of issues like addiction, so we might reflect on the myriad ways it impacts our world. This nonfiction book delves into the unique intersection of spirituality and neuropsychology. Charlotte Tomaino drives home the belief that human potential is virtually limitless.

The 11 Best Addiction And Sobriety Books

I have personally watched many people die because they overdosed or abused their bodies to the point of no return. It can, and does happen to people of all ages and all walks of life.

Aids family members in coping with the aftermath of a relative’s suicide attempt. Describes the emergency department treatment process, lists questions to ask about follow-up treatment, and describes how to reduce risk and ensure safety at home. He is the owner Sobriety of Sunshine Nutraceuticals LLC. Michael is the author of a blog focusing on living a happy, healthy, healing lifestyle. He is board-certified in pharmacotherapy as well as psychiatry. Michael has a special interest in addiction disorders as well as dementia.

When someone else’s problem becomes your problem, chances are very good that you’re codependent. And to say that codependency is prevalent among people whose loved ones are fighting addiction would be an understatement. When people we love are best addiction recovery books 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.

The book draws on the authors’ 40 collective years of research and clinical experience to promote progressive treatment approaches that make lasting change possible regardless of past struggles. Courtney Todd is the digital marketing coordinator at Workit Health. She has a passion for raising awareness in the addiction treatment, recovery, and public health space. In the tradition ofBlackoutandPermanent Midnight, a darkly funny and revealing debut memoir of one woman’s twenty-year battle with sex, drugs, and alcohol addiction, and what happens when she finally emerges on the other side. Many of them, like Caroline Knapp, started in their early teens and began to use alcohol as “liquid armor,” a way to protect themselves against the difficult realities of life. In this extraordinarily candid and revealing memoir, Knapp offers important insights not only about alcoholism, but about life itself and how we learn to cope with it. I really liked this book because it focuses a lot on her spiritual crisis and how it related to her alcoholism.

the Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober By Catherine Gray

He explains why the benefits people believe they are getting from drinking alcohol are fictitious. I highly recommend this book for anyone struggling with alcohol. The 12 steps are also the cornerstone of many other treatment programs. This book is a great starting point for anyone suffering from alcoholism or other addictions. Parents often deal with feelings of helplessness, frustration, guilt and more as they watch their child battle addiction.

This is a book you’ll refer to again and again as you begin to live a sober life. Some books talk about addictions in general while others are written specifically for a particular addiction in mind. As a mother, I relate to her story so deeply—our children were the same young age when we stopped drinking. She’s an iconic, witty literary voice, an engrossing storyteller, and this book too is a great study in memoir.

Recovery.org is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice. The information provided through Recovery.org should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease.

Filled with exercises and self-tests, the book is immensely helpful for the individual who has lost himself or herself in the continuous story of a loved one’s addictive behavior. Codependent No More offers practical advice for regaining one’s individuality. So often in drawn out battles of substance abuse, family members fall into familiar rhythms of place an imbalance of energy – for better or worse – into the addicted loved one. Codependency is dangerous for healthy treatment and addiction recovery practices, so we’re grateful for this liberating book. According to Futures Case Manager Katie Dalo, this is a book every person on the planet should read a minimum of 10 times.

In Recovery from Trauma, Addiction, or Both, author Lisa Najavits focuses on the impact of past trauma on a person’s current addiction. This inspirational book gives real-life examples of how to build coping methods skills and set realistic goals for a healthy life. The Gifts of Imperfection, written by Brené Brown, is a motivational guide to finding one’s true self in order to achieve true beauty.

Top 10 Best Books About Overcoming Addiction And Recovery

She ultimately identifies how we all crave love and how that loneliness can shape who we are, addicted and not. What happens when an ambitious young woman is keeping a secret of addiction? High-profile writer Cat Marnell answers the question in the gripping best addiction recovery books memoir of her life as she battles bulimia on top of an addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. Recounting the progression from an idyllic childhood to a monstrous meth addiction, Amy Dresner explores her recovery journey in this insightful memoir.

• Furthermore, this book helps you understand how you became addicted and why you behave the way you did.
• Addiction is a complex disease that can impact an individual, as well as their family and loved ones.
• She discusses the brain functions that relate to addiction, as well as tools for self-empowerment.
• If there is one book that has changed my life for the better, this is it.
• He continues to write fiction and remains in committed recovery.
• While books are a useful tool, you deserve support from trained professionals in your journey to recovery.

If you or someone you know someone is struggling with addiction and ready for help, contact Futures Recovery Healthcare today. Debut novel from Nico Walker who wrote it while incarcerated for bank robbery. The honest and accurate portrayal of addiction and withdrawal has led to it being called the “first great novel of the opioid epidemic”. I started reading addiction memoirs in college, well before I admitted to having an alcohol use disorder.

SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. Find treatment facilities and programs in the United States or U.S. I added it to the list as a reminder of what can happen to a relatively“normal”person when addiction takes hold of their lives. I recommend this book for those who wish to learn the history of one of our country’s biggest struggles.

Drunk Mom: A Memoir By Jowita Bydlowska

Learning more about addiction can help you make sense of your struggles and inspire you to seek a life of sobriety. While books are a useful tool, you deserve support from trained professionals in your journey to recovery. Gain practical knowledge in this science-based work by clinician and psychiatrist Adam Bisaga. In this work, Bisaga explains why opioid addiction requires a unique treatment approach compared to other drug dependencies. The book also details various methods of treatment for opioid addiction and how to select the right method for yourself or a loved one. Keep reading for our round-up of the best addiction recovery books. TIME magazine has called Melody Beattie “an American phenomenon,” and this book—which has sold more than 5 million copies—is big reason why.

Author: Deborah Weatherspoon