7 Inspirational Books About Recovery

Key Takeaways

• Reading personal recovery stories can provide hope and help you feel less alone in your journey.
• This list includes memoirs covering various substances and behaviors, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and gambling.
• Many authors describe how support systems, including 12-step programs, played a role in their recovery.
• These books offer honest perspectives on addiction and may complement formal treatment.

1. Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption

Broken is a true-to-life story of recovery told by William Cope Moyers. As a young man, Moyers developed an addiction to crack cocaine. Over time, substance use began to put his health and safety at risk. With help from supportive people in his life, Moyers leaned into spirituality and recovery. He describes working through shame, rebuilding his life, and advocating for better addiction policies in the United States. Learn more.

2. Up from Down: A True Story of Recovery from Addiction

Ted Adamson shares his experience living with heroin addiction, where his days and nights were consumed by trying to get and use heroin. From county jail to state prison, Up from Down gives you a close look at the life of a person struggling with heroin addiction. Adamson describes his world in direct, clear language as he shares different recovery influences, including 12-Step programs.

3. Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines

Nic Sheff describes how substance use shaped his teens and young adulthood. By his early teenage years, Sheff regularly used several illicit drugs, ranging from marijuana to meth. Sheff writes that he believed he could stop whenever he wanted. After a nearly fatal relapse, he began to see how difficult it could be to change without support. In a voice that is raw and honest, Sheff describes feeling at odds with his past, his family, and himself, while still holding on to a sense of hope. Learn more.

4. In My Skin: A Memoir of Addiction

Kate Holden describes growing up shy and living with ongoing depression. After she first tried heroin, she didn’t expect how quickly it could take over her life. She describes losing stability in areas like work, housing, and relationships. She goes into further depth as she explains how her addiction had her stealing money from her family and engaging in sex work to pay for drugs. She credits her family’s ongoing support as she moved toward recovery. Learn more.

5. Scar Tissue

Scar Tissue is Anthony Kiedis’ memoir about his experiences with substance use and sex. He writes about early exposure to drugs and how his substance use continued as his band became more famous. The book also discusses the death of his bandmate Hillel Slovak who died from an overdose in 1988. Kiedis describes how grief affected him and how he tried to stop using substances more than once. He also shares his path toward long-term recovery. Learn more.

6. Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain

Portia de Rossi’s memoir describes her experience with an eating disorder. She writes about pressures in the entertainment industry, her health struggles, and a collapse on set. Unbearable Lightness shares her life story, including her time as a child model and her later work as a television actor. In this honest book, she describes what it can feel like when food, weight, and body image start to take priority over other parts of life. Learn more.

7. Born to Lose: Memoirs of a Compulsive Gambler

Set in San Francisco, California’s Chinatown, Bill Lee’s Born to Lose explores gambling addiction and how it affected his life. He describes gambling away a baseball card collection as a child and later betting heavily at blackjack tables in Las Vegas. Lee shares the thoughts and feelings he connects with compulsive gambling, including pain and loss of hope. He also describes recovery and explains how a 12-Step program supported him. Learn more.

Get Help For Yourself or A Loved One Today

Recovery may seem daunting, but effective help is available. Explore residential drug rehabs or specialized alcohol addiction treatment programs to find the right environment for healing. Use our free tool to search for addiction treatment by insurance, location, and amenities now.