Dr. Blagy's Reading List for Addiction Recovery

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Here are a few books and videos that I often suggested to clients and families when it comes to early recovery. In particular, I recommend the 12 Stupid/12 Smart things series. They are a really nice mix of core recovery principles with an understanding of psychology/emotion regulation, etc. These are also fairly short books (which I really like!).

Recommended Readings

  • Alcoholics Anonymous (often called the ‘Big Book of AA’)

  • 12 Stupid Things That Mess Up Recovery, by Allen Berger, Ph. D.

  • 12 Smart Things to Do When the Booze and Drugs Are Gone, by Allen Berger

  • 12 More Stupid Things That Mess Up Recovery

  • Healing the ADdicted Brain, by Harold Urschel, MD

  • Being Sober, by Harry Haroutunian, MD

  • The Family Recovery Guide, by Stephanie Brown, PH. D., Virginia Lewis, Ph. D. (2000).

  • Everything Changes: Help for Families of Newly Recovery Addicts, by Beverly Conyers. (2009).

  • Codependent No More, by Melanie Beattie. (1996, 1992).

  • Adult Children of Alcoholics, (2006).

  • Loving Someone in Recovery: The Answers you need when your partner is recovering from addiction, by Beverly Berg, MFT, PH. D. (2014).

  • The Alcoholic Family in Recovery: A developmental Model, by Stephanie Brown and Virginia Lewis. (1999).

Recommended Videos

  • Pleasure Unwoven (DVD), by Kevin McCauley (2009).

  • Memo to Self: Protecting Sobriety with the Science of Safety (DVD), by Kevin McCauley. (2016). (I really like this one; good description of neurobiology of addiction and its implications for recovery/relapse prevention)

  • The Anonymous People (DVD). (2013).

  • Addiction (DVD). HBO Special. (2007)

Do you have your favorite? I would be interested in adding to the list of resources clinicians use most frequently and have that handy for our staff, clients, and families.