Books are our friends. Sometimes they are the only friend we can find. Books don’t talk back. Books don’t share your secrets. Books often hold nuggets of wisdom that set you on a  path of change and healing. Listed below are some of my favorite books on addiction-related matters. The list will change as I discover new resources to share.

Bible – this Book holds the key to our happiness, freedom, and restoration

The Big Book – The Alcoholic Anonymous text for members. Great source of information for family and friends to understand the basics of 12-Step recovery.

The Basic Text – The Narcotics Anonymous text for members. Great source of information for family and friends to understand the basics of 12-step recovery.

Don’t Let Your Kids Kill You -Charles Rubin. The father of two addicts, Rubin candidly shares his journey of addiction with his sons. The book evolved from his personal journal of living with his sons. Excellent resource.

The Five Love Languages - Dr. Gary Chapman – will help you recognize your own “love language,” how you speak and understand emotional love. This book will also help you recognize your spouse’s and children’s love languages. He wrote a Love Languages version for children and teens.

Boundaries – Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsed. A classic book on learning to set boundaries to protect yourself and your family emotionally–learning when to say “yes” and when to say “no.”

Healing the Shame that Binds You – John Bradshaw. The book deals with toxic shame and how it affects all aspects of our lives.

Beautiful Boy – David Sheff. This memoir, written by New York Times author, David Sheff, recounts the nightmare of living with his son’s methamphetamine addiction and how his son’s addiction became him. Riveting story.

The Addictive Personality: Understanding the Addiction Process and Compulsive Behavior – Craig Nakken. A small book that packs a powerful punch on understanding the addictive process. I attended a class in which Mr. Nakken taught his book, and he was fascinating. He is in recovery so he speaks from personal experience.

Addict in the Family: Stories of Loss, Hope & Recovery – Beverly Conyers. The author’s daughter is a heroin addict and the book is an interweaving of the author’s story with those of parents she met in Nar-Anon and Al-Anon meetings.

Everything Changes: Help for Families of Newly Recovering Addicts – Beverly Conyers. This book is an excellent source of living with an addict when they come out of treatment and are trying to renogiate family dynamics. Highly recommend.

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