Book Description

For readers of The Least of Us and In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts--a practical, hopeful, and research-based guide for supporting loved ones through addiction and recovery. This isn’t a book about addiction--it’s a book about recovery. Written for every loved one, community member, and recovery professional who wants to know “how do I help?,” Recovery Allies offers real-world solutions, evidence-based strategies, and, above all, hope for the 23 million Americans living in recovery from substance use disorder. Other books describe how to treat addiction or offer stories of recovery and redemption, but this is the first to comprehensively approach our addiction crisis from a community perspective. You’ll learn about: Reducing the shame and stigma that can prevent folks in recovery from asking for help The tools essential to addressing our addiction epidemic How to apply public health strategies across all community sectors, from healthcare and law enforcement to faith organizations and education The critical role of relationships and community support in achieving sobriety and maintaining recovery Relapse prevention, harm reduction, and peer support Recovery Allies is structured around the key pillars of recovery as identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): home, health, purpose, and community. It shows you a different way to think about addiction in our country--and what you can do to help in all your spheres of influence. Most adults with substance use disorder don’t receive specialized treatment like counseling, medication, or rehab. Instead, the recovery journey starts in their communities, among family and friends--here and now, with their recovery allies.