Books about addiction and recovery: memoirs by people who got sober and stayed that way, and guides by clinicians and families who have been through it. Several authors went on to build careers helping others recover.
This list holds 18 books published between 2015 and 2026, 1 with an audiobook edition. A book is on it only when addiction and recovery is a central subject of the book, judged from the book's own description, not when it comes up in passing. The most-rated on Amazon come first.
Khalil Rafati · 2015
"The first bullet punched a hole in the door. The shot was deafening and a beam of light poured into the bathroom. Then they fired again." Khalil Rafati went to Los Angeles in the 1990s and had it all. He was working with Hollywood movie stars and legendary…
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Sean Rogers
A simple car accident changed the path of six-year-old Sean Rogers’s life forever. His single mother checked into the hospital as a vibrant young woman and checked out as a full-blown opioid addict. From that day forward, Sean’s life became a silent nightmare…
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Chris Duffin · 2019
Whatever has happened to you, it is not who you are. The world may know Chris Duffin as "The Mad Scientist of Strength," but you wouldn't have ever guessed that if you saw the scrawny kid skinning rattlesnakes and chasing dragonflies in the early '80s. The…
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A Memoir on Suicide, Addiction and Healing
Robert Imbeault · 2020
An unbelievably real and authentic story of pain, growth, and new life. What if you could find happiness after addiction? Imagine the struggle was behind you and you felt grateful for every ounce of joy in your life. What if you KNEW how to be courageous and…
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Michael S. Millin · 2025 · Audiobook
This isn't another story about addiction or surfing. Those are just parts of the story, a story of recovery, redemption, and adventure. With unflinching honesty, A Life of Opposing Forces highlights the complicated but enduring relationship Michael Millin has…
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An Entrepreneur's Mindset Through Addiction, Lawsuits, and His Journey to the Edge
Michael Dash · 2019
To be on the frontline of entrepreneurship, you must be bold and take risks. But the need to achieve can be as addictive as drugs, with serious side effects. It can make you feel isolated, uncertain, and trapped on an emotional roller coaster ride full of…
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Adam S. Lamb
Eliminating alcohol from your life is a surefire way to up your game, personally and professionally. But in today's world, drinking is a frequent social obligation, and the pressure to "have a drink" can be tremendous. Adam Lamb said, "I'm all set," to booze…
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Jay Lind · 2022
For years, Jay Lind lived between the lines of society’s moral and legal boundaries. But his smooth, privileged life was interrupted when his dad died and his drug addiction snowballed out of control. Between the Lines is the moving saga of Jay’s descent…
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Stephen Hope · 2024
Stephen Hope’s mother was arrested and sent to prison in 2005 for selling meth to an undercover cop. She had been dealing it out of the family’s small, cookie-cutter home in Henderson, Kentucky, for years, cooking it in an eight-by-ten-foot shed in the…
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Monroe Miller
Sexual abuse as a child. Opioid addiction in pill-riddled Appalachia. Rehab. Time in a mental facility. Monroe Miller, an Amish man, has experienced all of that heartbreak. But, with the support of his community and his loyal wife, Esther, he is now on the…
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Jay K Joshi · 2023
A tragedy unique to modern American culture, the opioid epidemic incited a flurry of news coverage, health policy banter, and, ultimately, arrests. Instead of addressing the root of addiction, law enforcement and public policy officials scrambled to place…
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May Tal · 2025
The truth is that being sober is not an accomplishment. Overcoming your addiction, however, is. For decades, addiction recovery has followed a single narrative: "You are powerless. Your addiction is a disease. You will fight it for the rest of your life." …
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Finding Hope in the Ashes
Rick Scadden · 2026
Society's labels never define who you are--or who you are capable of becoming. Barely an adult, Rick Scadden's future looked bleak. He was a convicted felon battling addictions, unable to break free from the darkness pulling him under. The patterns he…
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by Kay Allison (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
Kay Allison · 2023
That glass of wine you start with after work to “take the edge off” has escalated into its own mystifying problem: one drink becomes more. Mornings are their own cocktail of remorse and shame. You swear you’re done, but evening comes and never again becomes…
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It's a Recovery Medicine State of Mind
Joey Pagano · 2023
Every addict lives in a war zone. Joey Pagano was no exception. Homeless, penniless, and filled with despair, he routinely fought for his life. No Addict Left Behind is Pagano’s unflinching personal account of battling addiction. When he was discharged from…
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How I Created Meaning from Addiction and Loss
Nicole Woodruff · 2022
On June 13, 2019, Nicole Woodruff got the call she had been dreading for years. Her sister, Amanda, had suffered a fatal overdose. Amanda had become addicted to heroin as a young woman. For five years, Nicole and her family struggled to help as Amanda cycled…
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Jason Carter · 2022
Most assumed Jason Carter lived a wonderful life. Remarkable wife. Amazing kids. And an oversized house close to the country club. But something reeked. While discussing thoughts of suicide, a renowned psychiatrist pinpoints the musky sock floating in the…
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Paul Pellinger
Fighting substance abuse with words is not working. But at Recovery Unplugged, there is a new approach that's helping addicts get the message: music. This method is based on recovery statistics unheard of in the rehab community, and the indisputable fact is…
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