A WOMAN’S GUIDE TO RECOVERY

   

   

   

      

by Brenda Iliff

Published by Hazelden, (www.eurospanbookstore.com/hazelden) at £9.95. 301+ pages. ISBN 978-1-59285-479-0.

“Addiction is 100% percent fatal. It’s traumatic and it kills.” The first line of the opening chapter certainly got my attention.

This guide does what it says on the tin. It offers a life line to women in the grip of addiction. As we are taken on a recovery journey, Iliff explains what we might experience when we first get clean and sober: living a life without alcohol and/or drugs, a life beyond our wildest dreams.

Iliff is the director of Hazelden’s purpose-built Women’s Recovery Centre, and her experience shows through the pages: this woman certainly knows her stuff. Each chapter is brimming with expert advice and information, from the basics of addiction, what it means to be an addict, detox, the importance of abstinence for recovery, the (neuro) science bit, the history of addiction, cross addiction, self care, the disease concept right through to the principles of the 12 steps and the freedom which recovery  brings.

I would have liked to have read more on how addiction affects women differently from men – biologically, physically, socially and culturally – as these issues are touched on enough to ignite my interest. Iliff gives us some of the main reasons we used and the damming effects it has on us, our families and children. She also shows how to rebuild these relationships, set boundaries and have healthy partnerships in the future.

MEL G is in alcohol- and drug-free recovery.

Comments

[california sober living]

This right that “Addiction is 100% percent fatal. It’s traumatic and it kills.” its a blessed to have a recovery for this,Keep up the good work.

cletsey

[pain pill addiction]

Thanks for sharing this, I learned that addiction is fatal but it depends to addiction. And there are lots of kinds of addiction.

-jomie-