Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

[LillyE]

Hi all,

I haven't introduced myself properly but I will sometime soon. I've been lurking for awhile now - decided to dive in and start posting. I've been wrestling for months on and off with trying to quit, moderate etc. Still resisting quitting entirely a bit although in my heart I know it would be for the best. So I'm trying to work up my motivation, insight and courage.

Being as I'm a big reader, this has partly entailed starting to read all I can about alcoholism and addition. I'd love to hear recommendations of books people have found helpful.

To start, here're a few I've liked:

Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp - A very powerful, moving memoir of a writer's recover from alcoholism.

Under the Influence - A follow up to the classic 'Beyond the Influence' - packed with useful scientific and practical info - looking at alcoholism very much from the disease model.

Best the Booze - Very positive and upbeat, easy-to-read and inspiring, helpful for anyone who wants to quit for whatever reason, not just alcoholics.

Apologies if a thread on this already exists. If it does feel free to point me to it!

Go well all.

Lilly

[Doggygirl]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Hi Lilly and welcome to you!! Your post really rang a bell with me. I remember being in the place you describe - knowing I need to quit but really not wanting to accept that. And I bought a lot of books too.

I have two favorite books. One is the My Way Out book which can be downloaded instantly from the Health Store. I followed all of the guidelines in that book with the exception of prescription medication, and that got me started on the road to sobriety. There were bumps, that's for sure. But the MWO program really helped.

I like the Big Book of AA too. I guess the most amazing thing to me was the discovery that my thoughts and feelings, my hopes and my worst fears were also felt by other people. And not only other people in my own generation, but by alcohol dependent people of any generation. The stories in the back part of the Big Book were really interesting to me - in particular the ones about women who recovered from addiction. There is a lot in that book that was not understood scientifically at the time of it's writing. Much is being discovered today about the brain chemistry of addiction. Much is still unknown. But the thoughts and feelings and fears are still the same.

And the solution for me is the same - don't drink. Simple, but not easy in the beginning.

Good luck to you! And there is lots of good reading out there - plenty to keep you occupied as you look for things to do when you are not drinking.

:welcome:

DG

[LillyE]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Hi D Girl!

Thank you so much for the welcome and the supportive post - it's a scary place to be in and I've really been wrestling with it. I'm 36, have been drinking heavily since my teens, but it's always been to a 'socially acceptable' enough level (especially since I live in Australia, where heavy drinking is rife), for me not to have ever really faced up to it before.

That said, now that I look back with a bit less denial I can see it's been very unhealthy for a long time and caused lots of unacknowledged problems. But things have always been 'normal' enough for me to never really address it. After all, most of my friends drink like I do - don't they? Etc.

I was reading through people's stories this morning and yours really struck a cord because, interestingly, I think what has triggered me into realising I need to quit drinking is quitting smoking... I quit five months ago and, just as you said, it was then my alcohol intake suddenly really amped up, as did the negative effects. No morning drinking or the like (as yet) but plenty of bingeing, more horrible hangovers, more blackouts, more out-of-control drinking, horrendous anxiety and depression following a binge. I have a few theories on why this is but in a way it's a blessing as things started to get bad enough to wake me up a little. Beyond that, I struggled so long and so hard to quit smoking that I do feel that finally managing to actually do it has nudged me to want to rid myself of my other major addiction.

At the moment I can go days, a week, even up to two weeks without drinking *relatively* easily, but it keeps luring me back, which inevitably leads to a night of bingeing (my off switch is so broken once I get going), which inevitably leads to crushing depression and incapacitating anxiety that fills me with shame & guilt and makes me despair. (I also am not keen on AA - with all due respect to AA and the many people it's done wonders for.)

I fear struggling with this for years. I know I really need to quit. It just still feels so overwhelming an idea. Particularly when so much of my social life - and even my professional life - just revolves around booze. It's so hard to imagine giving it up entirely and there's always, always a reason not to - some party coming up, some wine-tasting event, my birthday, Christmas, on it goes. And all of my (entirely well-meaning) friends keep telling me I 'don't have a problem' 'am just a social drinker' 'just need to moderate' and so forth, which really doesn't help.

Which is why I've come here for support from people who get it. Thank you.

Oh, and I did read those stories from the Big Book online and also found them very interesting/enlightening. I will download the MWO book too. I also have been reading 'How to Quit Without Feeling Shit' which is by the same guy (Holford) who wrote '7 Weeks to Sobriety' which I haven't read yet but may have to check out.. and I just ordered Potatoes Not Prozac too

Sorry this got so long-winded! Thanks again for your support.

Lilly

[CS04]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

I am a big fan of Caroline Knapp's "Drinking: A Love Story."

[tiptronic_ct]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

The End of My Addiction, by Olivier Ameisen.

[Unwasted]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

KICK THE DRINK BY JASON VALE

BY FAR THE MOST LIFE-CHANGING BOOK I'VE EVER READ - A MODERN VERSION OF ALLEN CARR'S WORK.

THIS BOOK MADE ME REALIZE (FINALLY) THAT I'M NOT GIVING UP ANYTHING - MADE ME ABLE TO FULLY EMBRACE NEVER WANTING TO DRINK ALCOHOL AGAIN.

[Marshy]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Hi Lilly,

I liked The Tao of Sobriety Amazon.com: The Tao of Sobriety: Helping You to Recover from Alcohol and Drug Addiction (9780312242503): David Gregson, Jay S. Efran, G. Alan Marlatt: Books

There's a "What we're reading" section on the forum which might give you some ideas. People post about general fiction/non-fiction too but there are several threads in there about books on addiction.

Best wishes

[Doggygirl]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Hi again Lilly. Sounds like you have a lot in common with lots of us around here. You are not alone, that's for sure. If you decide to give a go at quitting, this is a great place to get support! And even though there is an official "My Way Out" program - the owners of this site graciously allow a very open forum and any quit method you choose, or even one you make up, can be discussed here. Hope to see you again!

DG

[LillyE]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

Unwasted, I just saw your post and have just been checking out KTD on Amazon - looks good. I just ordered Carr's book, which helped me in quitting smoking, so will try that one thereafter.

Marshy, thanks for those suggestions - also sound interesting. And I did spot the 'What We're Reading Thread' after I posted so need to have a good explore there too.

I also just ordered 'Sober for Good', which is a collection of stories from all kinds of people, with all kinds of levels of alcohol problems, about how they kicked the booze and also challenges the idea AA is the only way. Will report back when read.

Thanks again all!

Lilly

[Abielle]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

I really liked the Caroline Knapp book you mentioned, as well as "Dry" by Augusten Burroughs and "Drunkard" by Neil Steinberg.

"Rational Recovery" by Jack Trimpey has helped me somewhat as well, as I am not a 12 step type of person.

[ATLThrash]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Lit by Mary Karr

[Guitarista]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Welcome Lilly!

From another Strayan.

You've found a great site, full of info, education, inspiration and support.

Have you read our https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...box-27556.html



Best wishes on your journey. Greg.

[LillyE]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Hi Greg,

Thanks for the welcome and link. I have, indeed, found the Toolbox in the past and even printed out some bits of it that are stuck in the back of my diary. But I'd sort of forgotten about it and think I could use spending a bit more time there now for motivation.

Cheers!

Lilly

[byebyebridgetjones]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Hiya Lilly !
Reading through your post above.....well, I hear ya' love....we're a nation of drinkers that's for sure. Drinking is an institution here. In my younger days we all used to patronise a certain pub on Sundays. We called it 'church'.

I certainly wish I had taken this all a lot more seriously when I was your age. It really can get so much worse if you don't.

Go for it love !

[mylife]

Which books about alcoholism/addiction have helped you?

Hello All,

I am also a big reader and thought I should mention that I have read Alan Carr's book - and it was good. But coincidentally I recently got and started reading Kick the Drink Easily by Jason Vale. (Unwasted PM'd me about this book recently as well)

For some reason his book is really hitting home a lot more with me. I think it's because it sounds like that guy really had a drinking problem in the past whereas Alan Carr I think had more of a smoking issue and then applied it to drinking. He really does have a load of good points in the book and it's helping me to change the feeling of deprivation to a feeling of freedom when I stop drinking.

Anyway, it's also an enjoyable read and I found myself actually laughing out loud at some of his comparisons to other drugs ("quicksand sinkers" and having "heronisim")

I highly recommend this book.