Books about Alcoholism

If you’re tired of self-help memoirs that are all #inspirational quotes and no substance, you’ve found the book for you in Catherine Gray’s The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober. Gray takes pains to make her book about recovery from alcoholism into a level-headed, conversational look at the hardest journey some of us ever undertake.

She manages to inspire her readers to follow in her footsteps without making them feel like she’s patronizing them or talking their ear off with meaningless mantras. Gray even makes a canny reference to the new-agey platitudes of other self-help books by telling her readers that if they start going around saying “Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present,” they’ve gone too far!

As you can probably tell from that zinger, the style of this book makes it easy for the reader to engage with heavy topics without being overwhelmed. In discussing emotional regulation, Gray compares feelings to children: “You don’t want them driving the car, but you shouldn’t stuff them in the boot either.” With this kind of crushingly wry wit, Gray details how she went from letting her emotions drive to putting them in the back seat in the proper safety-regulated booster chairs.

This is a fabulous book. Funny and Scary all rolled into one. Definitely helped me keep sober (5 stars)
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In this manner, Gray discusses neurology, mindfulness, and personal growth in blunt, easy-to-understand language. She starts from her rock bottom period and tells her story with total candor and unflinching courage, which is admirable in this age of Instagram-perfect personas.

A delightful combination of straight-shooting, helpfulness & devilish humor (5 stars)

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At no point does Gray make it seem like being sober is easy. From having to wrestle with her emotions after removing her habitual coping mechanism to her encounters with other people’s criticisms of her choice to be sober, Gray’s sobriety has been as difficult for her as it has been for all of us who have walked this path. But the upshot is that she does show beautifully the benefits of being sober, and the pride she has in the life she has built in the aftermath of her addiction. Gray has been fitter, happier, and wealthier than ever now that she can pursue her life goals without addiction taking her off-track, so anyone looking for a reason to go sober will find many from the outcomes she details in The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober. From a relatable struggle to an inspiring future, Gray has given us a successful story of life after alcoholism.

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Many people know someone that has developed a dependency on alcohol or have struggled with addiction themselves. One drink can very easily turn into many. Reading Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Control Alcohol might be the key to regaining control that was lost to heavy drinking.

So exactly what is addiction? This brain disorder can quickly spiral out of control and take over someone’s life. The need to feed their compulsions can outweigh their other responsibilities. It becomes a constant routine of maintaining their addiction, always seeking that “buzzed” feeling or, for some, drinking heavily until they blackout. Many people with an addictive personality can attest to how difficult it is to fight that urge. In this book, we discover ways to take control of alcohol by learning tools from Allen Carr that promise to help you “escape the trap” of alcohol.

But is it really that easy? Here’s what Nikki Glaser had to say about Allen Carr on the Joe Rogan show:

So what does Allen Carr tell you to do…

Firstly, he urges you to not quit drinking, or even cut down, until you reach the end of the book. This is a great tip because even reading about drinking can be very triggering for an alcoholic. This book isn’t about creating willpower within you, it’s about freeing you from even needing willpower. One point Carr regularly makes is that addiction isn’t a disease. This goes against many professional opinions from qualified doctors. He’s speaking from a personal place and doesn’t cite sources. If that isn’t a belief you hold, this might not be the book for you.

The only true negative aspects of this book are that Carr rambles at certain points. It seems like some areas were just a means to hit a certain word count which isn’t a huge issue, but it definitely pulled me out of the book a few times. He referenced his previous book, Easy Way to Quit Smoking, often enough that it began to feel strange. It started to seem that he was just trying to plug his first book so that you would go back and buy that one, too.

Allen Carr’s Easy Way is the only way that’s worked for me. I had quit 100s of times before. But now sober 90 days – 60 days longer than ever before. Thanks Allen. (5 stars)

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Finally, Carr tells you to take a “final drink.” It’s very symbolic for readers because this is their chance to say goodbye to alcohol. They can see it now in a different light, for the poison that it has been to their body and their life. He warns readers that they might feel empty or insecure, and that’s okay. It’s normal to mourn during this process and miss drinking. This book is not a quick fix and doesn’t claim to be. I think that’s the part that drew me in – that this will take serious work, but the tips and ideas aren’t overwhelming. I think if you’re in the right place mentally and emotionally, and you’re ready to begin this journey, reading Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Control Alcohol can help you start that process.

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I’ve been close to multiple family members that have had trouble with the bottle and Nick Spalding writes about serious situations like alcohol addiction with comedic irreverence that makes jagged little pills like alcoholism a bit easier to swallow.

There is very little to laugh about when you’re watching someone you love drink themselves into an early grave, but somehow Spalding manages to lace that bitter taste with his own brand of sweet humor. It is so helpful when we can look at the darkest things going on in our lives and laugh at them heartily. You can feel sad about something and still find the humor in it, and I’m not sure I realized that before I discovered Dry Hard.

Reading this book has reaffirmed my commitment to sobriety (5 stars)

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There are many authors that wouldn’t touch this subject matter with a ten foot pole, but it’s something that needs to be addressed and Nick boldly answers the call. I’m impressed how easily he walks such a fine line, showing the seriousness of the situation but also lightening the somber mood with fantastically written comedic scenes. I simply can’t go on enough about how enjoyable it was to have such a serious subject thrust into the light for all of us to laugh at. When things can seem at their darkest, the awareness that you aren’t alone makes all the difference in the world. Dry Hard does the impossible and turns a plague into a jester. Do I still fret about alcoholism? Of course. A book can’t solve all the world’s problems, but getting the conversation going without a sense of dread attached to it is a great start!

An absolutely hilarious tale. But still a reminder of the dangers of alcohol and have much strength it takes to decide to quit – I wont spoil if they were successful! (5 stars)

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You know when you see someone smiling at their phone in public? That’s basically me throughout a Nick Spalding read. The language is easy to understand and I heavily identify with the flawed nature of each character. We are all just human, and having a character make mistakes and grow from them does wonders in making me feel for fictional people. None of the characters here are perfect, and I love that. It all falls right in line with helping me to not feel so alone in the problems that I’ve faced. Superb work Mr. Nick Spalding! If you are looking for a read that can make you laugh and then initiate some deeper thinking, don’t hesitate to add Dry Hard to your cart. It is certainly worth a read!

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