Addiction Memoirs

What if society looked at addiction without judgement? Unstitched shares the powerful story of one librarian’s quest to understand the impact of addiction fed by stigma and inevitable secrecy. The opioid epidemic has hit people in communities large and small and across all socio-economic...

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her forties, though having lived with its effects since childhood, Hope Andersen struggled for years to find inner peace. Her journey led her to alcoholism, pills, sexual promiscuity, turbulent and abusive relationships, and the brink of suicide. But it was her husband's brush with death as they entered their sixties that opened Hope's eyes, allowing her to begin her life anew. With a fresh lease, she remodeled her life and began seeking its deeper wisdom. Ultimately, what she found was hope.

Years in foster care, ejected from the juvenile justice system, addicted to drugs, a victim of human trafficking - all before she was 19 years old. Gutter Kid is a poignant and brutally honest memoir that chronicles the life of songwriter Keta Loren. In it, she chronicles a life fueled by a hard-fought battle for survival. A cautionary tale in some respects, this story is also one of perseverance, determination, true grit, defiance, and ultimately, triumph for a young woman whom society had cast aside as just another sad statistic.

The Joy of Addiction is a laugh-a-minute, stranger-than-fiction, tragicomedy about a teenager who hurtles into the abyss of drug and alcohol dependency. It is a true story with an unblinking insight into the mindset of an addict and an invaluable message of recovery.

Precisely plotting the slippery slope of a heroin addict's existence, The Hummingbird Kiss paints a bleak picture but still manages to offer a ray of hope. The '70s are young, and 18-year-old Trish is a newlywed. When a Florida judge sentences her junkie husband to ten years for stealing stereos, she immediately seeks out a fix, and before she knows it she's hooked. There follows a long sojourn as she and her friends work small scams to score, head to California in search of better highs, move back to Florida, shoot up and nod off every chance they get — until death gets some of them.

From the Edge of the Cliff: Understanding the Two Phases of Recovery and Becoming the Person You're Meant to Be provides addicts with practical lessons on how to understand and successfully navigate the two phases of recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction. However, it is also a remarkably touching, real-life story of someone who has used these same lessons to maintain 28 years of successful recovery. This audiobook contains an entire section on the hazards of drugs prescribed by physicians not well versed in addiction recovery.

William didn't know something was missing until it happened. He'd been in recovery for alcohol and drugs for years. He was a recovery activist and a spokesperson for the gold standard of treatment and recovery organizations. He was a model leader and follower of Twelve Step programs. But, still, he slipped. Privately, he was addicted to painkillers while publicly saying he was in recovery from alcohol and drug use. How did it go so wrong? With brutal honesty and introspection, William shares what happened after sobriety—after he'd published his memoir.

In "Addiction Alumni," Matt Bell lays bare the harrowing journey of his addiction and remarkable recovery. From an innocent childhood full of love, faith, family, and a promising career in professional sports, to a tumultuous decade lost in the depths of heroin addiction, Matt’s memoir offers a vivid portrayal of the relentless grip of substance abuse.

Character Witness is a memoir about a son's relationship with his mother, chronicling her struggle with mental illness, addiction, and poverty while exploring how the son's troubles as a young man began to mirror hers.

In 2012, Rhyannon Styles began her gender transition and attended her first 12-step meeting - beginning two journeys that changed the course of her life. Using her personal narrative as a springboard for exploring addiction, recovery and LGBTQ+ mental health, Rhyannon writes with searing honesty about the complexity of her experiences. The audiobook spans a range of addictions including alcohol, food, sex and relationships, the internet and narcotics, and highlights the ways in which addiction and the transition process can overlap.

From an award-winning artist who was featured in Humans of New York comes a bold personal narrative about overcoming family trauma, addiction, poverty—and forging a creative life in the greatest city in the world. Born in Brooklyn in 1963, Patrick Dougher grew up in some of the most turbulent...

SHORTLISTED FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR AT THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2025 'Extraordinary . . . entertaining and inspiring.' Daily Express 'Neil's book has given me a new-found appreciation of how he used the "Razor" alter ego to mask what he was going through. The recent turnaround in him, both...

No topic is too taboo or off limits, from the sexual assaults she suffered as a child to the exhibitionism displayed and multiple abortions she had as an adult. Garland weaves the seedy and secretive world of a sex addict with her words, removing the erotic and replacing it with the reality of what it means to live a double life: lying to and cheating on the ones you love.

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater is a graphic, honest, autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his laudanum addiction and its profound effect on his life. Confessions was the first major work De Quincey published and the one which won him lasting fame. This intensely riveting audiobook edition is therefore a must for all those interested in the pharmacological arts, altered states, the pitfalls of addiction, and the age-old quest for expanded consciousness.

Growing up on the streets of East L.A., Luis Rodriguez narrowly escaped a serious jail term and then struggled to overcome his powerful addiction to heroin and alcohol. Eventually, Rodriguez embarked on a career as a successful journalist and a highly regarded poet. In It Calls You Back, Rodriguez describes with heartbreaking honesty his challenges as a husband and a father and his difficulty leaving his criminal past completely behind.

Sam Delaney was Jack the Lad. He was confident, loud and funny; an absolute legend, to be honest. Or at least that was what he pretended to be. But when he reached his thirties, work, relationships and fatherhood started to take their toll. Like so many blokes who seemed to be totally fine, he often felt like a complete failure whose life was out of control; anxiety and depression had secretly plagued him for years. Turning to drink and drugs only made things worse.

No Longer a Slave is a poignant tale that explores the raw realities of addiction. This book offers solace and inspiration to those who would dare to confront their own demons and embark on the journey towards healing and freedom. In this gripping memoir, Pastor Hadley Baker delves deeply into the heart-wrenching world of addiction. Don’t let his church title fool you—his story is messy. As someone who was helplessly enslaved to pornography for more than two decades, this compelling narrative exposes the horrors of addiction while also providing a pathway to recovery and renewal.

Renegade MD: A Doctor's Stories from the Streets is a powerful and inspiring memoir by Dr. Susan Partovi, a renowned street doctor who has dedicated her life to treating the impoverished around the world and people experiencing homelessness on LA's Skid Row. Through her stories, Dr. Partovi takes us on a journey to the heart of the challenges faced by those living on the streets, and shines a light on her unwavering commitment to advocate for social justice and to provide compassionate care to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

Alone. Forgotten. Ashamed. What do these words mean to you? What about junkie? Loser? To someone, these words become part of their everyday life. Does this mean they are no longer human? As the human race, do we completely understand the suffering others go through? And what do we do to help? Nothing.

The author's young adulthood basically amounts to a how-to primer for addiction. Paranoia and impulsiveness, obsession, and manipulation. Throw in compulsion, false pride, fear and dishonesty, all driven by self-centered thinking. The gateway behavior for all the others. Blessed with a good memory, almost granular for certain events and circumstances, Mike Matson turns his journalist's eye on his own past and the result is an honest, unflinching look at his decades-long struggle with addiction.