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Quit Lit: The Best Sobriety Books to Help You Quit Drinking in 2021

Topping the New York Times best-seller list at one point for several weeks, some literary critics considered Frey’s writing style to be laconic and refreshing, especially given the genre and the realism meant to be portrayed. Published in 2018, “Unwifeable”, written by Mandy Stadtmiller, is a 352 page memoir by a columnist and comedian who wrote for New York magazine amongst many other jobs in journalism and publishing. The book begins with Mandy, just divorced, moving all the way to Manhattan to pursue a career in journalism. As she meets success, Sober Home she falls into the traps of addiction, and her memoir details her battle with alcohol and other addictions over many years. How can you help a person with alcohol use disorder , formally called alcoholism? Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles.

Now, she uses her experience to help others gain back control of their lives. I can’t leave without recommending The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron’s seminal book on the subject of creativity. Is it an accident that Cameron, who has been sober since she was 29, also developed the preeminent method of unleashing one’s creativity and living a more artistic life? I couldn’t have gotten through the early months of sobriety without Cameron’s daily regimen of “morning pages,” and with the 25th anniversary edition, this cult-status audiobook has reached new heights of deserved popularity. 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. When Cupcake Brown was 11, her mother choked to death during a seizure. The young girl ended up in the foster care system, where she was physically and sexually abused. She soon became involved in alcohol and drugs and was being sexually exploited in order to get money to survive. Her account of what she remembers is savage; her fear over what she won’t ever remember is terrifying. This is a book that digs deep, exploring some of the deeper issues of why people—and women in particular—drink.

Scroll through for the best sober-curious books that’ll change the way you think about drinking.

Highly rated by critics, “The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober” is an unpretentious self-help/autobiography by Catherine Gray, a Sunday Times best-selling author, who has succeeded in selling over a quarter million books in English. “The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober” is full of Gray’s knowledge about how to lead a healthy, wealthy, and happy life free of the pitfalls that come with an alcohol addiction. Recently published in 2017, “My Fair Junkie” is a personal memoir written by standup comedian Amy Dresner. The book is 256 pages long, and tells the story of Dresner’s twenty year war against addiction. Full of all the dark humor one might expect from a professional comedian, Dresner’s memoir falls in line with some of the other memoirs written by women outlined above. As far as the history of alcohol and alcoholism is concerned, “The Big Book” takes its place as one of the first examples of a new perception regarding the science of alcohol addiction. Before its publication, the 19th Century Darwinian philosophy that character traits were inherited said that alcoholism was a genetic flaw.

These include how to recognize an alcohol use disorder and how to shift your mindset about quitting alcohol. Readers appreciated the non-judgmental and empowering nature of advice that addresses many different patterns of drinking. The memoir is effective because Marnell does not hide the warning inherent in her story. Alcohol and drugs are incredibly addictive, and Marnell is incapable of managing her abuse of both substances. For those who are struggling in a similar way, Marnell’s story serves as a warning, as well as a reminder, that although it may seem impossible, escaping from the control alcohol and drugs has over an individual is possible.

Are Books Really Helpful to Stop Drinking?

He’s participated in all the major 12-step programs, and has now started his own men’s group. In Recovery, he shares for the first time some of the tools he used to get from smoking crack to helping others stay clean. Ben Westhoff spent 4 years laying bare the trade in synthetic drugs. From Asian factories where the drug is made in bulk to the streets of the US where it’s claiming victims every day, read about all aspects of illicit opioids. James Frey’s autobiographical novel about addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine is a riveting first-hand account of a life completely out of control.
best sober books
As Smith contended with her alcoholism for over ten years, her story has many twists and turns, and having sold over 100,000 copies, it has reached a fairly wide audience. Around 95,000 people die annually from alcohol-related causes, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States. Moderating or stopping alcohol consumption involves lifestyle changes and support. Some people may choose to use apps alongside medical treatment and alcohol support groups to achieve their goals. The Sober Grid newsfeed allows people to share their thoughts, experiences, challenges, and triumphs related to recovery from addiction and sobriety. Author Maia Szalavitz shows us, through her own history, how the current disease model of addiction is not accurate. Science is used to back up the theory that addiction is not just willpower, or a “broken brain” but instead a learning/developmental disorder that lies on a spectrum. This book is powerful because it removes the stigma and takes a 21st-century look at an age-old problem. If you are wondering how you or your loved one got to a place where addiction took hold this book will help to provide you answers. Addiction can consume your life, whether it’s alcohol, drugs, or a certain behavior.

Outpatient Addiction Treatment

When we aren’t posting here, we build programs to help people quit drinking. When we aren’t posting here, we build programs to help people quit drinking. Especially not when you’re a crucial part of the cultural phenomenon called Star Wars. Things get even more interesting when you have to do all this while battling manic depression, addiction, and visiting all sorts of mental institutions as a result. In this dazzling memoir about a family’s struggle with hoarding, Kimberly Rae Miller brings to life her experience growing up in a rat-infested home while trying to hide her father’s shameful secret from friends for years. The emotional burden of her past eventually led her to attempt to take her own life. Kristi Coulter stopped drinking, she began to notice the way that women around her were always tanked, and how alcohol affected those around her. In this book, she narrates the year in which she went from a cancer diagnosis to her happiest and best self. Her journey covers sobriety, beating cancer, and building a richer life than she’d ever imagined. You’ve probably already heard the name Augusten Burroughs or at least his first memoir , Running with Scissors.

  • Written by Mackenzie Phillips, former star of the 70s sitcom One Day at a Time, “High on Arrival” is a 304 page autobiography published in 2009.
  • All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.
  • The app uses hypnotherapy, relaxation, visualization, and positive suggestion.
  • In Beautiful Boy, journalist David Sheff details his sporty son’s descent into crystal meth addiction.
  • That siren song eventually led to broadcast journalist Elizabeth Vargas to admit her addiction on national television.

“The Big Book” has helped millions of people in their journey towards sobriety, as the stories told by Dr. Bob and Bill W. Are relatable, and also because the 12-step process is one means of recovery that is widely accepted. In the tradition ofBlackoutandPermanent Midnight, a darkly funny and revealing debut memoir of one woman’s twenty-year battle with sex, drugs, and alcohol addiction, and what happens when she finally emerges on the other side. Extremely timely as more and more children are being raised by grandparents due to their parent’s addiction. Krosoczka is a well-known children’s illustrator and author who didn’t realize till later in life that his mother is an addict. Growing up, he was raised by his grandparents after she can no longer care for his basic needs due to being in and out of rehab and his father is out of the picture. TheEmpathy Examsauthor’s stunning book juxtaposes her own relationship to addiction with stories of literary legends like Raymond Carver, and imbues it with rich cultural history.

Author Laura McKowen wrote the 248 page self-help book as a combination of personal stories and methods of recovery through emphasizing mindfulness and all the blessings that come with living a healthy, constructive life. Alcoholism is defined by medical professionals as a physical and or psychological dependence on drinking alcohol. The condition can manifest in both mild and extreme cases, and impacts every individual differently. Alcoholism can be harmful to the mind, causing mental illness, and to the body, causing a variety of dangerous and sometimes life threatening diseases. If not handled responsibly, alcoholism can lead to such a serious dependence that recovery and professional rehabilitation is required, although both of those resources can provide permanent relief. One of the tools that individuals battling alcoholism can turn to are books that describe the experiences different individuals have with alcoholism and the many methods that the addiction can be treated.

So we did our homework and put together a list of fan favourites for anyone thinking about ditching the mommy-wine culture . These books will enlighten, teach, and embolden you, no matter where you are in your rethinking drinking journey. There’s a new kind of thinking in the recovery world, and all of that is thanks to McKowen’s memoir. After quitting her career in order to dedicate more of her time to her family, Clare Pooley found herself depressed and feeling sluggish. More than just a memoir, this book explores the psychology and neuroscience behind the societal traps that lead us to drink and how drinking affects our brains and our bodies. In this book, celebrated journalist Anne Dowsett Johnston intuitively intertwines her own life story of alcohol use disorder with some great in-depth research and relevant interviews. Her book includes the perspective of those leading the charge in this field, shedding some much-needed light on this crisis and the factors that have contributed to it.

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. Her style of writing is cutting and savagely best sober books honest, which helps to make her story incredibly relatable. “Parched”, written by Heather King, is another story about a young woman’s battle with alcoholism and her ultimate recovery after falling into the pits of despair. A tragic story, riddled with dark humor, King describes her fall from grace to alcoholism over 276 gripping pages. Without the gilded setting of such novels outlined above as “Party Girl ” and “Unwifeable”, King’s memoir is still about personal pain, and the way in which she was eventually saved from her addiction. The tension between on the wagon/off the wagon is often good fodder for literature.
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