Recommended Reading

Why Don’t They Just Quit! is what many people have either said out loud or thought about especially if they are a part of a family or a friend of someone who struggles with substance abuse. Joe Herzanek, who has over 30 years of recovery, wrote this book to educate on the many aspects of addiction and recovery and offer hope. He says that if you are part of a family struggling with substance abuse “life does’t have to remain complicated and despairing”. He walks through addiction and recovery in every day examples and personal experience stories. He says that “freedom from addiction and an enjoyable life in recovery is attainable for anyone”. I recommend reading this book for encouragement for yourself and for a clearer understanding of the many nuances of addiction and recovery. It is extremely insightful.

By endurance we conquer. – Ernest Shackleton.

“Is there light beyond the darkness? Yes! According to Paul Meier, MD and David L. Henderson, MD in Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain. They explain how you can walk through common struggles and embrace them as a gift from God. This book will challenge you to open your spiritual eyes and “let the light of heaven” shine in. One thing that stood out was our need for support as we go through pain. The authors believe that those who support us in a helpful way “gently pull us out of our misery by first crawling into the pit of misery first, but they also do not let us stay there for long.” I definitely recommend this book as an amazingly satisfying tool for healing and hope for being able to see the light beyond the darkness.”
~ Debbie Juring

I read this book years ago and recently read it again. I realized they were talking about me! I come from a family that had some unhealthy behaviors and now have an immediate family member with an addiction disorder. You might also have a family background or current situation where you lose yourself, or have lost yourself, as you try or have tried to help another. You might even think it’s normal behavior because you have done it for so long.

Do you hate that feeling of carrying someone’s else’s burdens or always feeling at odds if your loved one is struggling? Well, Codependent No More is the book that helped me and I’m sure you can get some insight from it as well. It helped me figure out that when a loved one has self destructive behavior you can have a healthy life even when they don’t. It truly shows you – as it’s subtitle states – “How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself”. I can’t stop talking about this book and believe it can help most people who have a loved one in their life that struggles with mental health or addiction.
~ Debbie Juring