20 Substance Abuse Best Books to Read The 2024 Edition
We won’t spoil the movie, and regardless of whether or not it is a disease, there are effective solutions to treating addiction. 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. Secondly, it is not about whether you know it happened or what you think happened; it is about how the other person feels when anything happens. Trying to strategize and find solutions with other family members affected by the addiction is not always best alcoholic memoirs the best course of action either and often results in ineffective outcomes. When you read any Masters or Ph.D. level textbooks on counseling theories and strategies, you find strategies utilized in Alcoholics Anonymous.
- Sheff’s ability to convey the pain and loneliness that both causes and fuels addiction inspires simultaneous sympathy and fury within the reader.
- It is far more difficult to see why the enabler is comforting the addict and what benefit it is providing the enabler.
- The rest were invaluable resources for me after I quit drinking when I still needed guidance for repairing my brain, rebuilding my body, and resurrecting my spirit.
Coping with a Parent Who Overdrinks: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Michelle Shreeves
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a fascinating system for reprogramming behavior by altering cognitive associations. This book is the most basic guide for NLP that I have found, and the authors describe how using NLP has changed the lives of people they care about. Julia Ross is a pioneer of nutrient therapy, and this book explains how basic nutrients can be used with great success to cure a number of mental health issues. Texts such as this one do not deny the utility of prescription medications for patients who need them. The premise is simply that using nutrients that our bodies have evolved to use is a safer (and often more sustainable) first approach for treating mood disorders. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails.

For One More Day
His mother suffered from mental illness and addiction, creating a situation in which Burroughs was raised in a tumultuous and unpredictable manner. This book is unique in the fact that it chronicles his childhood trauma, as well as how it directly related to his first forays into drug and alcohol use. Although his childhood experience was remarkably different from the norm, it still illustrates the vulnerability that emotional abuse creates in relation to the formation of addiction.
Alcoholics Anonymous
This book follows the protagonist, Don Birnam, as he spirals into a weekend of heavy drinking, grappling with the demons of his alcoholism. The story is a poignant and raw portrayal of the struggles faced by those battling with addiction, and the devastating impact it has on their lives and relationships. Through vivid and haunting prose, Jackson paints a vivid portrait of the mind of an alcoholic, capturing the desperation and despair that comes with the disease. The Lost Weekend is a compelling and unflinching exploration of the depths of addiction, and a must-read for anyone seeking insight into the tumultuous world of alcoholism. The Spirituality of Imperfection is a captivating book about alcoholics that delves into the human search for meaning and spirituality through the power of storytelling.

What are the best alcohol addiction books of all time?
- Addiction does not improve by providing the affected person with resources, housing, food, comfort, and other forms of counterproductive support.
- She turned to alcohol and drugs in an attempt to self-medicate and treat her emotional pain.
- Exploring the thoughts of an addict and a life unraveled by narcotics, this memoir spans the author’s struggles with opioid use disorder, to her time in jail, and ultimately to her recovery.
(And for good reason!) Atomic Habits offers practical strategies for making meaningful changes to your habits and routines, one tiny step at a time. This is a self-help book by a licensed therapist that braids together anonymized client https://ecosoberhouse.com/ stories, personal narrative, psychological tools, and brain research. White thoughtfully explores boundaries, emotional regulation, body image, shame, and self-care in a way that’s actionable and accessible.
Plus, you’ll get to read beautiful writing, and expand your worldview and perspectives. If you’re looking for more sobriety resources, check out Monument’s therapist-moderated alcohol support groups and anonymous online forum. Through reading this book I came to better understand myself, my body’s physical reactions, and my mental health. It’s a tough book to read due to the descriptions of horrific traumas people have experienced, however it’s inspirational in its message of hope. Van der Kolk describes our inner resilience to manage the worst of life’s circumstances with our innate survival instinct. We can survive and even thrive despite the traumas we have endured.
Drinking

As we believe and as the book suggests, you may not have control over the addict directly, and you do have control over how you cope, react, and treat yourself concerning your loved one’s addiction. One of the most profound parts of the movie is when Nic’s father, David, is packing a bag to rescue his son. When his wife Karen, Nic’s stepmom, asked David where he was going, he said he would make Nic better. Karen said in a stressed tone, “You can’t fix this.” Whether that happened drug addiction treatment in real life or not, it was a genuine truth.