4 Books About Addiction Recovery to Help Inspire Positive Change in Your Life
When recovering from any sort of addiction, it often feels like you’re all alone. The truth is that addiction is common. More people suffer from it than most of us realize.
Something good to come from this is the fact that those experiences help us in our own fight against addiction. Instead of letting that segregated feeling consume our every thought, we read about others who’ve gone through the exact same thing.
If you’re in a dark place right now, try reading some of these books about addiction recovery. They’ll help far more than you think.
1. Black Out by Sarah Hepola
This book tells the story of a woman who goes on a feminist and freedom-inspired drinking binge that doesn’t ever seem to stop. In the end, everything catches up with her and she must find a way to begin that long road to recovery.
Humor, sorrow, and self-realization are only some of the starring emotions portrayed in this book. A witty writing style makes this book a quick read even though the heavy topics don’t make it easy to digest.
But despite the darker tones, there’s a hint of quirk and amusement that shine in this all too familiar story.
2. How to Grow Up by Michelle Tea
Coming to the realization that something needs to change is one of the most difficult parts of recovery.
This entire journey is what makes this book one of the more interesting recovery books around. It reads more like a how-to book than a memoir at times, guiding the reader through each step.
Follow along with the story as the character finds out that their addiction isn’t what they treasure most in life.
3. Party Girl by Anna David
This story focuses on the ultimate question all addiction recovery books need to ask: what do I do now?
After the protagonist breaks free of her addiction and is steady on the road to sobriety, she’s faced with obstacle after obstacle. Each one dents her new sober armor a little bit, making the next one even hard to face.
This book does a great job of showing the struggle of someone who is doing everything the right way but needs to stay strong against all odds. Nothing worth having is ever easy.
4. Permanent Midnight by Jerry Stahl
Even those who are both successful and creative struggle with addiction. This gripping memoir show this with sharp clarity.
Heroin addiction causes this writer to make many mistakes throughout his life, even against his own better judgment. It shares with the world all of the terrible side effects of some of the harshest of drugs.
The way it’s presented in this book makes the entire journey both captivating and educational.
The eventual and heart-wrenching downfall is hard to swallow. But it leads to a better life for him and his family.
Let These Books About Addiction Inspire You
With these books and their experiences at your side, addiction recovery becomes a little easier. It’s always good to learn from both the mistakes and victories written upon those pages.
But we all have our own stories to tell. The books about addiction recovery listed above are only a few points of view.
Your own story might help someone else in their recovery someday. So why not try your hand at writing your own memoir? Don’t forget to check out these tips on becoming a better writer to give your memoir the best start possible.