Best 20 Books About Addiction Recovery to Read in 2020

Choosing Therapy may be compensated for referrals by the companies mentioned below. “Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us.” Tozer is another author who has changed the course of my life and relationship with God. One of the most gifted and poetic writers of all time,Pursuitdraws the reader into an even more intimate Sober Home relationship with God than ever before. Tozer has many classics that every Christian should pick up on a daily basis. As a pastor, I often get asked what my must-have Christian books are. Not only does it help me grow in my relationship with God, but I also broaden and deepen my knowledge, reduce stress and create time for contemplation.

In Quit Drinking Without Willpower, Allen Carr’s Easyway method has been applied to problem drinking…. Many of them, like Caroline Knapp, started in their early teens and began to use alcohol as “liquid armor”…. Commonly referred to as the “Twelve and Twelve”, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions comprises 24 foundational essays by Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill W. Members worldwide both to get and stay sober “one day at a time”…. Frank, funny, and always judgment-free, Sober Curiousis a bold guide to choosing to live hangover-free, from Ruby Warrington, one of the leading voices of the new sobriety movement…. Annie Grace presents the psychological and neurological components of alcohol use based on the latest science and reveals the cultural, social, and industry factors that support alcohol dependence…. The information on this website is not intended to be a substitute for, or to be relied upon as, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or qualified health provider with questions regarding a medical condition. Dr. Roy took the time to talk to us about harm reduction, the effectiveness of addiction medications, and the inspiring resilience she sees in her patients. A new horror film explores how the hardest person to learn to love is sometimes yourself.

Alcohol And The Addictive Brain

Dr. Claudia Black does a fantastic job of reaching children with her book. Written for children between the ages of 5-12, Dr. Black reaches children with exercises that allow them to express their feelings. Children are greatly affected, and Dr. Black understands the impact of them holding their true feelings best books on alcohol addiction inside and not talking about their feelings. If you know a child that could benefit from this book, we highly recommend that you have them go through it. One of the many challenges we face as professionals are the family’s inability to let go and the overwhelming need to control the situation.

• I also liked how it relayed that music can be healing no matter what genre the music may be.
• Marnell contends with an ability to do her job properly and even consider suicide.
• Mainstream recovery programs have very little to say about personal achievement.
• Mitchell is one of the exceptions, and she sets a wonderful example for others to follow and not lose hope.
• At 256 pages, it is a decently long read, chock full of information and methods that can be actively applied by addicts to combat alcohol addiction.
• 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.

There’s a new kind of thinking in the recovery world, and all of that is thanks to McKowen’s memoir. From drinks at baby showers to work events, brunch and book clubs, graduations, and funerals, alcohol’s ubiquity are a given and the only time that people get uncomfortable is when someone doesn’t drink. It would be really easy to simply gloss over the pivotal, seeping role of alcoholism in this book, being as it is, a truly gripping murder story. And yet, the psychological terror of the book is informed by the dual psychosis of its main characters, one of whom is a young man, an alcoholic who seems intent on destroying his organs as quickly as possible. Bruno’s complete lack of contact with reality makes his alcoholism seemingly beside the point, but as the story progresses, I find my sympathies shifting as Bruno becomes more and more helplessly imprisoned by his disease. Highsmith manages to humanely portray a murdering, rich, hapless drunk so that near the end, one inevitably feels more complicated and ravaged by both Highsmith and Bruno’s trickery. Recommended by Katherine KetchamFrom Katherine’s list onthe best books about addiction, recovery, and the triumph of the human spirit. Recommended by Deb PalmerFrom Deb’s list onthe best books portraying addiction and family dysfunction with honesty, compassion, and humor.

Recovery Memoirs to Inspire You to Quit Drinking

Harrowing and brutally honest, this memoir is the chronicle of a man on a collision course with life, who ultimately finds the strength and courage to conquer his demons and believe once more. I loved it because I felt like it dealt with the subject of depression and self-harm in a really relatable and compassionate way. I also liked how it relayed that music can be healing no matter what genre the music may be. When you buy through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Dr. Gabor Mate provides strong insight into addiction and all the forces that drive it, along with suggested solutions. Whether you agree or disagree, anything you watch or read by Dr. Gabor Mate is worth it. If you search online, you will find many videos and material by Dr. Gabor Mate. Of all his books, In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts is one of his best.

She always completed whatever was on the to-do list but always with this reward on top of her mind. It took her until she was forty to realize this was neither normal nor healthy. 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. She ultimately identifies how we all crave love and how that loneliness can shape who we are, addicted and not. After getting sober, Allen devoted her life to recovery, and her memoir explores the life she lived through to get to where she is today. Recommended by Jay CrownoverFrom Jay’s list onthe best books to read if you love the Warped Tour. Unexplained men and bruises the next morning are only a few of the unremembered experiences Sarah Hepola recalls in this honest, raw, poignant memoir. Finding that her creativity didn’t come from a bottle, she gets sober and finds a life she didn’t know she wanted. 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.

Instead, he began a love affair with the bottle and barely crawled out, but he did, and we cheer him on at each twist and turn in his journey. Recover from addiction at home with medication and online therapy––from the leader in virtual addiction care. A darkly comic, honest, and completely relatable inside look at high-functioning addiction in the world of corporate law-a sort of ‘Sex and the Psych Ward.’ It’s inspiring, informative, and impossible to put down. Harris Wittels didn’t fit the stereotype of what a junkie looks like. He was a successful comedian, actor, producer, and writer for Sarah Silverman and on shows like Parks and Recreation and Master of None. Even with all his talent and jobs coming his way, he was not able to get clean and stay clean, eventually dying from an overdose in 2015 at age 29. Everything is Horrible and Wonderful is written by Harris’s sister, Stephanie, about his tragic death and the aftermath of losing her younger brother who was her best friend and also an addict.

Without scare tactics, pain, or rules, she offers a strategy to give you freedom from alcohol. By addressing causes rather than symptoms, it is framed as a permanent solution rather than lifetime struggle. It removes the psychological dependence; allowing you to easily drink less . Sarah’s writing is sharp and relatable; a more recent, modern voice in the recovery space. So many of us look at “blacking out” as benign, or normal—an indicator of a “successful” night of drinking.

Whether you like Alcoholics Anonymous or not, the book has amazing insight. We believe every addict, alcoholic, and family should read it as they will find themselves in the text at some point. When AA Doesn’t Work For You,” there’s another approach to treating alcoholism. Despite Alcoholics Anonymous helping many people in their recovery, Ellis argues people with alcoholism have irrational thoughts and beliefs that keep them tied to their addiction. Through rational emotive therapy — developed by Ellis — people with alcohol addictions can challenge these thoughts and beliefs and replace them with healthier ones. About 21.5 million people in the United States ages 12 and above have substance abuse disorders.

Some things are inherited, including the baggage that may come from a parent or guardian. An alcoholic family member can have a significant and lasting impact on you. Traumatic stress, author Mark Wolynn argues, may actually be passed from generation to generation. At Banyan Treatment Centers Massachusetts, we offer resources, and the therapeutic methods patients need to achieve emotional sobriety. In addition, patients can learn from the 12-step program’s methods that will help addicts overcome and prevent relapse. Our team of experts provides a clean and safe environment for patients to go through withdrawal symptoms and the treatment process effectively. Books are a wonderful resource, providing tools and advice that can change someone’s mind, thus their outcome.

Alcoholism is defined by medical professionals as a physical and or psychological dependence on drinking alcohol. The condition can manifest in both mild and extreme cases, and impacts every individual differently. Alcoholism can be harmful to the mind, causing mental illness, and to the body, causing a variety of dangerous and sometimes life threatening diseases. If not handled responsibly, alcoholism can lead to such a serious dependence that recovery and professional rehabilitation is required, although both of those resources can provide permanent relief. One of the tools that individuals battling alcoholism can turn to are books that describe the experiences different individuals have with alcoholism and the many methods that the addiction can be treated. The book Emmy’s Question, written by Jeanine Auth, is about Emmy wanting an answer to why her mom chose alcohol over her. At the risk of spoiling the answer to those who have not read the book, we will just say it is a must-read for children and adults of alcoholic and drug-addicted parents. The pain you feel of Emmy keeping mom’s alcoholism a secret is overwhelming. Any family reading this article and who reads this book will probably think twice about waiting another day to intervene on their loved one’s addiction when the addicted person has children who are being affected.

Both spent time in 12-step programs and outpatient facilities, and both have their own takes on what makes recovery work. Annie Grace writes with clarity, insight, and kindness in this science-backed book on alcoholism that’s part memoir, part practice. Some drinkers may be hesitant to let go of drinking because they perceive a sober life as one equated with boredom and misery. Here, Grace encourages readers to consider a life beyond drinking, where they live presently and without strong cravings or compulsions. Gray has been sober since 2013, and she’s developed so many other habits to find happiness, which are all described in “The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober”. This book should absolutely be read by people who are wondering what happens after quitting drinking.