Exemplifies parents of addicts perfectly.
586513
I told 2 of my friends that if they really want to "get" me, they need to read this book.  Martha did such a great job of hitting all of the thoughts, fears, and emotions that parents of addicts go through.
3024724
In our community Drugs are rampant. There wasn't any God based recovery programs. This study is fantastic! It's is use and showing addicts a whole new way of life.
3030914
I recomend this book to anyone who has a loved one, friend, nieghbor, co- worker who is involved in drugs or if you are suspicious that they may be. Perhaps also to parents of younger kids who want to be somewhat prepared for thier future, especially if any member of the family has had an addiction of any kind. Addiction is a deadly disease and a very sad one. It helps to see, unfortunately, that you are not alone. But never give up, get educated on it.
485127
the book is a fantastic look into lives of addict, about addiction and life at the bottom. His style is masterful and the narrative flows effortlessly.
2428004
This book is one I will recommend to not only patients but also to other therapists who have not been trained in addiction.  Especially helpful were the chapters dealing with women addicts and children.
Women often are overlooked as having sex addiction, but Rob and Jennifer help the reader to understand fantasy (Fifty Shades), and how women use social media to promote the fantasy.
Children who live with sex addicts have many of the same issues and children who grow up with other addictions and often develop their own addictions. This is an eye opener for parents.  Again, Rob and Jennifer help us see how addiction is an all encompassing family illness.
The last five chapters offer hope and healing for the addict and family.
1654000
Stephanie Brown, a professional treasure in both the fields of psychotherapy and addiction, has done it again. This thoughful and compassionate volume captures where the field of alcoholism is going. AA,  Al-Anon and other 12-step programs have long recognized that addiction is a  family "disease" and that families suffering from it require  approaches that honor their collective predicament while taking the time to  understand the unique struggles that indivdual members face. Altough there  have been other attempts--good ones--by therapists to bring a family  systems perspective to alcohol and drug problems all have put their  theories of helping before the voices of the people their trying to help.  This book is the exception. Brown and her colleague Virginia Lewis  accomplish this by inviting readers to ignore conventional boundaries that  limit conversation and innovation, while challenging us to expand our  thinking and practice. Therapists, counselors, as well as people in  recovery and their family members will find this book an invaluable  companion and guide on their path from pain and addicition to healing and  recovery. I Strongly recommend it.--Jonathan Diamond, Ph. D.; author  Narrative Means to Sober Ends
2209859
This is an excellent book that shows the devotion of a mother to her child. Denise Krochta shows wisdom,integrity,and passion for helping those who love those who are addicted. Very honest portrayal of the emotional side of recovery.
1524013
"Rewriting Life Scripts" is a long overdue book. While addictions have become better understood and treatments have been developed for addicts, the addict's family has been left in the shadows, wondering "What comes next?" Families have struggled with their loved ones who are addicted; they have tried to help them, tried to control them, and basically expended their energy while developing unhealthy codependent behaviors of their own. Now, when the addict is finally entering recovery, many families are left in a situation that can only be described as post-traumatic. What do families do in this state--how do they make sense of how their loved one became addicted, of the often crazy way they reacted to that addiction, and how do they put their lives back together so everyone in the family unit can again feel stable, healthy, and safe?

It's about time families of addicts had their own book to show them how to deal with their loved one's recovery. "Rewriting Life Scripts" is illuminating in the way it uncovers the roots of dysfunctional behaviors in a family and teaches how to let go of those behaviors now that they are no longer needed. As I read this book, I was stunned by the analysis of family behaviors, the roles played by different family members from being the rebel to the overachiever or the family clown, and how addiction and codependency create, shape, and enable those roles.

Once the addict enters recovery, it is natural the family still wants to help him or her. This book helps the family to cope and to understand what the addict is undergoing, but more importantly, "Rewriting Life Scripts" is a resource for the family members to look inside themselves, to see the toll the addict's behavior has taken upon them, and to put their own lives back in order as well as to be prepared to have a relationship with the recovering addict.

The authors have all experienced their own issues with codependency and dysfunctional families. They are each authors in their own right, having told their own stories and worked in the field counseling people and researching addiction. Now their vast and insightful experiences are joined together to create multiple perspectives on dysfunction and addiction, viewing it from every angle. In addition, many stories are included here from people who have experienced living with addicts; they share how they coped and continue to cope with a loved one's addiction and recovery.

The subtitle of this book includes "Transformational Recovery." I love that term because this book offers so much more than simply "hope" for families. No matter what a person's past has been or the future will be, this book offers a "transformation" for the reader, the family member, that he or she can feel better, can live a happier life, can let go of the pain of the past and be transformed, renewed, and be prepared to re-experience what it is to be a family. "Rewriting Life Scripts" is the most cathartic book I have read in a long time. I imagine people will feel hope and joy and also shed some tears while reading it, but ultimately, they will come away truly feeling transformed and prepared for the good life that awaits them.

 -- Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph. D. and author of the award-winning Narrow Lives
4563456
One of many books I've read on addiction in the family. I'm apprehensive to say I enjoyed it, I can't say I enjoyed to read another mothers sadness of addiction. But I found myself relating 100% to this moms worry and inner conflict between enabling and loving. It's the first book I've read that helped me put those thoughts and feelings into better perspective. And I am very thankful for the mention of additional resources out there for us parents. I highly recommend this book to others. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings. Also a big thank you to Jake for his blessing to publish your familys' story.
4268866
I highly recommend Methamphetamine: A Love Story to anyone struggling to understand how this drug has spread rapidly through communities, ruining lives and creating extensive collateral damage. Dr. Shukla interweaves the stories of 33 adults who have left the methamphetamine lifestyle, some only months earlier and have agreed to share their experiences as methamphetamine manufacturers, for the most part to educate others to the dangers of methamphetamine.  The result is a very readable account of their combined journeys, written in such a way that the reader is taken on the journey along with them, from the initial high and lure of the methamphetamine lifestyle to the inevitable dark and tragic places that result. Many of the words of these 33 adults who shared their stories are intact and supply the backstory to what often is just seen as another drug arrest on the evening news. By the time the reader gets to the last two chapters Life after Meth and The Journey Ends? you can feel the uncertainty and precarious future of those who are trying to re-establish their lives without methamphetamine.  After all, the same conditions that made methamphetamine so appealinglack of opportunity, persistent cycles of povertyare still there. This book is very timely as many communities and states struggle with this problem and its devastating impact, for it just doesnt affect the individual, it also affects their families, which often include children (who in some cases, end up following their parents into the lifestyle). What is very clear is those that have managed to escape this lifestyle without a criminal record have a much easier time maintaining recovery and supporting themselves. Those that do have a criminal record struggle to overcome the stigma and resulting hurdles that accompany that. Dr. Shukla does not offer any quick-fixes or solutions for the problem, but rather presents these stories in a seamless and informative narrative, providing context and insight that illuminates the complexity of this pressing problem facing our society.
1820328
This book will provide a lifeline to parents struggling with children who they suspect, or in fact are, abusing drugs or alcohol. It provides a lot of useful information on resources and approaches for help but most importantly speaks from the author's years of experience working with youth  and families involved in drug abuse.  The personal stories are very  helpful.  This book doesn't point the finger at parents but provides  instead some very practical help.  If you have found out your child is  abusing drugs,read this book first before any others-it will definitely get  one moving in the right direction to get further help.  I would recommed  this book to all parents as its principles apply to other struggles parents  encounter with teens and none of us are immune to our children getting in  trouble with drugs.
1512913
Maureen Cavanagh's writing makes the reader feel they're with her during her struggles with her daughter, Katie. She expresses her feelings and articulates the highs and lows of her journey, all the while admitting that there is no right or wrong way to deal with the disease of addiction. This is an outstanding companion book to keep on your nightstand to remind those that love or know someone with this disease, that you are not alone.  Maureen also adds resources for those seeking help, which is a valuable asset.  This is a "must read" book that explores the thoughts and actions of someone who is well known in the field of addiction advocacy fighting for her precious daughter.
1180120
Kristina and her mother tell the story of the horror of addiction and its impact on the relationship between a beatiful girl and her beloved mother. Fortunately the story also tells of the benefits of recovery and the strengthining relationship between mother and daughter as a result of sobriety. I loved this book! Kristina and her Mom are powers of example!
3936626
I recommend this for all ages. It really puts perspectives on addiction. I would reread this over and over again!
3287449
If you're looking for a real account of drug addiction and the hold it takes on a family, this is the book for you.  The personal perspective from which it is written provides an authentic view of the frustrations, loss and discouragement that the whole family, friends, sponsors and the user sustain.  It is amazing how a loved one can be chemically altered and removed from a once productive life and ultimately feared by those that surround him.  You'll find it hard to put down.  I won't give away the ending, but it is a "true-to-life" ending and not hollywood packaging.
3173079
When Barbara Stoefens vivacious daughter, Annie goes from open, bubbly and doing well in school to distant, slightly grumpy and suddenly thin,  an alarm sounds. Always one to warn her children away from drug use, Barbara finds shes too late in warning Annie about a then-new drug called Crystal Meth.
Despite the many trials that surround this young life, her mother and father stand by their daughter in soft and tough love hoping and praying for the best possible outcome. Through various avenues of support, including 12-step programs and her faith in Jesus, Barbara shows how their life is transformed from a once happy family to a nightmare roller coaster ride and finally to a place of peace while their daughter descends into the grips of a terrifying addiction.
While many families may not have access to the resources that the Stoefens had available to them, I found the story showed what it looks like to pull out all the  stops and sacrifice something significant in the hopes of saving a child.
This book meant a lot to me as I too had a close relative who was also at one time addicted to Crystal Meth. Our family felt fortunate that the person survived and managed to be set free. While many have and will die in the clutches of Crystal Meth, A Very Fine House is about what can happen in the life of one who is redeemed.
It is a heart breaking story, punctuated by moments of soul searing pain. And the ending of Barbara Stoefens book will leave you feeling hopeful too. Despite the myth that all Meth addicts die, there are those who manage to escape from it. A Very Fine House was informative, a soul baring and brave account that gives insight to those unfamiliar with addiction to Meth.
3336294
This book should be read by every mother/step-mother etc. who has to deal with an
addicted child.  It reveals  in a gentle way the trap of co-dependency and the force of
the addition upon the addicted leading that person to lie and steal.  Excellent and truthful story.