It’s time to take a look at our growing library of books about addiction and recovery. Once again, we reached out to folks in various stages of their own healing journeys and asked what books they enjoyed, found comfort in, laughed with, cried over, and learned from. Today, we have 4 titles from the list and a few extra links for you to visit and enjoy.
● Between Breaths: A memoir of panic and addiction (2016). Actress and reporter, Elizabeth Vargas writes about her long struggle with anxiety and alcoholism in this memoir. The book is described as inspiring, honest, and hopeful. Read the Publisher’s Weekly review of the book HERE. You can listen to Ms. Vargas talk about the book ann her experiences with addiction and recovery on her podcast Heart of the Matter.
● I’m Just Happy to Be Here: A memoir of renegade mothering (2018). Janelle Hanchett writes about how the stressors of early marriage and motherhood pushed her toward addiction and shares her winding path toward recovery. Kirkus Reviews describes the book as “a searingly candid memoir.” Read the full review HERE. Ms. Hanchett has a blog called Renegade Mothering that is mostly focused on parenting, but she also shares essays about her experiences and opinions about addiction.
● Nothing Good Can Come From This (2018). This book is a collection of essays by writer Kristi Coulter. Back in 2016, Ms. Coulter published an essay on Medium called, Enjoli, a critical observation (from the early months of her own sobriety) of the role of alcohol in women’s lives. That essay evidently took the internet by storm, and she ultimately published it in the collection, Nothing Good Can Come From This. Read a full review of the book from the Chicago Review of Books, HERE.
● The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: Discovering a happy, healthy, wealthy alcohol-free life (2017). This is a memoir by Catherine Gray. The author writes that 2/3rds of her book is about “what comes after the quitting” because that’s what she was most curious about when she was still drinking. Gray’s book is described as honest, witty, and according to The Times, “not remotely preachy.” You can read more about the book and about Catherine Gray HERE.
The first steps toward recovery are, as we’ve said in earlier posts, often taken long before the quitting actually happens. We gather information, drum up courage, talk ourselves in and out of stopping, and sometimes feel very alone. It can feel like nobody in our circle of circles understands or would support us if we decided to quit. Fortunately, there are folks out there already walking their own paths to healing and recovery, and they’re writing and talking about it.
In this post, we’ve introduced 4 books about addiction and recovery, and we’ve shared some blog sites and even a podcast from these authors. We hope that these offerings give you a sense of connection, offer nuggets of information, and give you inspiration and motivation to start or continue the journey of recovery. If we can help you on this path, please reach out. You can use the chat function on any page of this website or call us at 1-888-448-LUNA.
Dr. Allaire received his Bachelors of Science in Biology from the University of Houston, as Valedictorian of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and his Medical Doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine, where he served as Chief Resident. He is the medical monitor for the Physician Counseling Committee of the Harris County Medical Society and the Medical Director of Serenity House Detox. Dr. Allaire specializes in medically assisted detox cases, treating patients in recovery from addiction or other mental health disorders, the medical assessment and monitoring of patients with addictive disorders, medical care related to eating disorders and the medical treatment of patients with mental health conditions.
