Addiction is a lifelong struggle; one that the can be experienced with or without sobriety and recovery. Without sobriety, it can be and very often is fatal; directly or indirectly. Addiction is very powerful and should not be underestimated.

There are many types of addiction including alcohol, drugs, sex, and gambling. There are also many stages of addiction and depending on how much it has progressed, depends on the problems it has caused in the addict’s life.

All areas of life can and eventually will be affected if the addiction is allowed to advance to a severe degree. The seven main life areas are: work/school, social, family, financial, legal, spiritual, and physical.

It is a very painful way to live for the addict and those close to him. It disrupts the entire family system and causes a great deal of emotional damage. Fortunately, there is hope; there is a way out. Help is within reach. There is a massive organized group of recovering alcoholics and addicts waiting to help save the next person. The 12-step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous is incredibly effective. In addition, the addiction field of professionally trained counselors and therapists are easily accessible. Recovery is possible.

  • Recommended Reading

    Addictions

    COVINGTON, Stephanie S. (2000) A Woman’s Way Through the Twelve Steps. Workbook. Center City, Minnesota. USA: Hazelden. ISBN: 1-56838-522-6

    JAMPOLSKY, Lee L. (2008). Healing the Addictive Personality: Free yourself from addictive patterns and relationships, New York, USA: Random House, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-58761-315-9

    KETTELHACK, Guy. (1998).First Year of Sobriety: When all that changes is everything, Center City, Minnesota, USA: Hazelden. ISBN: 1-56838-230-8

    KETTELHACK, Guy (1998).Second Year Sobriety: Getting comfortable now that everything is different. Center City, Minnesota, USA: Hazelden. ISBN: 1-56838-231-6

    LEE, John ( 2006) The Missing Peace: Solving the anger problem for alcoholics, addicts and those who love them. Deerfield, FL. USA. Health Communications, Inc.  ISBN: 978-0-7573-0423-0

    SCHAEF, Anne Wilson (1989). Escape From Intimacy: Untangling the “Love” Addictions: sex, romance and relationships. New York, USA:  Harper Collins. ISBN: 0-06254873-5

    TWERSKI, Abraham, J. (1997). Addictive Thinking: Understanding self-deception. Center City, Minnesota, USA. Hazelden Publishing. ISBN-13: 9781568381381

     

    Adult Child of Alcoholics

    ACKERMAN, Robert, J (2002). Perfect Daughters: Adult daughters of alcoholics. (revised edition) Deerfield, FL, USA: Health Communications, Inc. ISBN-13: 9781558749528

    BLACK, Claudia (1987). It Will Never Happen to Me. Denver CO. USA. MAC Publishing. ISBN-13: 9780345345943

    BLACK, Claudia (1993). Changing Course. Denver Colorado, USA: MAC Publishing. ISBN: 0-910223-20-3

    GORSKI, Terence T. (1989). Passages Through Recovery: An action plan for preventing relapse. Hazel Crest Illinois, USA: Hazelden.

    MIDDLETON-MOZ, Jane (1990). Shame and Guilt: Masters of disguise. Deerfield, FL, USA:Health Communications, Inc. ISBN-13: 9781558740723

    MILLER, Merlene, GORSKI Terence T. and MILLER, David K. (1992). Learning to Live Again: A guide to recovery from chemical dependency.Updated and Revised. Independence MO, USA: Herald House/Independence Press.

    S., Laura. (2006).Steps on Buddha’s Path: Bill, Buddha and We. Somerville MA, USA: Wisdom Publications. ISBN: 978-0-86171-2816

     

    Alzheimer’s

    ATKINS, Charles. (2008) The Alzheimer Answer Book: Professional answers to more than 250 questions about Alzheimer’s and dementia.Naperville, Illinois. USA Sourcebooks Inc. ISBN-13: 978-1-40221344-1

    CARPER, Jean. (2010) 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Age-related Memory Loss. New York, NY. USA. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN: 978-0-316-08685-1

     

    Codependency

    BEATTIE, Melody. (1989) Beyond Codependency: And getting better all the time. New York USA: Hazelden. ISBN: 0-06-255418-2

    BEATTIE, Melody. (1990) The Language of Letting Go. USA: Hazelden Meditation Series. Hazelden. ISBN: 978-0-89486-637-1

    BEATTIE, Melody. (1992) Codependent No More: How to stop controlling others and start caring for yourself.  Second Edition. Center City, Minnesota USA: Hazelden. ISBN: 978-0-89486-402-5

    BEATTIE, Melody. (1990) Codependent’s Guide to the Twelve Steps: How to find the right program for you and apply each of the twelve steps to your own issues. New York, USA: Hazelden. Prentice Hall Press. ISBN: 0-13-140054-1

    KELLOG, Terry with HARRISON, Marvel. (1990) Broken Toys Broken Dreams: Understanding & healing boundaries, codependence, and compulsion & family relationships. Santa Fe, NM. BRAT Publishing. ISBN: 1-56073-001-3

    MILLER, Angelyn. (2001) The Enabler: When helping hurts the ones you love. 3RD Edition. Tucson Arizona, USA: Hats Off Books. ISBN: 1-58736-067-5

    WOITITZ, Janet G. (1985) Struggle for Intimacy. Deerfield, FL. USA. Health Communications, Inc. ISBN: 0-932194-25-7

    WOITITZ, Janet G. (2002)The Complete ACOA Sourcebook: Adult children of alcoholics, at home, at work and in love. Deerfield, FL. USA. Health Communications, Inc.  ISBN-13: 9781558749603

     

    Depression and Relapse

    GORSKI, Terence T. (2006) Depression and Relapse: A guide to recovery. Independence, MO. USA. Herald House/Independence Press. ISBN 10: 0-8309-1213-4

     

    Forgiveness

    DAYTON, Tian. (1992) Daily Affirmations for Forgiving & Moving On: powerful inspirations for personal change. Deerfield, FL. USA. Health Communications, Inc. ISBN: 1-55874-215-8

    DAYTON, Tian. (2003) Magic of Forgiveness: Emotional freedom and transformation at midlife. Deerfield, FL. USA. Health Communications, Inc. ISBN: 0-7573-0086-3

    FERRINI, Paul (1991) The Twelve Steps for Forgiveness. Greenfield, MA. Heartways Press. ISBN: 1-879159-10-4

    JAMPOLSKY, Gerald G. (1999) Forgiveness: The greatest healer of all. Hillsboro, Oregon. Beyond Words Publishing, Inc. ISBN: 1-58270-020-6

    KLEIN, Charles ( 1995) How to Forgive When You Can’t Forget: Healing personal relationships. New York, NY.  The Berkley publishing group. ISBN: 0-425-16004-1

    SIMON, Sidney B. & SIMON Suzanne (1990) Forgiveness: How to make peace with your past and get on with your life. New York, NY. Time Warner Book Group. ISBN: 0-446-39259-6

     

    Inner child

    TAYLOR, Cathryn L. (1991) The Inner Child Workbook: What to do with your past when it just won’t go away. New York, NY. Penguin Putman Inc. ISBN: 978-0-87477-635-5

    WHITFIELD, Charles (200) Healing the Child Within: Discovery and recovery for adult children of dysfunctional families. Deerfield, FL. USA. Health Communications, Inc. ISBN-13: 978-0-932194-40-4

     

    Interventions

    JAY, Jeff and JAY, Debra. (2000) Love First: A new approach to intervention for alcoholism & drug addiction. Center City, Minnesota. USA. Hazelden. ISBN: 1-56838-521-8

     

    Personal Growth

    BYRNE, Rhonda. (2010) The Power. New York NY, USA. Atria Books (Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.) ISBN: 978-1-4391-8178-2

    CARTER-SCOTT, Cherie. (1998) If Life is a Game, These are the Rules. New York, NY. Broadway Books. ISBN: 0-7679-0238-6

    MARKOVA, Dawna. (2000). I Will Not Live an Unlived Life: Reclaiming purpose and passion. York Beach, ME. USA. Conari Press. ISBN: 1-57324-101-6

    PECK, M. Scott. (1978) The Road Less Traveled: A new psychology of love, traditional values and spiritual growth. New York NY, USA. Touchstone. ISBN: 978-0-7432-4315-5

    VITALE, Joe. (2011) The Awakening Course: The secret of solving all problems. Hoboken New Jersey. USA. John Wiley & Sons Inc. ISBN: 978-0-470-88803-2

     

    Sexual Abuse

    BASS, Ellen & DAVIS, Laura (1994) The Courage to Heal. A guide for women survivors of child sexual abuse. 3rd Edition. Santa Cruz, CA. USA. Harper Collins Publishers Inc. ISBN: 0-06-095066-8

    CAMERON, Grant. (2004) What About Me: A guide for men helping female partners deal with childhood sexual abuse. Carp, ON. Canada. Creative Bound Inc. ISBN: 0-921165-38-2

    DAYTON, Tian. (1997) Heartwounds: The impact of unresolved trauma and grief on relationships. Deerfield, FL. USA. Health Communications, Inc. 

    ISBN: 1-55874-510-6

    FREDICKSON, Renee. (1992) Repressed Memories: A journey to recovery from sexual abuse. New York, NY. USA. Fireside. ISBN: 978-0-671767-167

            

    Spiritual growth

    DREHER, Diane. (1991)The Tao of Inner Peace. New York, NY. USA. A Plume Book. ISBN: 0-452-28199-7

    SEAWARD, Brian Luke (1997) Stand Like Mountain Flow Like Water: Reflections on stress and human spirituality. Deerfield, FL. USA. Health Communications, Inc. ISBN: 1-55874-462-2

     

    Borderline Personality

    LAWSON, Christine Ann (2000)Understanding the Borderline Mother: Helping her children transcend the intense, unpredictable, and volatile relationship. A Jason Aronson book. ISBN: 978-0-7657-0331-6

    MASON, Paul T. & KREGER, Randi (2010) Stop Walking on Eggshells: Taking your life back when someone you care about has borderline personality disorder. Second Edition. Oakland, Ca. New Harbinger Publications, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-57224-690-4

    ROTH, Kimberlee & FRIEDMAN, Freda B. (2003) Surviving a Borderline Parent: How to heal your childhood wounds & build trust, boundaries, and self-esteem.  Oakland, Ca. New Harbinger Publications, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-57224-328-6

     

    Other topics

    ISAY, Richard A. (1989) Being Homosexual: Gay men and their development. New York, NY. USA. Avon Books. ISBN: 0-380-71022-6

    FORD, Debbie (2001) Spiritual Divorce: Divorce  as a catalyst for an extraordinary life. New York, NY. USA. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN: 978-0-06-122712-7