I’ve finally added my ever growing list of sobriety literature! In the above menu bar you should now see Anna’s Recovery Library and it will take you to the books I’ve been reading and contains fact based addiction studies as well as lots of personal memoirs. It’s funny because my favourite book of all time is a heartbreaking account of addiction: And I Don’t Want to Live This Life by Deborah Spungen – I read it for the first time when I was just 13 years old or so and I must have, over the years, read it at least 20 times over. It always grabbed me and touched me, even long before I sank into addiction myself.
Anyway, there it is and I will keep on adding to it as I travel through the world of the written word. There is no particular order and I’ve not yet added my own comments to each title but I will at some stage. For me it’s fundamentally a desire to learn and understand addiction – both my own and in general. More important than ever now that I work at a rehab facility. Some books make me go “oh my goodness, this is ME!” and others have me raising an eyebrow and think “I don’t relate to this AT ALL!” but whatever the book or study, I always learn something and I remain very open minded even with the big questions such as whether addiction is a disease or purely behavioural.
There we are! Perhaps someone will find it useful, and as ever, please do recommend any books or whatever else you feel is insightful or helpful or even really provocative!
Today I’m not going to drink.
Storm in a Wine Glass 
Thank youuuuu!!!😁
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😘👍
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Knowledge is power!! ❤️❤️
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This Recovery Library is a great idea, Anna.
I’ve been wanting to “chat” to you for days. I’ve been trawling my way through Beautiful Boy for weeks now. Trawling’s not the right word really… but it isn’t because it’s hard to read. It’s me! I just don’t have the concentration. But the David Sheff book is definitely holding my interest. I WANT to finish it. I’m half way through. It’s like I’m reading about myself, my life, my parenting skills (or lack thereof). It is breaking my heart to read it and yet it’s giving me hope too. I have cried and smiled and laughed. I have thought of YOU many times. Fancy meeting for coffee? Hahaha xx
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Yes. YES. I would love to do that. ❤️
Weirdly it’s the father’s book that I found grabbed me more too and reacted just how you describe, and whose pain I felt more than the addicted son’s book. Xx
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I have Nic’s book on my Kindle too but I was always going to read David’s first. I think I’ll be nervous about reading the addict’s story…
Unlike David, I haven’t researched the addictions quite as thoroughly but there’s always been a part of me that didn’t want to know THAT much. I’ve found some of the story quite heartbreaking but in a style that I love reading. It’s right up my street.
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I think what David’s book (unfortunately) shows is how there is no right or wrong or how we can help or what have you. OK, perhaps not quite as bleak as that but you know what I mean. I read it and thought his way was sensible and how I’d want to go about it as a parent and then you are confronted with how fruitless (and sometimes even wrong) it might have been.
My favourite book (the one by Deborah Spungen) is similarly harrowing – a hopeless and never ending nightmare where all she can do is watch as her daughter sinks. Although her daughter was in all likelihood schizophrenic and had a whole lot of other mental health issues.
Nic’s book really showed, I think, how ugly addiction is and how selfish and dishonest it makes us. I read it and almost disliked him – AND YES THAT MAKES ME BOTH STUPID AND A HYPOCRITE!!!! I can see how that part would be extremely difficult for you when it’s so close to home. Spungen’s book might also be horrendous even though it’s from the mother’s perspective.
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Fantastic post. I feel totally inspired. Keep up the amazing work!
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Have you read: Kristi Coulter, Amy Dresner or Jenny Valentish? Absolutely stunning writers of addiction/recovery. Highly recommended. If you haven’t already read them, that is. Thanks so much for your recommendations! Hope you’re well x
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Thank you!! I will look those up! 😘👍
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