Tales of Addiction and Inspiration for Recovery: Twenty True Stories from the Soul (Reflections of America)

"Tales of Addiction and Inspiration for Recovery" by Barbara Sinor is a collection of stories about addiction and recovery, some of which are inspirational, some which portray the hard-fought successes and some which depict the heart-breaking realities of addiction. The most poignant story by far is the author's own tale of dealing with her son's alcoholism and eventual death. It angers me to read about someone losing their fight with addiction while waiting to get into treatment after being repeatedly told there are "no beds available." It's absurd that this should happen in a country that spends billions in a futile "war on drugs." The focus obviously needs to be shifted from putting people in prison to putting them in treatment. Sinor includes information about many different organizations, one of which is Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap, a national program working to expand addiction treatment for those who desire to reach out for help. Currently, four out of five Americans who need treatment are unable to get it. In her own story, Sinor says, "David and I were heartbroken that our son had chosen such a difficult path." I think it's unfortunate that she believes her son "chose" the path that led to his death. If I chose my path, I made that choice long before I first drank alcohol and smoked pot at fourteen. By then, my personality and character were well-formed in a way that made my "choice" more of an involuntary contraction or reaction. I was a curious and naive dare-devil, and I made an ill-informed decision that lead to much misery before I could see what was happening to me. No one knows exactly how one becomes addicted. I believe, for me, it was a recipe with many ingredients. I would say 50 percent of it is genetics since I have addicts and alcoholics on both sides of my family. 25 to 35 percent I would attribute to experiences and conditions in my family and school. And the hand that flipped the switch that my genetics and environmental conditions created had to be my exposure to the drugs themselves at an early age. A close family member introduced me to the needle, and I doubt I would ever have been exposed to it had this relationship not existed the way it did. So basically I'm saying I was too young and too many things were out of my control to say I "chose" the disease of addiction. I'm not absolving myself of responsibility here either. I, and no one else, am responsible for my recovery. I chose recovery after twenty years of hell, twenty years of not believing I had a choice. In her stories of addiction, Sinor also includes one by a woman who has been on methadone for forty years and one by a woman who continues to smoke pot every night after deciding not to do hard drugs anymore. I relapsed many times after hearing such stories when I attempted to quit. They always fooled me into believing I could control my use. These two people write about how great their life is "in recovery," but I suspect they are not telling the whole story. I could not begin to recover until I was able to see my addiction as a beast living inside me. Using any drug, even the ones I "never had a problem with," keeps the beast alive and gives him strength. I could not arrest my addiction until I stopped feeding the beast. All in all, "Tales of Addiction and Inspiration for Recovery" is a book full of love, heartbreak, compassion, and ultimately, hope. As Sinor says, "Living with addiction is a spiritual journey." Whether we chose this path or not, it is the one we are on and there is much to learn, and this book has taken me another step in the right direction on the right path.David Allan ReevesAuthor of "Running Away From Me"

When I first bought this book, I stared at it for a few weeks before picking it up to read. I knew it was going to be tough to read after the first few pages, the stories were so raw. I read on through the painful sharing of real people, sharing real experiences with addiction, and then it shifted to a different kind of pain...the author's loss came through. Her pain weaved in and out of the pages as it created an underlying story or memories and love. Her story kept me in the book, even with the flood of emotions each story brought up for me. I cried many times while reading this intense book and wanted to thank Dr. Sinor for giving me several "ah-ha" moments of my own. If you have been involved with anyone with an addiction, this book will clarify so many patterns, emotions, sense of helplessness, and despair that can travel down it's path. For those who have been in recovery, Tales of Addiction reminds the reader to acknowledge where you might have come from to where you can go in healing. It is a powerful testimony to the recovery process and the potential of the human spirit.

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Great honest writing some of her personal stories were a bit long so I scanned some of her story a about using ruins etc, but her son's story and others are good, it's a good read for anyone in recovery

When I was going through addictions treatment, I bought several books to help encourage myself. I love to read, especially about others' lives, so I read many, many books.The premise of this one is good, but it didn't keep me interested whatsoever. The stories aren't very well written, and they didn't make me care about the people. It wasn't inspiring to me, and I ended up skimming through some of it with the hope I'd find something I liked. No dice. (Boring and so poorly written that it lost my attention!)If you are looking for a collection of stories about others who have fought addiction and won, I'd recommend "Second Chances" instead. That is a much better book.

I met Dr. Sinor through Facebook. I read this book within three days. The stories were gripping and the true account of her life story and her son's journal were excellent. I would recommend this read to anyone who is going through addictions with their family, friends, or loved ones. The quotes throughout the book identify with each story she tells. Fabulous! Grab your copy TODAY!

Tales of Addiction and Recovery has more punch and deep rooted truth than nearly any book used today in recovery. A MUST READ for all who have loved ones or friends in addiction.

Excellent reading. A must read for anyone who is or who has an addict in the family. The true stories show how addictions can bring a person to " The depths of hell". And can still recover. One Day at a Time.