Download or read book S O B E R written by Anita Baglaneas Devlin and published by . This book was released on 2015-01-14 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While laying in an empty bathtub in a Motel 6 in Vermont, Mike takes a handful of OxyContin and waits for the heart palpitations to kill him. As he starts to fade he reads a text on his phone, "Son, I love you and I need to know that you're OK." Struggling to understand why anyone would care about him because of his years of drug abuse, he responds, "Mom, no one can help me." Then, in a moment of clarity, he decides he wants there to be a tomorrow and to be a part of his family again. He makes the call for help to his mother; the call that saves his life. S.O.B.E.R.*, an acronym for "Son Of a Bitch Everything's Real" describes the moment Anita Devlin and her son Mike realize that denying his addiction to pain pills is destroying him. It is the defining moment when they commit to the courageous fight to get their lives back. This is when their family's road to recovery begins. S.O.B.E.R.* offers a rare glimpse at the daily, all consuming relationship between family and addiction, told simultaneously from a mother's view and an addict's perspective. Everyone thinks Mike has it all because he is a star varsity lacrosse player, does well in school and is popular with the girls. However, Mike feels completely alone on the inside. When sports related surgeries introduce him to the world of pain pills, he uses them to mask his insecurities and spirals downward. Once in treatment, he learns that drugs are the least of his problems. The real problem is his mind. The drugs aren't making his demons disappear, they are only masking them and burying them down deeper. Mike is confident that he can be sober but he is not convinced that he can be sober and happy. Anita thinks that being a mother gives her the right to negotiate with God for her child. She sits in church and pleads, "God, I don't care what happens to me, please just take care of my son." She lets go of everything that makes her strong until she has nothing to hold on to but fear. She is afraid of what will happen if she focuses on anything but her son. This is an addiction itself. Anita becomes sick physically and spiritually. She is ashamed that she is afraid of what people will think instead of helping her only son, and she is faced with yet another hurdle... a confrontation with the truth that she herself needs to get healthy and learn to let go. We are allowed a glimpse into the family's recovery through powerful "cost" letters including one from Mike's sister and from the innocent voice of the family dog. Despite an avalanche of life's misfortunes, nothing else matters as long as they don't lose Mike. Anita, her husband Michael and their daughter Alex join forces with the Caron Treatment Center where "the patient is the family, and the family is the patient." "Addiction is an octopus" says Anita, "Whose tentacles wrap tightly around us all choking the life out of everyone in its way. The whole family needs to recover together."

Download or read book Get Your Loved One Sober written by Robert J Meyers and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-07-30 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first general consumer book ever on the powerful, award-winning, scientifically proven new system of intervention that is turning the recovery field on its head. Historically there have been few options available for individuals seeking help for treatment-resistant loved ones suffering from substance abuse. Co-author Dr. Robert Meyers spent ten years developing a treatment program that helps concerned significant others bth improve the quality of their lives and learn how to make treatment an attractive option for their partners who are substance abusers. Get Your Loved One Sober describes this multi-faceted program that uses supportive, non-confrontational methods to engage substance abusers into treatment. Called Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), the program uses scientifically validated behavioral principles to reduce the loved one's substance use and to encourage him or her to seek treatment. Equally important, CRAFT also helps loved ones reduce personal stress and introduce meaningful, new sources of satisfaction into their life. Key Features: --CRAFT is more effective than other types of interventions.This breakthrough new system is sweeping the recovery field. This is its first introduction to the general public. --Contains simple exercises readers can practice at their own pace, with no costly or heart-breaking interventions. --Proven successful for numerous addictions, not just alcoholism.

Download or read book Sunshine Warm Sober written by Catherine Gray and published by Aster. This book was released on 2021-06-10 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The long-awaited sequel to THE UNEXPECTED JOY OF BEING SOBER - the Sunday Times bestseller 'Exquisite' - Fearne Cotton, Happy Place 'A paean to the longer-term pleasures of staying booze-free' - The Guardian 'The kind of book that changes lives, and very possibly saves them' - The Lancet Psychiatry 'A reflective, raw and riveting read. A beautiful book on what it takes to root for yourself' - Emma Gannon, Ctrl Alt Delete 'No other author writes about sober living with as much warmth or emotional range as Catherine Gray. Her deep insight into the subtle psychologies of drinking, and of life, means that everything she writes is both utterly relatable and stretches our minds. Hers is a rare wisdom.' - Dr Richard Piper, CEO, Alcohol Change UK What's it like to give up drinking forever? We know now that being teetotal for one, three, even twelve months brings surprising joys and a recharged body... but nothing has been written about going years deep into being alcohol-free. As Catherine Gray, author of runaway bestseller The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, streaks towards a decade sober, she explores this uncharted territory in her trademark funny, disruptive and warm way. This is a must-read for anyone sober-curious, whether they've put down the bottle yet or not. Praise for The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: 'Fascinating' - Bryony Gordon 'Truthful, modern and real' - Stylist 'Brave, witty and brilliantly written' - Marie Claire 'Gray's tale of going sober is uplifting and inspiring' - Evening Standard 'Not remotely preachy' - Sunday Times 'Jaunty, shrewd and convincing' - Sunday Telegraph 'Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying' - Guardian 'An empathetic, warm and hilarious tale from a hugely likeable human' - The Lancet Psychiatry

Download or read book Being Sober written by Harry Haroutunian and published by Rodale Books. This book was released on 2013-08-27 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Featured on The Dr. Oz Show in Special Addiction Episode with Steven Tyler The disease of addiction affects 1 out of 10 people in the United States, and is a devastating—often, fatal—illness. Now, from the physician director of the renowned Betty Ford Center, comes a step-by-step plan with a realistic "one-day-at-a-time" approach to a disease that so often seems insurmountable. With a focus on reclaiming the power that comes from a life free of dependency, Being Sober walks readers through the many phases of addiction and recovery without judgment or the overly "cultish" language of traditional 12-step plans. It also addresses the latest face of this disease: the "highly functioning" addict, or someone who is still able to achieve personal and professional success even as they battle a drug or alcohol problem. Dr. Haroutunian tackles this provocative issue head-on, offering new insight into why you don't have to "bottom out" to get help. Dr. Haroutunian is himself a recovering alcoholic and knows firsthand the challenges of sobriety. His background and expertise in the field of alcohol and drug treatment give him a powerful edge and perspective that is unparalleled in his field. With a foreword written by Steven Tyler, Being Sober uses clear, straightforward language and offers a proven path toward an emotional sobriety and a rewarding new life based on gratitude, dignity, and self-respect.

Download or read book Sober Curious written by Ruby Warrington and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2018-12-31 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Would life be better without alcohol? It’s the nagging question more and more of us are finding harder to ignore, whether we have a “problem” with alcohol or not. After all, we yoga. We green juice. We meditate. We self-care. And yet, come the end of a long work day, the start of a weekend, an awkward social situation, we drink. One glass of wine turns into two turns into a bottle. In the face of how we care for ourselves otherwise, it’s hard to avoid how alcohol really makes us feel… terrible. How different would our lives be if we stopped drinking on autopilot? If we stopped drinking altogether? Really different, it turns out. Really better. Frank, funny, and always judgment free, Sober Curious is a bold guide to choosing to live hangover-free, from Ruby Warrington, one of the leading voices of the new sobriety movement. Drawing on research, expert interviews, and personal narrative, Sober Curious is a radical take down of the myths that keep so many of us drinking. Inspiring, timely, and blame free, Sober Curious is both conversation starter and handbook—essential reading that empowers readers to transform their relationship with alcohol, so we can lead our most fulfilling lives.

Download or read book Getting Sober written by Kelly Madigan Erlandson and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2007-08-30 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Honest, direct, comprehensive, and practical." --Bestselling author Mary Pipher "Kelly Madigan Erlandson’s book will help many who are beginning their trudge on the road to happy destiny." --Christopher Kennedy Lawford, author of Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption Already hailed as "a thoughtful and comprehensive guide to those early, crucial days of sobriety," this groundbreaking new book is different from anything else on the market. As an alcohol and drug counselor for more than 20 years who has helped thousands into recovery, the author does not focus on trying to diagnose the problem; instead, she compassionately guides you through the first 30 days of sobriety--the most crucial part of recovery. She gives you practical, day-by-day advice for becoming and staying sober--from removing alcohol and alcohol-related items from your house to picking the recovery program that fits your needs.

Download or read book Sober For Good written by Anne M. Fletcher and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2002-04-17 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The press kit for Anne M. Fletcher's new book, "Sober for Good," states,'Sometimes one book can make a difference.' After reading it, I could not agree more strongly." The New York Times "These stories are part of author Anne Fletcher's in-depth look at people who have overcome serious drinking problems ... Fletcher's main message: That there are many different ways to get and stay sober." USA Today "Sober for Good integrates scientific evidence with real-life stories and commentary to create an effective volume that laypeople can readily understand. It's a compendium of hope for anyone who has concerns about their own drinking or that of someone close to them." ---Mark B. Sobell, Ph.D, Center for Psychological Studies, Nova Southeastern University "An impressive array of first-person accounts of how real people have resolved their alcohol problems, with and without formal treatment. [Sober for Good] reflects a hope-filled truth: that there are many different successful paths to recovery. Those who continue to suffer with alcohol problems, as well as the people who love them, can find hope in these real-life stories" ---William R. Miller, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Co-Director, Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico "A wonderful book - well written, full of hope and useful information, and positive at every turn. A must-read for anyone concerned about their own or another's drinking, as well as for health care professionals." ---Barbara S. McCrady, Ph.D, Professor and Clinical Director, Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey "Fletcher provides a useful overview of the varieties of recovery programs and practices." Publishers Weekly —

Download or read book Living Sober Trade Edition written by Anonymous and published by Hazelden Publishing. This book was released on 1975 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tips on living sober.

Download or read book How to Stay Sober written by James Christopher and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2010-10-29 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Until now, virtually all therapy for alcoholics and other chemical-dependent individuals has been religious in nature. Traditional support groups imply that recovery is simply not possible without reliance on a supernatural "Higher Power."The need for a secular alternative to recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction is answered in How To Stay Sober. This book can help non-religious alcoholics maintain philosophical integrity while achieving the goal of lifelong sobriety.James Christopher, a longtime sober alcoholic, offers new insights and suggestions for developing coping skills and regaining self-esteem through self-reliance. He notes that current research indicates that there is no such thing as an "alcoholic personality" - that addiction is the result of physiology, not psychology. It is only by making sobriety the number one priority in life, Christopher states, that an alcoholic or addict can achieve recovery.Christopher has spearheaded a large grassroots secular sobriety movement across the United States, and this book offers concrete guidelines for forming these groups in any community. The book also provides an important weekly diary for the recovering alcoholic to use in the crucial first year of sobriety.Sobriety must be prioritized daily - no matter what - to remain under personal control. It is only through this conscious choice, Christopher states, that an alcoholic can get back on track and begin anew the creative, fulfilling learning process of life.Recommending self-reliance and self-respect without substituting dependence on religious dogma or a "higher power" for countering an addiction to alcohol or drugs, Christopher focuses on the practical aspects of his triumph and includes guidelines for forming a secular support group.

Download or read book Now That You re Sober written by Earnie Larsen and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-05-26 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this portable recovery aftercare program, Earnie Larsen coaches readers through one full year of sobriety with personal, practical, actionable steps to help them refocus on the core concepts that are essential to sober living. Make no mistake about the intention of the guidance offered in this book. This is not just another "nice recovery book"--one that you read and then put aside, hopefully taking away a few good thoughts. My intention is that the material offered here should be chewed, pulled apart, scrutinized, and internalized. This book is designed to be worked. It is intended to provide support, insights, and exercises that will do something about the high relapse rate of people starting recovery.>-Earnie Larsen, From the introduction In this invaluable guide, renowned author and lecturer Earnie Larsen brings you a portable recovery aftercare program that you can easily integrate into your personal life ?and take with you anywhere you go.Now That You're Sober is an all-purpose, year-long compendium of recovery wisdom and inspiration to help those who are newly sober focus on practical applications of Twelve Step principles. Like a traditional aftercare program, it is designed to keep the basics of recovery front and center in your consciousness, as it is the loss of this awareness that causes relapse. In his characteristic down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is style, Larsen serves as your recovery coach, providing guidance and inspiration when you feel vulnerable in your sobriety, and helping you to move past common stumbling blocks and flourish in your daily life. Each of his fifty-two entries includes a motivational essay, or pep talk, centered on a key element of recovery, followed by personal, practical, actionable steps to help you refocus on the concepts and behaviors that are essential in a recovering person's life.Earnie Larsen is a nationally known pioneer in the field of recovery from addictive and unwanted behaviors. He has authored and produced more than fifty-five motivational self-help books and resources on a variety of topics ranging from managing interpersonal relationships to spirituality.

Download or read book The Sober Diaries written by Clare Pooley and published by Coronet. This book was released on 2017-12-28 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BY THE AUTHOR OF NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT, THE BRAVE AND FUNNY MEMOIR THAT IS CHANGING LIVES. How one mother gave up drinking and started living. This is Bridget Jones Dries Out. Clare Pooley is a Cambridge graduate and was a Managing Partner at one of the world's biggest advertising agencies, and yet by eighteen months ago she'd become an overweight, depressed, middle-aged mother of three who was drinking more than a bottle of wine a day, and spending her evenings Googling 'Am I an alcoholic?' In a desperate bid to turn her life around, she quit drinking and started a blog. She called it Mummy Was a Secret Drinker. This book is the story of a year in Clare's life. A year that started with her quitting booze having been drinking more than a bottle of wine every day. It sees her starting a hugely successful blog, then getting and beating breast cancer. By the end of the year she is booze free and cancer free, two stone lighter and with a life that is so much richer, healthier and more rewarding than ever before. Sober Diaries is an upbeat, funny and positive look at how to live life to the full. Interwoven within Clare's own very personal and frank story is research and advice, and answers to questions like: How do I know if I'm drinking too much? How will I cope at parties? What do I say to friends and family? How do I cope with cravings? Will I lose weight? What if my partner still drinks? And many more.

Download or read book Quit Like a Woman written by Holly Whitaker and published by Dial Press. This book was released on 2019-12-31 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “An unflinching examination of how our drinking culture hurts women and a gorgeous memoir of how one woman healed herself.”—Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed “You don’t know how much you need this book, or maybe you do. Either way, it will save your life.”—Melissa Hartwig Urban, Whole30 co-founder and CEO The founder of the first female-focused recovery program offers a groundbreaking look at alcohol and a radical new path to sobriety. We live in a world obsessed with drinking. We drink at baby showers and work events, brunch and book club, graduations and funerals. Yet no one ever questions alcohol’s ubiquity—in fact, the only thing ever questioned is why someone doesn’t drink. It is a qualifier for belonging and if you don’t imbibe, you are considered an anomaly. As a society, we are obsessed with health and wellness, yet we uphold alcohol as some kind of magic elixir, though it is anything but. When Holly Whitaker decided to seek help after one too many benders, she embarked on a journey that led not only to her own sobriety, but revealed the insidious role alcohol plays in our society and in the lives of women in particular. What’s more, she could not ignore the ways that alcohol companies were targeting women, just as the tobacco industry had successfully done generations before. Fueled by her own emerging feminism, she also realized that the predominant systems of recovery are archaic, patriarchal, and ineffective for the unique needs of women and other historically oppressed people—who don’t need to lose their egos and surrender to a male concept of God, as the tenets of Alcoholics Anonymous state, but who need to cultivate a deeper understanding of their own identities and take control of their lives. When Holly found an alternate way out of her own addiction, she felt a calling to create a sober community with resources for anyone questioning their relationship with drinking, so that they might find their way as well. Her resultant feminine-centric recovery program focuses on getting at the root causes that lead people to overindulge and provides the tools necessary to break the cycle of addiction, showing us what is possible when we remove alcohol and destroy our belief system around it. Written in a relatable voice that is honest and witty, Quit Like a Woman is at once a groundbreaking look at drinking culture and a road map to cutting out alcohol in order to live our best lives without the crutch of intoxication. You will never look at drinking the same way again.

Download or read book The Sober Lush written by Amanda Eyre Ward and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-06-02 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sober hedonist's guide to living a decadent, wild, and soulful life--alcohol-free. In a culture where sipping "rosé all day" is seen as the epitome of relaxation, "grabbing a drink" the only way to network; and meeting at a bar the quintessential "first date," many of us are left wondering if drinking alcohol really is the only way to cultivate joy and connection in life. Jardine Libaire and Amanda Eyre Ward wanted to live spontaneous and luxurious lives, to escape the ordinary and enjoy the intoxicating. Their drinking, however, had started to numb them to the present moment instead of unlocking it. Ward was introduced to Libaire when she first got sober. As they became friends, the two women talked about how they yearned to create lives that were Technicolor, beautifully raw, connected, blissed out, and outside the lines . . . but how? In The Sober Lush, Libaire and Ward provide a road map for living a lush and sensual life without booze. This book offers ideas and instruction for such nonalcoholic joys as: • The allure of "the Vanish," in which one disappears early from the party without saying goodbye to a soul, to amble home under the stars • The art of creating zero-proof cocktails for all seasons • Having a fantastic first date while completely sober • A primer on setting up your own backyard beehive, and honey tastings For anyone curious about lowering their alcohol consumption or quitting drinking altogether, or anyone established in sobriety who wants inspiration, this shimmering and sumptuous book will show you how to keep indulging in life even if you stop indulging in alcohol.

Download or read book We Are the Luckiest written by Laura McKowen and published by New World Library. This book was released on 2022-01-25 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “We Are the Luckiest is a masterpiece. It’s the truest, most generous, honest, and helpful sobriety memoir I’ve read. It’s going to save lives.” — Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love Warrior: A Memoir What could possibly be “lucky” about addiction? Absolutely nothing, thought Laura McKowen when drinking brought her to her knees. As she puts it, she “kicked and screamed . . . wishing for something — anything — else” to be her issue. The people who got to drink normally, she thought, were so damn lucky. But in the midst of early sobriety, when no longer able to anesthetize her pain and anxiety, she realized that she was actually the lucky one. Lucky to feel her feelings, live honestly, really be with her daughter, change her legacy. She recognized that “those of us who answer the invitation to wake up, whatever our invitation, are really the luckiest of all.” Here, in straight-talking chapters filled with personal stories, McKowen addresses issues such as facing facts, the question of AA, and other people’s drinking. Without sugarcoating the struggles of sobriety, she relentlessly emphasizes the many blessings of an honest life, one without secrets and debilitating shame.

Download or read book A Sober Mom s Guide to Recovery written by Rosemary O'Connor and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-09-08 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rosemary O’Connor brings her many years of experience working with women in recovery to addressing the key life issues mothers face at all stages of their recovery path. Recovering from an addiction is tough enough, but when you throw in the tremendous responsibilities of motherhood, resisting cravings and remaining abstinent—much less enjoying the rewards of sobriety—can seem like an impossible challenge.Rosemary O’Connor brings her many years of experience working with women in recovery to addressing the key life issues mothers face at all stages of their recovery path. At once affirming, engaging, and practical, A Sober Mom’s Guide to Recovery combines down-to-earth advice with the inspiring stories of recovering moms, including the author’s, to offer guidance on over fifty vital topics, including stress, relapse, relationships, sex and intimacy, spirituality, shame, gratitude, dating, and, of course, parenting. The result is an inspirational and practical handbook, not just for getting through the day, but for building a sense of well-being that radiates outward, allowing you to be present with your kids and loved ones, and find hope for the future.

Download or read book Getting them sober you can help written by Toby Rice Drews and published by Debbie Wicker. This book was released on 1998-04 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Hundreds of practical and effective suggestions for sobriety and recovery"--Cover

Download or read book Sober But Stuck written by Dan F. and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-03-24 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sober But Stuck addresses common issues, such as fear of failure, unhealthy relationships, and resentments, that can act as barriers to serenity and ultimately threaten sobriety. People in recovery soon find out that maintaining abstinence from alcohol and other drugs is only half the battle. Sober But Stuck addresses the issues that can act as barriers to serenity and ultimately threaten sobriety. Sober But Stuck topics include fear of failure, unhealthy or dependent relationships, resentments, and more. Provides needed encouragement for maintaining recovery from alcohol and other drugs.