Carrie Fisher, Augusten Burroughs, Leslie Jamison: 15 great recovery memoirs

Offering an easy-to-grasp explanation of the brain and addiction, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts promotes compassionate self-understanding as a pillar of health and healing. Former “20/20” anchor Elizabeth Vargas shares her story of anxiety and alcohol use disorder in this compelling memoir. Between Breaths reveals how she lived in denial and secrecy for years before finally entering rehab and a life of sobriety. The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober explores the role alcohol plays in our world and insights from top neuroscientists and psychologists about why we drink. Discussing alcohol’s impact on our health and minds, author Catherine Gray illustrates how a sober life can truly be intoxicating.

Ahead, see the 15 stories of struggle, failure, recovery, and grace that move us the most. Probably the least-known work of the Brontë sisters, by the least-known sister, Anne’s second and last novel was published to great success in 1848. Helen ultimately escapes her marriage best books about alcoholism and pretends to be a widow, earning a living as an artist to care for herself and her young son. 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.

Quit Like a Woman

The marketing strategies employed to sell booze to women are as alarming as the skyrocketing number of women who qualify as having alcohol use disorders. Ann’s book is such a unique and insightful combination of personal experience and scientific research. Today, some of my favorite works of fiction are those which manage to portray the complex https://ecosoberhouse.com/ multitudes of ways in which alcoholism affects people—not just the addicts themselves, but their friends, family, and co-workers. It is easy to use addiction as a crutch, a way to build plot or signal “here’s a bad dude,” but it is much harder to accurately and humanely depict the life-warping pain of struggling with alcoholism.

Not just an explanation of how modern science perceives addiction, “Alcohol Explained” also provides insight into how to defeat the addiction. A best-selling memoir released in 2017, “How to Murder Your Life”, written by Cat Marnell, tells the story of Marnell’s affluent youth and transition into drug addiction after continued use of Adderall. The memoir is 384 pages long, and details how Marnell attempted to balance a career in journalism in New York City with her alcohol and drug addiction. Marnell contends with an ability to do her job properly and even consider suicide.

‘Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book,’ by William G. Wilson (Bill W.)

1
author picked

The Lost Weekend
as one of their favorite books, and they share
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A House Is a Body
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it. Gilbert helps us understand the noisy voice in our head, which can often be our greatest critic.

  • Elizabeth Vargas takes off her perfectly poised reporter mask and shows you the authentic person behind the anchor desk.
  • This is one reason why Alcoholics Anonymous has always operated as a group, as the sobriety organization follows the methods outlined in, “The Big Book”.
  • These dreamlike stories feature characters who are lost and dislocated, carried along by other people’s desires, and the best of them have something to say about art as well as relationships.

He understands the emotional and psychological factors contributing to addiction and knows how to help people overcome them. In addition, Craig’s formal training and certifications provide him with the knowledge and skills to develop effective strategies and techniques for addiction recovery. The Stop Drinking Expert approach to alcohol addiction uses a unique combination of CBT techniques and NLP reframing. Craig’s qualifications are evident in his successful track record helping people quit drinking.

Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Meth Addiction, David Sheff

Prolific, brilliant memoirist Mary Karr shines a light on the dark years she spent descending into alcoholism and drug use as a young writer, wife, and mother. As her marriage dissolved and she struggled to find a reason to stay clean, Karr turned to Catholicism as a light at the end of the tunnel. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. I recommend this book to literally everyone who wants to examine their relationship with alcohol. But I especially recommend it to women because of how QLAW calls out dating culture for permitting and encouraging alcohol use as a so-called social lubricant.