When we work with families who are struggling with someone who is addicted, we find ourselves explaining a great deal about addiction and how difficult it can be to define addiction. Opinions can vary from person to person and setting to setting. We describe the problem in these terms: if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If someone has a substance abuse problem that has not come up on the radar, does that mean he or she does not have a problem? This is what motivated us to write this book. 

Tina Turner wrote a song called “Proud Mary.” In the opening, she says, “We’re gonna take the beginning of this song, and do it easy. But then we’re gonna do the finish rough.” Well, we are going to do the opposite. We are going to start out rough and work to easier. First, we present the challenges of addiction, how devastating and consuming it is for addicts and their families. Readers need enough information to know what they may be facing. Our last section discusses recovery aspects with actionable tools/advice for how to address addiction and the destructiveness it may have caused. Recovery will not be easy, and in fact, for some, it can be extremely difficult. However, that does not mean there is not hope. Recovery is within reach for everyone. 

Anyone facing, dealing with, or wanting to know more about addiction will benefit from this book. Not all chapters will apply to everyone. However, “knowledge is power,” as they say. The more informed someone is, the better decisions they can make. By the end, you will not only understand the workings of addiction, but also be better equipped to reclaim a healthy lifestyle.