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In the early hours and days leading into my sobriety journey, I read anything I could on sobriety through various blogs and books. How were other women like me, stuck abusing alcohol on a daily basis but unsure of how to break the cycle, doing this sobriety thing? Is life without alcohol even possible or enjoyable? Overwhelmed but determined, I hit the books to find the answers. Reading helped me begin to find my way.
I knew there just had to be a way to get sober without hypnosis, without transcendental meditation, and without checking into a recovery center….
…and I couldn’t stomach the thought of walking into an AA meeting….it just never seemed like a good fit for me and being an anxious introvert didn’t help either. So I turned to the internet, seeking out answers on how to get and (hopefully) stay sober. Reading about other people’s journey to sobriety, along with resources that helped them stay the course was key. One book recommendation in particular, This Naked Mind, was the push I needed to get my desperate but seemingly unatainable desire to be sober forever to align with my life. I literally had my last drink of alcohol while reading this book late one night in early august (2017) and was forever a changed woman.
If you are currently considering sobriety, think you need to get sober but maybe like me just feel like AA isn’t a good fit, or are in the early stages of sobriety, I highly recommend these three books to help you on your journey.
This Naked Mind by Annie Grace
This is the book that officially started my sobriety journey. Like I mentioned earlier, I was having my last drink of alcohol while absorbing all the great info in this book. By the end of the first few chapters, I didn’t even want to finish my drink! (And that says a lot because I was the type to ALWAYS finish my drinks.)
Annie’s book uses science, facts, and research to prove without a doubt that alcohol serves no purpose except to destroy lives, dreams, and goals. I learned so much from this book. It allowed me to stay the course during early sobriety, armed with my newfound knowledge of just how toxic alcohol truly is.
After reading this book, I was so hyped about finally figuring out that alcohol is truly a terrible, toxic substance, and so fired up to find out that the alcohol industry subliminally sells and targets us well before legal drinking age that my husband called me a sobriety snob! I have a calmed down (just a little) but this book not only helped keep me grounded during early sobriety, but it has ignited a passion for sharing with others my struggles and ultimate success with breaking my alcohol addiction.
I was so excited to come across Holly’s book recently. Before I got sober in August 2017, I stumbled upon her blog, Hip Sobriety and fell in love with reading her story of addiction and substance use disorder. Some parts of her story were indeed my own, and I felt like her words really spoke to me! Her recommendation of reading This Naked Mind is what started me officially on my sobriety journey, and to her (although I have never met her!) I will be forever grateful!
Holly’s book came out a couple of years into my sobriety, and I am currently reading through it, but so far, this book is definitely a gem to read in early sobriety and beyond! Holly’s straight-to-the-point, pro-activism stance incites you to want to break down the very walls set up by the alcohol industry to keep women boxed (boozed up) and chained to alcohol for life.
Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol by Ann Dowsett Johnston
This is another great book to read during early sobriety. Ann shares her story of alcohol abuse and sobriety and makes a strong argument of how the alcohol industry tricks women into believing the lie that all rites of passage (coming of age, beginning a fabulous career, marriage and motherhood, etc) should be deeply intertwined with drinking. This book was the second book I read in the early days of sobriety, and it reinforced for me the fact that the alcohol industry really wants to keep women under the control of alcohol.
So it’s worth mentioning that no two paths to sobriety are the same. Finding a balance of options and tools is key to success in getting and staying sober. Have you read any of the books above? What other books have you read that have been key in your sobriety journey? Share below!