When recovering from an addiction, it can be one of the most helpful things to know that you’re not alone and that many have successfully walked the path you find yourself struggling down. 

Such is the power of literature. 

Whether or not you consider yourself a reader, if you are recovering from addiction, it can’t be stressed enough the benefit of reading books on recovery, addiction and mental illness. You’ll have the opportunity to learn what worked, what didn’t, what others recommend trying and what some insist on avoiding. You’ll find support and encouragement from their struggle, and hopefully strategies to apply to your own life. 

Books for addiction recovery 

How to Fail: Everything I’ve Learned From Things Going Wrong, by Elizabeth Day

In recovery, failure can feel like a giant step in the wrong direction, but Day’s experiences taught her that failure is, in fact, important, welcome and valuable, which can be a brutal lesson to learn. However, Day reminds and encourages her readers that growth comes from messing it all up. In her words, “I have evolved more as a result of things going wrong than when everything seemed to be going right. Out of crisis has come clarity, and sometimes even catharsis.” 

How to Fail isn’t just a book about failure, it’s an encouraging story about the choice we get to make when we mess up—do we give up and throw in the towel, or do we learn from it and grow into a better person as a result? 

Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget, by Sarah Hepola

Blackout is Hepola’s personal memoir about her struggle with alcohol addiction. Having talked herself into believing that alcohol was the best thing to fuel her adventurous, dangerous and gripping lifestyle, she soon became victim to a number of nights she couldn’t recollect and frightening encounters that should have been disastrous. 

As the cycle turned more and more vicious, Hepola made the choice to examine herself—a challenging, yet beautiful choice which led to the discovery that her skill, creativity and personality came from within, not from the contents of a bottle. 

High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life, by Tiffany Jenkins

Jenkins shatters the silence and taboo on opioid addiction with her riveting novel, High Achiever. Detailing her own battle with addiction, from the crimes she committed to the resulting days in a Florida prison, Jenkins gives an inside look on just exactly what opioids due to one’s brain. 

Through the telling of her life story, Jenkins is able to share the reality of what it looks and feels like to have your mind broken down by drugs, and what this addiction can ultimately lead one to do, whether or not they want it. Whether battling an addiction yourself, or trying to understand the struggle of a family member, High Achiever promises to answer questions and throw back the curtain on the opioid crisis. 

How to Murder Your Life: A Memoir, By Cat Marnell 

Taking place in the glitz and glam of the NYC fashion and beauty industry, How to Murder Your Life tells the personal tale of Cat Marnell, an editor for the high fashion magazine Lucky, and a real life example of prescription medication addiction. 

She gives, in detail, a close look at the consequences of a life controlled by prescription drugs, and how the addiction nearly destroyed everything she worked so hard to gain. While this story proves to be chaotic and, at times, unnerving, it gives an honest perspective on life with addiction and the necessary look you must take to begin making a change. 

Dry: A Memoir, by Augusten Burroughs 

Dry tells the story of Burroughs, a man who, from the outside, seems to have his life together, with a career in advertising and friends he goes out to the bar with after work. But Burroughs opens the door on his own life, and shows his reader that while the outside appearance might be cohesive, the inside is anything but. 

When he’s sent to rehab for alcohol addiction, Burroughs comes to the unpleasant realization that after his 30 days are up, he’ll be returning to his same life in New York with one drastic change—sobriety. This novel takes an honest look at the challenges of life post treatment, and rings true with anyone who has struggled during the post-treatment stages of recovery. 

Support for your recovery

Believe us when we say this list could go on and on for a number of pages. There is really no limit to the endless amount of books on addiction, recovery and mental health that may lend support, encouragement and an inside, honest look at the ugly side of addiction. Whether you choose to read a novel about the struggles of another or something more academic and self-help geared, you’ll not find your options lacking. 

Additionally, you can find support in recovery through addiction treatment programs, including inpatient and outpatient options, or individual and/or group therapy sessions for post-treatment support. No matter what you need, Silver Ridge Recovery is here to help. 

Contact us anytime by calling our offices at 724-268-4858 or visiting our website today for more information.