Sober living

That’s because blood begins to clot more easily as you age, although researchers aren’t sure why, Cushman says. According to the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA), in the U.S., more than 8 million people currently take them. Our experts blood thinners and alcohol continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. For those who have a problem with alcohol use disorder, there are resources and tools to help reduce alcohol intake.

• Moderate alcohol use is generally safe while taking most blood thinners.
• This increases your risk of bleeding and makes it advisable to avoid mixing alcohol and Pradaxa.
• All four medicines work quickly – within two to four hours.
• The next step is to look at how additional medications or procedures could help this group of people, he said.
• You should be very careful when taking part in activities that could cause any type of injury.
• Wear a medical-alert bracelet, available in some pharmacies and online, or carry a card in your wallet that states the name of your blood thinner, the Cleveland Clinic advises.

Follow these experts as they breakdown how to take blood thinners safely and effectively. Heads up that some of these “don’ts” don’t apply if you’re on one of the newer blood thinners, like Rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) or Apixaban (Eliquis®). https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/alcohol-neuropathy-symptoms-and-treatment/ So, it’s important to check with your healthcare provider to make sure you’re taking the appropriate precautions. Occasional, moderate alcohol use should be safe for most people who are taking blood thinners.

What if I bleed whilst taking an anticoagulant?

Even if you aren’t visibly injured, you could be bleeding internally, especially if you hit your head, the AHRQ notes. And a bruise is a sign that you’re bleeding beneath the skin. Call your doctor or go straight to the emergency room, advises the government-sponsored U.S. But if you eat moderate amounts of green vegetables every day, your doctor can take that into account when determining the dosage you need, she adds. If you think your dose is incorrect, talk to your doctor about adjusting your medication. If you know you’re vulnerable to alcohol misuse, try not to put yourself in an environment that will encourage excessive intake.

Wear a medical-alert bracelet, available in some pharmacies and online, or carry a card in your wallet that states the name of your blood thinner, the Cleveland Clinic advises. In the United States, two to three million people will need to take blood-thinning medications, according to the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA), in Rockville, Maryland. “Among women younger than 30, the annual risk is just 1 in 10,000. There’s a sharp increase around age 40 or 45, and by the time you’re in your eighties, your annual risk is 1 out of 100,” says Dr. Cushman. Alcohol should be limited while using Effient, especially among older adults.

Is It Safe to Mix Alcohol and Blood Thinners?

In some cases—if you experience bleeding gums or bruising, for example—you can simply call your doctor. Other times, an immediate trip to the ER or a call to 911 is imperative, says Dr. Alvarado, because some bleeding episodes can be life-threatening. A blood clot is a traumatic event for everyone it affects. Find out how you can best support someone through their recovery. Manage your risk of recurrent deep vein thrombosis with lifestyle changes like losing weight, quitting smoking, and moving more throughout the day.

• Xarelto, also known by its generic name rivaroxaban, is a factor Xa inhibitor.
• Antiplatelet drugs are anticoagulants that work by making platelets less likely to stick to each other in your blood vessels.
• But daily use of aspirin can have serious side effects, including gastrointestinal bleeding.
• You should check with your doctor before mixing Lovenox and alcohol.

You may not have the right amount of medicine in your system. It’s important to take the medication correctly, use extra care with everyday activities, and know when to get help. You may lose bone strength if you take heparin for a long time. Another serious, but less common, side effect of warfarin is necrosis. You should be very careful when taking part in activities that could cause any type of injury.

How Do You Dissolve Blood Clots Naturally?

Taking a blood thinner makes it less likely that you’ll get a clot, but “it’s still smart to get up and move around every hour or two,” Dr. Zimring says. “The main side effect of a blood thinner, not surprisingly, is bleeding,” says Christopher B. Granger, MD, a cardiologist at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina. Mixing alcohol and Brilinta could lead to increased dizziness. Someone using alcohol while taking Brilinta should speak with their doctor about the risks that are specific to their situation. Green tea also contains some vitamin K, so it’s best to choose another option, like black tea, which doesn’t interact with a blood thinner. As females retain more alcohol in the bloodstream than males, they are at higher risk of developing problems from combining alcohol with medications.

However, like any drug, blood thinners come with side effects, especially if mixed with alcohol. Make sure any doctor who prescribes medication for you knows you’re taking a blood thinner. Talk to your doctor if you’re on blood thinners and thinking about having a baby. If you’re already pregnant, double check with your doctor to make sure the blood thinner you’re on won’t harm the baby. Other medications in this category include Xarelto (rivaroxaban), Savaysa (edoxaban), and Arixtra (fondaparinux).

But sobriety has also given me a chance at a fulfilling life in so many other ways. When we choose aloneness, it can be a sanctuary of quiet, privacy, and authenticity in which we are our most un-self-conscious selves. I’m therefore suggesting that the cure for loneliness might actually be solitude.

Social support can come in various forms – emotional, informational, and practical. Emotional support involves having people who listen and provide empathy and understanding. Informational support comes from those who offer guidance, share experiences, or provide resources related to sobriety. Practical support might include help with daily tasks or assistance in avoiding triggers. The chaotic world you became comfortable with has been stripped away.

Community, Connection, and Compassion

When I felt lonely because I wasn’t drinking with the crew, I wanted that lonely feeling to leave me.  I wasn’t equipped to handle it. It was a very difficult time for me but I knew that returning to drinking was not the solution. I needed to be patient and continue hanging around other sober people. Often, as the person tries to hide substance use from loved ones or minimize the way it has affected their life, they can fall deeper into substance use. People suffering from substance use disorder, or SUD, can eventually cause serious damage to their relationships, potentially losing them altogether.

• If relationships are broken beyond repair, this is the time to practice acceptance.
• They provide a safe space to explore personal challenges and develop coping strategies.
• There are many things you can do to combat loneliness and create a life worth living.
• This is because loneliness can lead to depression, shame and further isolation, then eventually relapse.
• The time that is spent writing, painting or rebuilding a car, can be stress-relieving and make the lonely hours of the day go by a little faster.

This is proof that you should take loneliness seriously and that you should find a substance abuse helpline if it’s led to something like an addiction. Finding interests outside of substance use can help you deal with issues of loneliness in more than one way. From reading groups or clubs to sports and exercise, new hobbies give you access loneliness in sobriety to new communities and help build relationships with new people. This helps fight loneliness and gives you different things to learn and focus on that aren’t feelings of isolation. No matter what recovery community you join, it’s important that you attend some kind of meeting or group aimed at helping you stay on the road to recovery.

Mental Health Challenges that Drive Addiction

It eventually led to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues – even in a room full of people I could feel totally alone. Looking back now, I think I felt lonely due to the lack of meaningful connections or feelings of belonging. Loneliness is not something that should be taken lightly; it’s a real emotion that needs to be addressed in order to prevent further mental health issues from coming up. Motivation is a driving force in recovery, and connection is a wellspring of inspiration. Seeing others achieve milestones, maintain sobriety, and overcome challenges becomes a powerful motivator. Additionally, the sense of accountability to a supportive community encourages individuals to stay committed to their recovery journey.

Some people may even make themselves available if you feel like you need someone to talk to. Going to meetings regularly also gives structure to your day so that if you do feel lonely, you have a definite idea of when that might end. Keep in mind, especially if you’re relatively new, that engagement is key. While it might help just to be around other people, you still might feel lonely if you just sneak into a meeting and sit in the back.

Fighting Loneliness in Sobriety

In sobriety specifically, you can feel different from others and not feel understood. When I realised my drinking was getting out of control and I knew I had to do something about it, I thought I was the only person in the world who felt the way I did. Now that I have talked about the benefits of loneliness in sobriety and how it is a necessary part of your self-awareness and recovery journey. I do want to mention the possible dangers of loneliness if it is not addressed.

• Connection acts as a buffer against this emotional turmoil.
• Talking about your feelings and letting someone know what you’re going through can ease feelings of loneliness.
• It’s important to remain a part of this community to help you banish feelings of loneliness.
• Apologizing for the negative impact substance abuse has had on a relationship can sometimes allow you to regain a support system you value.

PCP provides robust aftercare and ongoing support to ensure individuals transition smoothly back into their lives. This may include prevention strategies, follow-up counselling, and assistance in integrating newfound coping skills into daily routines. PCP boasts a team of dedicated professionals with extensive clinical expertise in addiction treatment. From medical professionals to counsellors, our staff at PCP is committed to providing compassionate care and guidance throughout the recovery process.

Ways to Recognize National Recovery Month and Why This Month Is Important

As you work through those emotions, you’re likely to feel lonely and tempted to give in to anything that falsely promises relief, including alcohol or drugs. However, there are other healthier ways to cope with difficult emotions. For whatever reason someone may have begun using drugs or alcohol, becoming addicted is a sign that substances are being used to attempt to fill a sense of emptiness. When an individual has spent a lot of time in their addiction, whether using with others or alone, the drugs or alcohol take the place of healthy interactions with other people. Once in recovery, without the crutch of drugs and/or alcohol and the people one used them with, the newly clean and sober person may feel lonely. As discussed earlier, an increase in isolation and dependence on parasocial relationships can increase loneliness.

Understanding some making amends examples can help the individual correct past behaviors. Say, for example, you’re preparing to make amends to a former coworker, whom you once stole from to pay for drugs. In addition to apologizing and asking for their forgiveness regarding the incident in question, you might offer to repay them in full for the money you stole.

Maybe you reached an impasse in your communication with each other. Your efforts to make amends may not always go as well as you hope. Try not to respond with anger or defensiveness if others aren’t responsive to your efforts.

Navigating Step Nine: Living Amends

They have been hurt by your actions, and they may not be willing to forgive and forget. They may have been hurt in ways that you were not able to identify when preparing to make amends. There are three main types of amends, and it’s important to recognize which one is appropriate in a given situation.

An example would be telling someone how sorry you are that you stole from them and actually giving back what you took. It’s not one we use too frequently in our everyday language, but it still holds significant meaning. To make amends means to apologize for something you have done or for wronging someone in some way.

Graduate School of Addiction Studies

But, as difficult as it is, completing this step can provide an immense sense of relief and newfound hope for the future. At the heart of this step is the need for forgiveness and restoration—forgiving yourself, forgiving others, and making amends. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. It is important, during this process, that you understand that a simple living amends apology is not enough to undo the damage you have done. Rather, you need to make a more concrete and serious effort to express that you know what wrongs you have done, and that you have changed, and want to make things right. For every time you said you’d be there or that you’d help someone do something and didn’t show up, you’ve left an impression upon that person that they can’t rely on you to keep your word.

• In particular, he discusses how to heal when the person we need to make amends with is no longer living.
• It represents many of the feelings and struggles you’ve had.
• Other individuals who have completed Step 9, such as your sponsor, may be able to help you choose a meaningful way to make indirect amends.
• Each day I ask my Higher Power for the strength to help me stay sober and live responsibly and with honesty.
• It’s important to note that making amends is for the person we hurt.
• It means mending, or (quite literally) fixing, the relationship.

Sometimes, the outcome can be uglier and downright disappointing. They may refuse to meet at all or refuse to listen to what you have to say. Sometimes it can be hard to know what to say when preparing to make amends.

Outpatient treatment is less intensive than inpatient treatment or partial hospitalization programs. They are best http://spbrif.ru/it-stati/nokia-okonchatelno-izbavilas-ot-brenda-withings-i-predstavila-neskolko-novinok for people who have a high motivation to recover but cannot leave their responsibilities at home, work, or school.

In fact, aging can lead to social and physical changes that make older adults more susceptible to alcohol misuse and abuse and more vulnerable to the consequences of alcohol. Alcohol dependence or heavy drinking affects every organ in the body, including the brain. Abusing alcohol for many years wears down the liver, kidneys, esophagus, and even https://zlatschool34.ru/en/about-good-deeds-and-virtues/ the brain. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is that alcohol abuse disorder contributes to just under 90,000 deaths each year. A study conducted by the United States Federal Government (Reuters) also found that 10% of all adult drinkers are alcoholics. Because alcoholism is a progressive condition, each stage is worse than the previous.

The Stages of AUD

If you show five symptoms then you might be considered to have a mild addiction, and showing signs of six or more might mean that you suffer from a severe addiction [2]. Contact us for a free assessment, and allow us to show you how our program can help you lead the life you want, unshackled by addiction and surrounded with love. AddictionResource aims to http://4put.ru/vids/all_8/vid_20/ present the most accurate, trustworthy, and up-to-date medical content to our readers. Our team does their best for our readers to help them stay informed about vital healthcare decisions. Other than the fact that someone is drinking more than usual, it might be hard to detect that there’s even a problem because outwardly the alcoholic appears normal.

Alcoholics in this stage have a hard time controlling their drinking. They may begin drinking early in the day and plan their day around their drinking. In social situations, they may be unable to stop drinking when others do and find that they can’t handle as much as they previously could without becoming drunk. Blackout episodes, where the individual does not remember what they’ve said or done while drinking, may occur.

CBT for addictive behaviours can be traced back to the application of learning theories in understanding addiction and subsequently to social cognitive theories. The focus of CBT is manifold and the focus is on targeting maintaining factors of addictive behaviours and preventing relapse. Relapse prevention programmes are based on social cognitive and cognitive behavioural principles. More recent developments in the area of managing addictions include third wave behaviour therapies. Third wave behaviour therapies are focused on improving building awareness, and distress tolerance skills using mindfulness practices.

In order to cope or avoid these damaging thoughts, these individuals turn back to drugs or alcohol to numb the pain. Others may continue using because they believe they’ve already lost the battle. In a subsequent meta-analysis by Irwin, twenty-six published and unpublished studies representing a sample of 9,504 participants were included. Results indicated that RP was generally effective, particularly for alcohol problems.

Specific Intervention strategies in Relapse Prevention

It is, however, most commonly used to refer to a resumption of substance use behavior after a period of abstinence from substances (Miller 1996). The term relapse may be used to describe a prolonged return to substance use, whereas lapsemay be used to describe discrete, circumscribed… Training in assertiveness involves two steps, a minimal effective response and escalation. When the minimal effective response (such as informing friends that “I do not drink”) is not sufficient to bring about change, the individual is instructed to escalate to a stronger response, such as warning, threat, involving others’ support.

You may be conflicted between resisting thoughts about drugs and compulsions to use them. It is possible to rationalize the fact that if you continue to use, you might not experience the same consequences as before. A person with alcohol use disorder (AUD) may feel like drinking when out with friends at their favorite hangout, for example. As an example, a smoker may feel the urge to smoke when driving long distances or while drinking coffee when they normally enjoy smoking.

Emotional Relapse

Among the psychosocial interventions, the Relapse Prevention (RP), cognitive-behavioural approach, is a strategy for reducing the likelihood and severity of relapse following the cessation or reduction of problematic behaviours. Here the assessment and management of both the intrapersonal and interpersonal determinants of relapse are undertaken. This article discusses the concepts of relapse prevention, relapse determinants and the specific interventional strategies. Relapse is seen as transitional process and not an endpoint or an outcome failure. The lapse process consists of a series of internal and external events, identified and analyzed in the process of therapy.

Find out about the abstinence violation effect and what signs to look for in an upcoming relapse. PIG Awareness – Live with awareness of the PIG (Problem of Immediate Gratification). Learn about the PIG concept and of natural penalties for slips, lapses and relapses.

Relapse Prevention

A person who has abused a substance for a long time is likely to have a higher tolerance for its effects. As a result, when they are abstinent for a period, they will notice their tolerance has declined, making it possible for them to overdose if they start using again at the same level as before. Note that these script ideas were pulled from a UN training on cognitive behavioral therapy that is available online. Find valued directions for your life – Developing a balanced life with healthy indulgences and activities that can substitute for unhealthy and undesirable addictive behaviors is a good start.

While analysing high-risk situations the client is asked to generate a list of situations that are low-risk, and to determine what aspects of those situations differentiate them from the high-risk situations. High-risk situations are determined by an analysis of previous lapses and by reports of situations in which the client feels or felt “tempted.” Appropriate responses are those behaviours that lead to avoidance of high-risk situations, or behaviours that foster adaptive responses. Seemingly irrelevant decisions (SIDs) are those behaviours that are early in the path of decisions that place the client in a high-risk situation. For example, if the client understands that using alcohol in the day time triggers a binge, agreeing for a meeting in the afternoon in a restaurant that serves alcohol would be a SID5. A common pattern of self-regulation failure occurs for addicts and chronic dieters when they ‘fall off the wagon’ by consuming the addictive substance or violating their diets [5].

Relapse prevention (RP) is a cognitive behavioural treatment program, based on the relapse prevention model27,28. A psycho-educational self-management approach is adopted abstinence violation effect definition in this program and the client is trained in a variety of coping skills and responses. Maladaptive beliefs and expectancies are modified using cognitive techniques.

• Approach oriented participants may see themselves as more responsible for their actions, including lapse, while avoidance-based coping may focus more on their environment than on their own actions14.
• In this process, after experiencing a trigger, an individual will make a series of choices and thoughts that will lead to being placed in a high-risk situation or not.
• The abstinence violation effect can be defined as a tendency to continue to engage in a prohibited behavior following the violation of a personal goal to abstain.
• While no data on the effectiveness of this approach in preventing relapse exist to date, this appears to be a useful and stimulating conceptualization of relapse and relapse prevention that deserves further attention.
• Recovery patients often experience drug cravings when they go through stress.
• Although more research on the predictors of relapse in weight loss maintenance behaviors is recommended, careful implications for practice can be made.

Written for family members who don’t know how to best support their addicted loved one, this resource explains how to help and how to handle relapses. The author also provides practical advice on accepting the reality of addiction. Addiction is a personal journey that has its own struggles, but addicts don’t go through their conditions alone.

The author narrates her work in a way that’s encouraging without being over enthusiastic or pushy. You can have freedom from alcohol, and This Naked Mind wants to help you get there. While self-help books are not a solution for long-term recovery, they can be very helpful for your “emotional recovery”. Supporting a loved one through addiction and recovery is incredibly challenging. Reading the right books will help, but consider getting help for your journey as the spouse, parent, child, brother, sister, or friend of an addicted person.

Futures Recovery

Contact Olympus Recovery to learn your options and discover what resources are available for you. “Mothers, Addiction and Recovery” is focused on the journey of recovery. It includes personal stories, an overview of addiction research, and outlines of substance abuse treatment approaches. “Loving Our Addicted Daughters Back to Life” is a gender-specific guidebook for parents with daughters struggling with addiction.

When she had her first hit of heroin, she had no idea that she was going to spiral into a life of addiction. With the love and support of her family, redemption was within her reach. This is one of the recovery books https://ecosoberhouse.com/ that shows how wins, losses, hopelessness, and courage are all part of the recovery process. Addiction is a disease that affects the lives of many, including the loved ones of those who succumbed to addiction.

Books to Help You Drink Less, or Quit Altogether

Now, in The Book of Boundaries, out November 2023, Urban, who has been in recovery for more than 20 years, shows how setting clear limits can help protect your time, energy, health, security, confidence, and freedom. 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. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ frontman Anthony Kiedis shares his battle with his addiction to sex and drugs.

She presents a model for recovery that focuses on the unique stresses and pressures that women face and how those factors can impact cycles of addiction. “Overcoming Alcohol Problems” is a workbook geared toward the unique challenges of alcoholism or substance abuse in couples. It is made for people actively in therapy and covers everything from relapse prevention to monitoring progress. “Hijacked Brains” is written from the perspective of a primary physician. It brings together narratives from patients in treatment with neuroscience research to describe how addiction hijacks brain functions. It is a useful book for understanding addiction as a chronic illness and the physical challenges of recovery.

Addict in the Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery

Recovered is not a medical, healthcare or therapeutic services provider and no medical, psychiatric, psychological or physical treatment or advice is being provided by Recovered. If you are facing a medical emergency or considering suicide or self harm, please call 911 immediately. It’s a theory Szalavitz, a science best alcoholic memoirs writer and former cocaine and heroin addict, is uniquely equipped to advance and one that may reframe addiction entirely for you. When people start to evaluate their relationship with alcohol, they often “collect different prompts and data points,” said Aaron Weiner, a clinical psychologist practicing in Chicago.

• She presents a model for recovery that focuses on the unique stresses and pressures that women face and how those factors can impact cycles of addiction.
• It’s a thirty-day period when we take time to recognize and advocate for people in recovery, people working in recovery, and the friends, families, and loved ones of people in recovery and people working in recovery.
• In this haunting, sometimes hallucinatory memoir, Machado inventively recounts the tale of her abusive relationship with a volatile aspiring writer, who viciously warns her not to write about the relationship, among other things.
• Haroutounian worked as the physician director at the world-famous Betty Ford Clinic.
• The author narrates her work in a way that’s encouraging without being over enthusiastic or pushy.
• This book shows the challenges and all the things it takes to regain control of one’s life.

Lyden suggests that her unpredictable childhood may have prepared her to later thrive as a war correspondent for NPR. I am not sure I’d be sober today if it weren’t for Tired of Thinking About Drinking. Belle’s consistent messaging on our faulty thinking led to a major mindset shift for me. She provides actionable steps for anyone looking to drink less or none at all. A great starter book for anyone looking to begin changing their relationship with alcohol.

There, he nestled in with a motley crew of characters, including a pedophile who lived in the backyard shed, and grew up in squalor under the strangest of circumstances. In Kitchen Confidential, Chef Anthony Bourdain spilled all the dirty secrets he learned in 25 years of working in the culinary trade, chock full of sex, drugs, and drama. Restaurant kitchens are gritty and gross, but they’re where the best chefs get their start. As a 15-year-old girl, she was shot in the face by the Taliban on the bus home from school, all because she had the audacity to stand up for her right to an education. Once she recovered, she shared her story far and wide, becoming a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. George Orwell takes us on a journey through poverty in Paris and London, where he meets all kinds of people in squalor just trying to get by.

“The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober” by Catherine Gray

Wurtzel reveals how drugs fueled her post-breakout period, describing with unbearable specificity how her doctor’s prescription of Ritalin, intended to help her function, only brought her down. From her first taste and throughout her young adult life, her increasing dependence on alcohol would lead to hospital trips, blackouts, and dangerous and destructive tendencies that eventually helped her see she should quit drinking for good. At the age of 15, Cat Marnell began to unknowingly “murder her life” when she became hooked on the ADHD medication prescribed to her by her psychiatrist father. A Xanax dependence led to cocaine, ecstasy, and a tumbling rabbit hole of prescription drug abuse as she manipulated doctors, lied to loved ones, and struggled to maintain her high-profile job at Condé Nast amidst the highs and lows of addiction.

• The artist discusses his journey, including his descent into drug use and finding light through the darkness.
• Instead she presents herself as a kind of Godly schmuck, chronically slow on the spiritual uptake.
• Next you’ve chosen to recommend Tove Ditlevsen’s Dependency, the third book in her Copenhagen Trilogy.
• She provides actionable steps for anyone looking to drink less or none at all.
• Once his 30 days are up, he has to figure out how to return to his New York City lifestyle sans alcohol.

They quickly became friends, bonding over their shared desire for an exciting, outside-the-lines life. Most of their friends spent their weekends living the “rose all day” lifestyle, and every first date wanted to meet at a bar. Clegg’s manic spiral is related in a relentless present tense, in a prose that’s sparse and detached—and lit up by little flares of lyricism to conjure each hit.

Stay True, by Hua Hsu

Although this book isn’t specifically about alcohol recovery, it has become a go-to guide in many recovery circles. (And for good reason!) Atomic Habits offers practical strategies for making meaningful changes to your habits and routines, one tiny step at a time. It includes research and quotable nuggets on how to immediately take steps toward behavior change. Straightforward and to the point, Carr helps you examine the reasons you drink in the first place in The Easy Way to Control Alcohol. For example, he explains why stating alcohol is poison and repeating the tagline “Never Question the Decision” can help you change your unconscious thoughts about alcohol, and shift your mindset.

• Hallucinations can be strange, alarming, even sometimes exciting.
• (And for good reason!) Atomic Habits offers practical strategies for making meaningful changes to your habits and routines, one tiny step at a time.
• Mining the expertise of 35 leading researchers, clinicians and psychiatrists, she explores the early predictors of addictive behaviour, such as trauma, temperament and impulsivity.
• It’s a tough book to read due to the descriptions of horrific traumas people have experienced, however it’s inspirational in its message of hope.
• The book ends on a hopeful bottom, where Don is clear-eyed and ready to give not drinking (and writing) another chance.
• But in her 2022 memoir—revelatory, surprising, and altogether delightful—Katy Tur opens up about the wild ride that was her childhood.

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph is a beautiful look at the effects of alcoholism on friends and family members in the touching way only Brandy Colbert can master. King is a writer, lawyer and NPR contributor whose memoir chronicles her decades-long downward spiral into alcoholism, from her small New England hometown to seedy restaurants where she waitressed and cockroach-ridden lofts where she lived. Eventually saved by her family, King writes with equal parts sensitivity and humor best alcoholic memoirs about redemption and compassion for others. Reading We are the Luckiest by Laura McKowen can quite possibly save your life. The story centers around a small sack containing simple possessions that main character Ashley receives from her enslaved mother, Rose, when she is sold into slavery at age 9. Ashley continues to pass the keepsakes down to future generations of Black women, including her granddaughter Ruth, who embroiders “It be filled with my love always” on the bag.

“We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life”

Who are our ancestors to us, and what can they tell us about ourselves? In this riveting memoir, Newton goes in search of the answers to these questions, spelunking exhaustively through her frustrating and fascinating family tree. From an accused witch to a thirteen times-married man, her family tree abounds with stories that absorb and appall, but taxonomizing her family history doesn’t satisfy Newton’s hunger for meaning. Just what do the facts of a life tell us about who we are or where we come from, and what can our personal histories tell us about our national past?

• Well, of course I tried my best to steal from them whatever I could.
• His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Independent, New Statesman, the Telegraph and other outlets.
• King is a writer, lawyer and NPR contributor whose memoir chronicles her decades-long downward spiral into alcoholism, from her small New England hometown to seedy restaurants where she waitressed and cockroach-ridden lofts where she lived.
• I learned a lot from Clegg—or I hope I did—about how to convey the terrifying experience of a runaway binge.

Although the first two volumes aren’t overtly about Karr’s addiction, they show its makings in her traumatic home life and a lost adolescence. Drawing on neuroscience, she explains why other self-destructive behaviours – such as eating disorders, compulsive buying and high-risk sex – are interchangeable with problematic substance use. From her childhood in suburban Slough to her chaotic formative years in the London music scene, we follow her journey to Australia, where she experiences firsthand treatment facilities and AA groups,

show more. We asked more than a dozen addiction experts, sobriety counselors, podcasters and people in recovery to share the books they found most helpful. This powerful book narrates his ups and downs, setbacks, and unimaginable challenges in recovery. Ultimately, Augusten tells the story of how his most difficult experiences led him to getting clean and helping others.