San Francisco, CA — Storytelling has the power to move people toward understanding and inspiration in a way therapy cannot. Aware of storytelling’s magic, Barbara Sinor has assembled a powerful collection of recovery stories to help those struggling with addiction and recovery in “Tales of Addiction and Inspiration for Recovery: Twenty True Stories from the Soul” (Modern History Press, 2010).
When attempting recovery from alcohol, substance abuse, or any addiction, stories of how others have succeeded can be priceless. Stories are the basis of the “Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous,” one of the first and most successful recovery programs. Barbara Sinor has created a “Big Book” for the twenty-first century with twenty true stories of people dealing with addiction, undergoing recovery, and dealing with relapses. While pain and frustration fill many of these pages, so does enough hope to inspire any reader. Beyond the stories, Dr. Sinor provides insight into the steps from addiction to recovery by pulling from behavioral theory, recovery philosophy, new understandings from the world of physics, and spiritual development.
These true stories were collected from drug addicts and alcoholics as well as many authors who have written about the difficulties and ultimate successes of their recoveries. Interwoven throughout the book is the journal of Barbara’s son, illuminating his journey from alcoholism to recovery. Barbara also details the difficulties she and her husband experienced in witnessing their son’s journey.
In the book’s introduction, Barbara writes, “Addicted or not, we all have stories to tell.” Whether the reader is a codependent wishing to help an addicted loved one, or an addict him or herself, this powerful book grows with each story as readers come to understand the truth of addiction, how it affects people in different and similar ways, and how it is possible not only to choose recovery, but ultimately, to find a new day filled with hope and freedom from addiction. Although individual stories cover a myriad of substances, including alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, barbiturates, and amphetamines, the reader will begin to discover a thread of humanity which binds us all, addicted or not.
Reviewers rave about “Tales of Addiction and Inspiration for Recovery.” Ken Seeley, author of “Face It and Fix It” states, “These heart-wrenching and ultimately heartwarming stories provide the inspiration for each one of us to know that recovery works.” Leslie Lovejoy, author of “Create Your Health Using the Five Keys to Wellness” testifies, “one is struck both with the pain and suffering that was experienced, and also the hope for a healthier future.” And Elaine DiNucci of Stanford University calls the book “gut-wrenching…The stories are riveting, each starting out with family history that is inevitably pivotal to the storyteller’s current situation. A must read.”
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