Well, of course I tried my best to steal from them whatever I could. I very consciously looked to Karr for inspiration in how to write candidly yet lovingly about an imperfect family. I learned a lot from Clegg—or I hope I did—about how to convey the terrifying experience of a runaway binge. I tried to be as brutally unsparing of my faults as both those writers. I’d like to think Jerry Stahl’s Permanent Midnight influenced me, too, particularly by encouraging me to try and be harrowing and funny at once. Take our short alcohol quiz to learn where you fall on the drinking spectrum and if you might benefit from quitting or cutting back on alcohol.
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: Discovering a Happy, Healthy, Wealthy Alcohol-Free Life by Catherine Gray
He also offers step-by-step instructions for starting recovery and sticking with it. Cupcake Brown was 11 when she was orphaned and placed into foster care. She grew up with a tragic journey, running away and becoming exposed to alcohol, drugs, and sex at a young age, and leaning on those vices to get by. A Piece of Cake is her gripping tale of crashing down to the bottom and crawling back to the top. Admitting you have a problem — not to mention actually getting sober — is no small feat.
Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man
Before I was old enough to simply walk out of the house and literally escape, I hid inside my room and read entire afternoons away, happily lost. Three years sober, Jowita Bydlowska celebrates the birth of her first child with a glass of champagne, and just like that, she is spiraling https://ecosoberhouse.com/ back into the life of drinking she thought she had escaped. Bydlowska depicts life as a new mom while under the influence with honesty and humility, discovering she can overcome the seemingly impossible for her child. Annie’s book is so important (and she’s a wonderful human to boot).
“The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober” by Catherine Gray
Most of their friends spent their weekends living the “rose all day” lifestyle, and every first date wanted to meet at a bar. Wondering if you need a drink to live a rich, colorful life? The acclaimed author of Prozac Nation goes from depression to addiction best alcoholic memoirs with this equally devastating personal account. 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.
- Don Birnam in The Lost Weekend (1944) is really its creator, Charles R. Jackson.
- It includes research and quotable nuggets on how to immediately take steps toward behavior change.
- The fact that, in so doing, she effectively obeyed a formal convention of addiction memoir helps explain how many of those conventions arose.
- Pooley walks us through a year of her life spent battling alcohol addiction and a recent breast cancer diagnosis, two battles — spoiler alert!
- It got me thinking the one thing I never wanted to be true… maybe it is the alcohol that’s making me so miserable?
Westover grew up in a survivalist home and was homeschooled until 17. She decided to study hard for college entrance exams, and once there, her entire world opened up. No matter where you are on your journey to recovery, it helps to have stories from peer groups who understand what you are going through. This is also helpful for friends and family members as they support you through the recovery process. He comes from the book publishing world and, again, was someone who was successful and smart, but in active addiction. He lost trust of people around him and in his field, but through sobriety he has been able to regain that trust and help many people along the way.
- Raw and real, Pond’s bok shows how he uncovers a new path to recovery outside the traditional abstinence-based programs with the help of his partner, Maureen Palmer.
- Sarah’s writing is sharp and relatable; a more recent, modern voice in the recovery space.
- These pages are filled with the teachings of ancient Stoics such as Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus.
- This was the first book I read on this subject, and I instantly could relate to her feelings.
Science Daily: Mind & Brain
Girl Walks Out of a Bar: A Memoir by Lisa F. Smith
- In this post, we’ve put together nine of the best addiction memoirs and quit lit books for you to check out.
- The result is a definitive treatment of the American recovery movement—a memoir in the subgenre like no other.
- Her story is a beautiful reminder of how safety and support can lead the way to incredible healing.
- Finally, at the behest of his coworkers and boss, he ends up in a rehab that specifically caters to gay and lesbian patients.