Writers On The Edge #sponsored

Recently, I read a very touching book called Writers on the Edge: 22 Writers Speak About Addiction and Dependency by Diana M Raab. What made it so touching was that it shared the personal stories of people who either suffered from some kind of addiction or had to deal with someone who did. As you may know, addiction is something that millions of people across the world suffer from. Many people think that there is no way that they could ever become an addict, but that is quit untrue. If you take the time to read this memorable book, you will see that through the journey of these authors.

This book includes stories and poems from people who have dealt with this harsh struggle. One cannot know what it is like to be an addict or to deal with an addict unless they actually have. Reading this book opened my eyes and let me see just how hard the world can be.

A lot of people like to stereotype the word “addict” with drugs and alcohol. Yes, these can be a part of being an addict, but there are also other things that one can become addicted to. When reading this book, you really get an insight on that. You see that, not only can you be addicted to common things such as drugs and alcohol, but you can also become addicted to nontraditional things such as food and sex.

You also learn just how much these people have had to struggle, and how their whole lives get turned inside out. One of the things that really called out to me was that the stories were from people who actually experienced this first hand, instead of doctors who may have just read about it. I think that this makes the book great because it truly reaches out to people and gets them to open their eyes up to reality.

Another thing that really caught my attention was the stories that were told by the people who faced their problems in the 50s and 60s. As we all know, back then people weren’t as accepting to other people’s personal life and the problems they faced. Oftentimes, people had to face their problems which were not as socially acceptable all alone. Also, a lot of people think that to be an addict you have to have a rough life or something along those lines. That is VERY untrue. Even the slightest change in one’s life can cause one to become and addict. Or, the person may want to experiment. Trying something like drugs, just out of pure curiosity, could also lead to addiction in many cases.

So, as you see, addicts have a very rough life. Even after they are recovering, they face the constant struggle to remain in control every moment; even if they have been in recovery for many years. This book really shines a light on all the struggles that addicts, and people dealing with them, have to go through. It is a wonderful book and I would advise anyone who faces these types of struggles to read it.

You can find this and many more great books at Loving Healing Press.