Publisher's Synopsis
How do we stop young people from dying from addiction?
What is the ONE THING that is critically missing from society's debate on addiction?
These 12 stories of hope from college students, graduates, and a mother of a child in addiction, will illuminate the debate and help those struggling to find answers.
Emotional fitness expert Susan Packard (Fully Human) shines a bright light on how our emotions are a critical contributor to substance use disorders, much like our genetics are. She shares how loneliness, disconnectedness, and despair lead millions of young adults to substance misuse - and many thousands to suicide.
"In the hundreds of recovery meetings I've attended," Susan says, "I hear some version of this: 'I am unlovable.' Our culture thinks addiction is weakness, but it's really the language of the deeply wounded."
Susan interviewed college students, graduates, and a mother of a child who strugged in addiction, to discover ways young adults gain and grow their sobriety. She uses her own experience as a long-term member of the recovery community to reach across the divide of generations, and to establish that addiction is a disease of emotions, genetics, and experiences.
These stories are often harrowing, but their honesty and vulnerability will connect with anyone struggling to become sober, or to gain new foundations in sobriety. It's thrilling to watch for the moments when sparks of light and hope come back into the lives of the students.
This book is a must-read for students, administrators, and staff working in mental health on college campuses, and in recovery high schools too. The storytellers demonstrate how young people today can move from heartache to hope, and from fear to resilience, courage, and gratitude. With this ground-breaking book, Susan brings new tools to people in recovery, and new insights into the overall debate on mental health today.
Susan also offers a multi-media book experience, through the students' audio-taped stories available with purchase of the book. All proceeds from book sales go to the Association of Recovery in Higher Education.
