Our current global health pandemic has many thinking about how to spend their time in ways that support their sobriety goals. Constructive activities, such as exercise and fitness or at-home projects, can provide a creative outlet and lend a sense of routine to our days. But for those who still find themselves bored or searching for motivation, books open a whole new world of possibilities. Consider reading about recovery.
Supporting Your Sobriety
Reading about addiction, the recovery process, and other people’s experiences is an accessible and informative way to support your sobriety. Finding books that resonate with you can be quite simple. Most public libraries have a well-stocked collection of reading material pertaining to alcohol and drug addiction and recovery. You can also find many online resources: up-to-date and well-written blogs, podcasts, and relatable social media platforms that provide reading material about addiction and recovery.
Check out this collection of Great Oaks’ top picks for motivational books that may support you or your loved ones through this transformative process.
1. Recovery: Freedom from our Addictions. By: Russell Brand
This popular actor and comedian has had his share of battles with both drugs and alcohol. He has written this book with a lighthearted tone, using his comedic voice and motivational words to help empower and relate to his readers. His fourteen-year struggle is explored and exposed, making for a great read!
2. Drunk Mom: A Memoir. By: Jowita Bydłowski
While she was sober for almost three years, this hard-working mother did not think much of throwing back the “occasional” drink, but when this turned into a regular habit, she knew she had suffered a major set-back in her recovery. This book gives an inside perspective from an everyday mother trying her best to hop back on the horse and tackle life day by day.
3. Terry: My Daughter’s Life and Death Struggle with Alcoholism. By: George McGovern
George McGovern served as a United States senate representative for almost eighteen years. He was also a Democratic presidential candidate and one of the first political public figures to speak so candidly about his relationship with alcoholism. Senator McGovern’s daughter, Terry, was a victim of alcohol addiction, and this is the story of the family’s struggle before Terry’s unfortunate death.
4. Smacked: A Story of White Collar Ambition, Addiction, and Tragedy. By: Eilene Zimmerman
This author, journalist, and mother candidly outlines her ex-husband’s drug addictions. Zimmerman shares her journey to overcome the traumatic experiences his addiction caused her and their children, and how she rebuilt a better life for her family after the divorce. This book may be especially helpful for mothers or fathers who are trying to maintain family stability even as their partner struggles with addiction.
5. Scar Tissue. By: Anthony Keidis and Larry Sloman
Red Hot Chilli Peppers frontman, Anthony Keidis, gets up-close and personal about his crippling struggles with hard drug use from the very beginning of his fame, lasting for years. The New York Times Bestseller list has called this book “vivid and inspiring.” It allows readers to connect with the human side of this famed rock legend.
6. Spirit Junkie: A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles. By: Gabrielle Bernstein
This book is filled with a collection of useful tips and tricks that helped the author, Gabrielle Bernstein, tackle her alcohol addiction and abuse, eating disorders, and psychological hurdles through her early adulthood. She explores the idea of using the power of positive thoughts to influence healthy lifestyle changes. This book will be helpful for those in active recovery or those helping others moving through the recovery process.
7. High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life. By: Tiffany Jenkins
Both raw and passionate, this book depicts a captivating and highly personal inside look at Tiffany Jenkins’ serious opioid addiction. For years she struggled with drugs, eventually landing herself in a Florida prison for over a hundred days of sentencing. From convicted criminal to sobriety, Tiffany walks readers through her dramatic journey with drug addiction, hoping to motivate others to seek help and stay committed to their sobriety goals.
8. A Happier Hour By: Rebecca Weller
Well-informed, 39-year-old health coach Rebecca Weller expands upon her highly dysfunctional relationship with alcohol and what it meant for her to give up her beloved social drinking habits. Her journey is both relatable and captivating, inspiring readers to break up with alcohol-laden social situations and replace them with more constructive interactions. This book may help you and your loved ones to better understand the social side to alcohol addiction.
Pick up or Tune In
Picking up a good book or tuning into an audiobook about recovery may provide additional information and helpful resources about the recovery and detox process from both drug and alcohol addictions.
We Are Here to Help
Great Oaks is here for you and your loved ones, with professionals available to answer any and all questions or concerns regarding our treatment center and programs. Contact us today!
