60+ Books About Addiction and Recovery

60+ Books About Addiction and Recovery

• Mandy Sandhu
• 13 Dec 2021

Substance abuse is a silent epidemic that’s affecting countless people worldwide. The more we know about this complex condition, the more empowered we become to steer clear of personal addiction triggers—or give loved ones whatever they need to power through the journey towards lifelong sobriety. 

Reading books about addiction recovery and memoirs of prominent personalities who share their struggles (which you may identify with) can be significantly beneficial for maintaining emotional sobriety and relapse prevention.

This article shares a comprehensive list of addiction recovery books worth checking out. Let’s delve right in.

Eye-opening, Non-fiction Books About Addiction as an Epidemic

1. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction by Gabor Maté
2. Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones
3. High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know About Drugs and Society by Carl Hart
4. Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction by Maia Szalavitz
5. Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari
6. American Fix: Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis – and How to End It by Ryan Hampton
7. American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts by Chris McGreal 
8. Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy 
9. Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka 
10. Clean: Overcoming Addiction And Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy By David Sheff
11. Healing the Shame that Binds You by John Bradshaw
12. Willpower Is Not Enough: Understanding and Overcoming Addiction and Compulsion by Arnold Washton 
13. Sex, Drugs, Gambling, and Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions by A. Thomas Horvath Ph.D. FAClinP
14. The Addictive Personality: Understanding the Addictive Process and Compulsive Behavior by Craig Nakken
15. The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors by Lance M. Dodes, M.D.
16. Addicted: Notes from the Belly of the Beast by Lorna Crozier
17. Addictive Thinking: Understanding Self-Deception by Abraham Twerski



For Families With Loved Ones Struggling With Addiction

18. Beyond Addiction: How Science And Kindness Help People Change (A Guide For Families) by Jeffrey Foote, Carrie Wilkens, Nicole Kosanke, And Stephanie Higgs
19. Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff
20. Addict In The Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery by Beverly Conyers
21. It Will Never Happen to Me: Growing Up with Addiction As Youngsters, Adolescents, Adults by Claudia Black Ph.D.
22. Terry: My Daughter’s Life-and-Death Struggle with Alcoholism by George McGovern
23. Smacked: A Story of White-Collar Ambition, Addiction, and Tragedy by Eilene Zimmerman
24. Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie

Memoirs by Famous People and Their Battle With Substance Abuse

25. Clapton: The Autobiography by Eric Clapton
26. The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star by Nikki Six
27. The Autobiography of Gucci Mane by Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin
28. Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions by Russel Brand
29. The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities by Wayne Kramer
30. Hit So Hard: A Memoir by Patty Schemel
31. Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis and Larry Sloman
32. Slash by Slash of Guns and Roses
33. Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol by Steve Jones
34. Everything is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss by Stephanie Wittels Wachs 
35. A Very Fine House: A Mother’s Story Of Love, Faith, And Crystal Meth By Barbara Cofer Stoefen
36. High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life by Tiffany Jenkins
37. More, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction by Elizabeth Wurzel
38. Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster by Kristen Johnson
39. How to Murder Your Life: A Memoir by Cat Marnell
40. Unwifeable: A Memoir by Mandy Stadtmiller 
41. Dry by Augusten Burroughs
42. Girl Walks Out of a Bar: A Memoir by Lisa Smith
43. Spirit Junkie: A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein
44. BACK ON TRACKmarks: From Hopeless to Dopeless by Matt Peterson
45. Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man and 90 Days by Bill Clegg
46. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
47. Between Breaths: A Memoir Of Panic & Addiction by Elizabeth Vargas
48. Save Me From Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs & Lived To Tell My Story by Brian Head

Enlightening Books About Alcohol Disorder

49. Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget by Sarah Hepola
50. Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
51. Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol by Ann Dowsett Johnson
52. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous by Bill W. 
53. Living Sober by Alcoholics Anonymous
54. The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure: A Holistic Approach to Total Recovery by Chris Prentiss
55. Drunk Mom: A Memoir by Jowita Bydlowska
56. A Happier Hour by Rebecca Weller
57. Letting Go Of The Thief: A Ninety Day Journey Inside The Thoughts Of An Alcoholic by Pamela D. Pesta
58. Alcohol Lied To Me: The Intelligent Way To Escape Alcohol Addiction by Craig Beck

Books About Sobriety

59. The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: Discovering A Happy, Healthy, Wealthy Alcohol-Free Life by Catherine Gray
60. The Staying Sober Workbook: A Serious Solution for the Problem of Relapse by Terrence Gorski
61. Being Sober: A Step-By-Step Guide To, Getting Through, and Living In Recovery by Harry Haroutounian
62. Recovery From Trauma, Addiction Or Both: Strategies For Finding Your Best Self by Liza Najavitz



Supplement Books About Addiction Recovery with Continuing Care

Gaining in-depth knowledge by immersing yourself in these books can indeed be incredibly empowering. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to emphasize that reading books about addiction recovery should be supplemental and never deemed a substitute for substance abuse treatment programs.

Serving the entire Greater Toronto Area, Freedom From Addiction is one of the most innovative recovery homes in the country. Our highly dedicated team of qualified medical experts and addiction specialists lead the following programs, among others:

• Medically Guided Drug/Alcohol Detox
• Drug Addiction Treatment
• Alcohol Addiction Treatment 
• Co-occurring Disorders Treatment
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Relapse Prevention

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us to learn more about how our evidence-based approaches can help you or a loved one overcome addiction.