I recently came to terms with my own problematic relationship with alcohol, and my one solace has been in books. I’ve best memoirs about alcoholism dug into memoir after memoir, tiptoed into the hard science books, and enjoyed the fiction from afar. The following are a smattering of the books about alcoholism I’ve found meaningful. Finally, at the behest of his coworkers and boss, he ends up in a rehab that specifically caters to gay and lesbian patients. Once his 30 days are up, he has to figure out how to return to his New York City lifestyle sans alcohol. Burroughs’ story is one of triumph and loss, professional success and personal failure, finding your way to sobriety, falling into relapse, and starting all over again.
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Learning how to socialize without drinking is like learning a whole new language, say Spanish. I also appreciate that she interviewed top psychiatrists and neuroscientists for this book to get a better understanding of what drives us to become addicted to alcohol. It’s gritty, honest, and not the perfect, happy ending we’re all looking for, but it’s real.
The final audiobook on this list is another powerful work of fiction. Only he has no recollection of how he got there—and he’s not sure he wants to remember either. Accomplished actor MacLeod Andrews narrates Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s powerful, beautifully written novel. This Naked Mind by Annie Grace is one of the most loved sobriety books ever written. In it, Annie talks about her own experiences with addiction while keeping things deeply relatable to anyone who’s questioned alcohol’s role in their life.
Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget
Especially the evolution of mommy drinking culture and how we got to this place where we’ve tried to normalize drinking to cope with the stresses of being a woman in today’s modern world. Are you flirting with the idea of taking a break from alcohol? Or maybe it’s time to quit for good, but the thought freaks you out, and you don’t know where to start. In this much-anticipated follow-up to the memoir Tweak, Nick Scheff tells all about his rocky recovery from heroin and crystal meth. Self Recovery is a private, science-based, online addiction recovery program. The Italian cardiologist and fellow of the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine proposes five books on Medicinal Marijuana and explains why we should be reading them.
Addiction Memoirs
- And the portrait of heroin addiction it depicts is a painful reality for many people.
- These memoirs by female writers may strike a cord with women in treatment or help their loved ones better understand the experience of a female substance abuser.
- The book was so upsetting to her sister Charlotte that, after Anne’s death she passed on the chance to have it reprinted, and the book was neglected for a really long time.
- Shortly after accepting she had a problem with alcohol, she thought a lot about how some people are lucky enough to be able to drink normally without it controlling their life.
If you’re looking for more sobriety resources, check out Monument’s therapist-moderated alcohol support groups and anonymous online forum. Written by a cognitive neuroscientist with former substance use struggles, Marc Lewis emphasizes the habitual reward loop in the brain that can cause a substance use disorder to develop. This book also examines the brain’s ability to create new neural pathways and lose the desire to use substances.
Alcohol Recovery Coaching Transformed My Life
Through three sections, he uncovers the motives of three generations of the https://www.itraders.it/2021/08/09/why-you-bruise-more-easily-when-you-drink-alcohol-5/ family, revealing how well-intentioned beginnings turned into greed and manipulation, leading to widespread abuse of the drug. Set in a town grappling with an opioid epidemic, the story navigates the dark consequences of her actions, compelling readers to examine their own moral compass. Raised by a teenage single mother in challenging circumstances, Demon faces a series of hardships, from foster care to addiction, while reckoning with his own invisibility in a society that has seemingly abandoned his. However, as she enters a recovery center as the only Black patient, the story takes unexpected turns, delving into a surprising connection with another person in the program.
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté
It was every bit as gruelling and heartbreaking as the truth required it to be. And I can’t think of a better compliment to alcoholism a writer of addiction memoir – or, indeed, any writer – than that. But Ditlevsen’s single conventional moment also, I think, underlines her originality. The result was a tale whose bracing darkness is ultimately redeemed not by its perfunctorily hopeful ending but by the extraordinary force and beauty of its telling. Although previous literary history had portrayed a number of addicts, only a very small number could be found outside fiction—although some well known examples were only fictional in a nominal sense. The eponymous hero of novel John Barleycorn (1913) is really its author, Jack London.
The Recovering by Leslie Jamison
It is the real deal and Cat is a talented writer, but most of all a survivor. Next we have Mary Karr’s Lit, which is also the third book in a trilogy; it followed The Liars’ Club and Cherry. It’s a memoir of her addiction to alcohol, and her subsequent recovery, and her conversion to Catholicism. In college, my friends and I joked that it’s not alcoholism until you graduate. Then I told myself it was because I was a journalist working the night shift.
#6 – Addicts in the Family: Stories of Loss, Hope and Recovery by Beverly Conyers
Also, Lovato is known for her openness about her battles with substance abuse and eating disorders. Through her experiences, she offers encouragement and practical wisdom to help others stay resilient through life’s challenges. From moving memoirs to self-help guides, these are some of the best listens on addiction and recovery we’ve found.
- But seriously, I hope at least one of these memoirs speaks to you.
- But despite that success, Stahl’s heroin habit began to consume him, derailing his career and destroying his health until one final, intense crisis inspired him to get clean.
- Always seek the advice of a physician or qualified health provider with questions regarding a medical condition.
- She’s drawn to Marlena’s world and joins her on an adventure of drinking, smoking, and kissing.
- It is the real deal and Cat is a talented writer, but most of all a survivor.
We publish your favorite authors—even the ones you haven’t read yet. 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. Why else would I have been mesmerized by When a Man Loves a Woman or 28 Days in my early 20s? These movies and books let me know I was not alone, that there were other people walking around who drank like I did. To vote on books not in the list or books you couldn’t find in the list, you can click on the tab add books to this list and then choose from your books, or simply search.
In this curated list, you’ll find a mix of compelling memoirs from people who’ve lived through addiction and recovery, and evidence-based works that break down the neuroscience, psychology, and social factors behind it. From the raw honesty of personal downfall to the clarity of clinical research, these 14 books illuminate addiction from every angle. While This Naked Mind shows that you have the tools to reprogram your mind and live a life free from alcohol, Cold Turkey offers practical steps to get you through the first month of recovery. Like Annie Grace, Mishka Shubaly uses his own messy history with alcoholism and recovery to show just how difficult the road to recovery can be.
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