No Room to Live: A Journey from Addiction to Recovery

by Wynford Ellis Owen

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sharon]

I read this book, because I am applying for the job of center administrator for the alcohol and drug rehabilitation center "The Living Room Cardiff" that is mentioned at the end of the book. I met Wynford Ellis Owen for a discussion about the position and he lent me a copy of his book.
My eyes have been opened to alcoholism, over the past year, and my heart has been softened by problems for sufferers searching for help and how it can be difficult in these economic times with cutbacks to provide the amount of help needed.
It is Wynford's story of his childhood and his addiction to alcohol and other drugs, following through his time as a sufferer and then his realization of needing help and his journey of recovery. It is heartfelt and honest, touching, funny but also sad in places. He is a Christian and the strength he derived from his "higher power" (God) is encouraging. It shows a very human side of feelings and emotions and self examination as well as telling the reader about the illness and recovery from a sufferer's perspective. Since it was all pretty much based in Wales, I found the welsh history and the welsh context interesting.
This is a book I would recommend to anyone, whether you work in addiction or counseling, whether you are a sufferer of an addiction or, like me you work / volunteer or come into contact with people in recovery. Even if you don't, this book helps address the stigma of alcoholism and addiction and will increase knowledge and understanding of it. Recommended! :)

[Davemonico]

Well done and inspirational. Clearly favors AA model and abstinence as the only option to treatment. However, Wynford had numerous protective factors which harm reduction aims to build and maintain to aid in recovery. These protective factors allow individuals to remain alive long enough to receive treatment. Wynford seems to ignore this, at times mentioning common abstinence only concepts that people should be turned away if they are perceived as not ready. Why couldn't he have been allowed to sit in the lobby of the treatment center until he sobered? He could have been monitored for the DTs he later experienced and receive the help he needed with less risk. Instead he suffered, but was lucky to make it (many don't) only to be turned away again to first go where he should have initially went - to a detoxification facility.

[Greg Harrison]

A humorous autobiography wrapped around a touching tale of addiction that serves as a beacon of light to many of us who live with the disease. Wynford's story offers hope and strength to those who are willing to listen to him and take on-board his "best practice" methods of opening the door on a new life where we control the addiction, and not the other way around.