Baffled by Addiction?

by Thurman Edward Hughes, Ronald R. Turner

The purpose of this book is to impress on friends and family members that their addicted loved one cannot begin to get better until he experiences the consequences of his addiction, and that he will not obtain the personal motivation to seek help until the family ceases rescuing. While many treatment and recovery agendas are available, the strategies embraced here are based on what has worked best for a large number of people over a significant period of time. Co-author Ed Hughes, MPS, LICDC, is executive director of an established drug and alcohol addiction treatment center.

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[Guida Brown]

While there are a few comments I would quibble with in this book, it’s an outstanding overview of how addiction affects families. Every person who is affected by a loved one’s substance use disorder (SUD) — and every person who has a SUD, for that matter — would benefit from reading this book.

But it’s not for the faint of heart. If someone isn’t ready for recovery, as a family member or a person with an addiction, this book will not resonate.

Too bad, though. These tools to help an addicted loved one can help in many other situations, too.

[Elizabeth Jorgensen]

Fast read. Nothing earth-shattering but a welcome reminder of what we need to do with our loved ones struggling with addiction.