With the shorter days and cooler temps, many find they spend more time indoors. If curious about addiction and recovery for a loved one or yourself, you can take this time to read up on the latest findings in addiction, find inspiration from those in recovery, or dive into other self-help books commonly suggested while in addiction recovery.
Whether your preference is hardcover, paperback, digital, or audio, you can find a wide assortment of books dealing with addiction, recovery, and co-occurring disorders. The following lists some reading resources you can enjoy over the winter season.
8 Books Covering Addiction and Recovery
Visit any bookstore or browse online, you’ll find a vast number of books covering addiction. Here, we’ll help you get started. You can find these titles at many of your favorite online retailers and possibly in your neighborhood library.
Beautiful Boy
Beautiful Boy is an autobiographical account of a family’s experience with their son’s drug addiction. Written by the father, David Sheff, this work of non-fiction is heartbreaking and haunting, yet hopeful and beautiful.
High: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction
Also authored by David Shef, High teams with his son, Nic Sheff and provides parents and children firsthand knowledge of drug use, addiction, its effects, and recovery. No sugar coating in this book, the father/son team offers testimonials from those who have lived through it and how to avoid pitfalls of peer pressure and turning to drugs and/or alcohol during times of stress.
Sober on a Drunk Planet: Giving Up Alcohol. The Unexpected Shortcut to Finding Happiness, Health, and Financial Freedom
From the real cost and time of hangovers to appearing younger and less “mental” moments, author Sean Alexander writes how alcohol is socially acceptable yet all too often damages relationships, health, and getting ahead.
The Weight of Air: A Story of the Lies About Addiction and the Truth about Recovery
The author, David Poses, shares his story of mental illness and heroin addiction. Through several bouts of recovery and relapse, Poses explores how his drug use stemmed from depression and how traditional recovery models may not be the most effective in healing from addiction.
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself
With a revised edition just released this October, Codependent No More by Melody Beattie is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and covers how many lose themselves in caring for others. Inside the book, readers can find personal narratives, reflections, and exercises. This newest edition also includes a chapter on anxiety and trauma.
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life
Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. john Townsend help people regain control of their life through understanding limitations and setting clear boundaries in relationships. Readers can pair this book with an accompanying workbook and also explore its other titles pertaining to regaining trust in relationships, dating, marriage, and setting boundaries with children and teens.
Understanding Addiction: Know Science, No Stigma
For those who enjoy a more scientific approach to understanding addiction, Drs. Chuck Smith and Jason Hunt discuss how addiction is a disease affecting the brain. The book covers the complexity of substance misuse disorder in an easy-to- understand way.
On the Edge of Shattered: A Mother’s Experience of Discovering Freedom Through Sobriety
Author Kimberly Kearns recounts her story into alcoholism. As a woman and mother, she felt alone and many may find her raw honesty and relationship with alcohol familiar. After making the decision to quit, Kearns found there was much more to unpack during recovery… past trauma and buried memories. She is also the host of The Weekend Sober podcast.
A Season for Comfort and Joy
Take time this season to nurture yourself and connect with friends and family. For support in healing, visit the Friends and Family Support Group at Pura Vida Recovery Services. These weekly meetings are for those who need support and resources for a loved one’s addiction. Here, you can share with others and make connections in a safe and supportive environment and explore many issues surrounding addiction.
