I would like to share a new addition to our Christmas Gift Guide 25: Parallel Recovery: A Guide for Those Who Love Someone with Substance Use Disorder by Lisa Katona Smith MEd (Author). I received a copy of the book in exchange for this review. Inside this post are my affiliate links. If you click on the links and make a purchase I will make a small percentage from the products you purchase.
I love how the Author shares insights into the complicated process of recovery. I know about substance abuse disorder firsthand from my dad’s drinking problem. Along with David’s drinking problem and drug abuse which he had stopped with when we got together.
I love how the Author addresses the whole family structure because people do not realize how addiction affects children in so many ways leading to negative behaviors at times. As well as showing children it’s okay to do these things just like my stepson Travis.
The Author also touches on issues and behaviors confronted by loved ones of persons affected with substance abuse. The Author is Clear and doesn’t pull any punches and she is very frank in her discussion of best practices for working through both crisis stage and building a new healthy family structure. I wish my family had a copy of Parallel Recovery: A Guide for Those Who Love Someone with Substance Use Disorder when I was growing up because I might not be as messed up as I am. I would have a healthier relationship with my friends and family.
About the book:
Lisa Smith developed Parallel Recovery™ as a method to help families affected by Substance Use Disorder because when her own son was overcome by addiction, the traditional messages left her feeling only more desperate and hopeless.
This book serves as an introduction to the philosophy and experience behind Parallel Recovery™, which is not a “step” program, but a set of tools to help families reframe the way they understand and respond to their loved ones, regardless of whether they are in a treatment program. Through our connection to each other, we can heal.
Research shows that when families are engaged in the process, their loved ones have a significantly higher success rate in seeking reduced use or abstinence. Walking alongside someone in recovery is simply more effective than trying to push them through. With these tools, families can ensure their own recovery and give their person the best possible chances.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
