Carrie Fisher, Augusten Burroughs, Leslie Jamison: 15 great recovery memoirs

It brings together narratives from patients in treatment with neuroscience research to describe how addiction hijacks brain functions. It is a useful book for understanding addiction as a chronic illness and the physical challenges of recovery. Beck is a loving husband, father, and respected business owner who drinks two bottles of wine a night. Unwilling to call himself an alcoholic, he tries everything to curb his drinking without success.

• In “Being Sober,” you benefit from author Harry Haroutounian’s expertise at the forefront of recovery and addiction treatment.
• At Anabranch Recovery Center, we believe this is a useful way to think about treatment for a substance use disorder.
• The author also provides practical advice on accepting the reality of addiction.
• If you are a loved one of someone who’s an active addict or in recovery, it’s likely that life will take you to many unexpected turns and you will have to deal with many situations.
• Dash explains strategies and routines that helped him refocus and find recovery from his addictions.
• This book is written from a different perspective and tells the story of an addiction treatment professional who got caught up in alcoholism.

Getting Help to Support Your Addicted Loved One

Growing up on her family’s 25-acre farm in Maine, Erin French developed a lifelong passion for cooking and food. She worked as a line cook in her family’s diner and eventually became a professional chef herself, opening the world-renowned restaurant The Lost Kitchen. Along the way, single motherhood, a broken marriage, and an addiction to prescription pills presented obstacles that French wasn’t sure she could overcome. But she prevailed, thanks to the lessons first learned on the farm and the love and support of her community. Finding Freedom, French’s remarkable new memoir, chronicles her inspiring journey. The more tools you have at your disposal, the more readily you can embrace the road to recovery.

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Add to that the danger of addiction, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. For years, Dan Peres juggled a deadline-driven career while in the throes of addiction. best alcoholic memoirs Teetering on the brink, Peres realizes he must let go of his frenetic lifestyle to reclaim his life and kick his (at its peak) 60-pill-a-day habit.

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• 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.
• The life of a high-powered New York City magazine editor is undeniably stressful.
• Like our list and have already read some of the books we listed?
• A hopeful, inspiring story, “Beautiful Boy” has the power to show anyone dealing with addiction that they are not alone.

Erica Garza’s addiction to sex and pornography leads her down a dangerous path. Grappling with low self-esteem, self-loathing, and loneliness, Garza seeks out a reprieve from her suffering in brothels, hookups, and the inevitable blackouts. Like many addictions, Garza’s will get worse before she seeks help and finally comes to terms with her obsessions. The life of a high-powered New York City magazine editor is undeniably stressful.

Addict in the Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery

Frey’s relationship with this gangster forms the backbone of the narrative. He never glamorizes addiction, but rather outlines the train wreck his life had become in spare but always engaging prose. With run-on sentences and a disregard for traditional punctuation, this intense monologue leaves you in no doubt about one thing. Even if you feel your life has been shattered into a million little pieces, recovery is always possible. The book includes comprehensive examples, check-lists, and facts that anyone can use to identify signs of unhealthy dependence in a relationship.

• Haroutounian uses straighforward language, and lays out a proven path towards emotional stability and a life based on gratitude, dignity and self-respect.
• She speaks on her low points and her positive turning points, which makes reading “Black Out” more like listening to a friend speak about their journey over coffee.
• Along with educational insights on substance use disorders, the books provide multiple perspectives from those who have successfully traversed the road to recovery.
• This is what makes food addiction such a difficult thing to understand and overcome.
• The right books can help spouses, children, and parents of substance abusers learn more about addiction, substance abuse, and recovery.

If reading a book isn’t your style, or you prefer something for your commute, check out this blog post on the five best addiction recovery podcasts. The Empathy Exams author’s stunning book juxtaposes her own relationship to addiction with stories of literary legends like Raymond Carver, and imbues it with rich cultural history. The result is a definitive treatment of the American recovery movement—a memoir in the subgenre like no other. Authored by addiction professionals, Beyond Addiction illustrates how people can use positive reinforcement, behavior strategies, and kindness to help their loved ones achieve sobriety.

‘Learning the Language of Addiction Counseling’ by Geri Miller