10 Best Books For Parents Of Addicts
Updated on: September 2023
Best Books For Parents Of Addicts in 2023
The Four Seasons of Recovery for Parents of Alcoholics and Addicts
Don't Let Your Kids Kill You: A Guide for Parents of Drug and Alcohol Addicted Children
Addict in the House: A No-Nonsense Family Guide Through Addiction and Recovery
Addict in the Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery
Parent of an Adult Addict: Hope for the Broken Road
Stronger: (What Doesn’t Kill You) An Addict’s Mom’s Guide to Peace
Afraid to Let Go. For Parents of Adult Addicts and Alcoholics
Addie's Mom Isn't Home Anymore: Addiction is scary - especially when you don't know what it is
Tending Dandelions: Honest Meditations for Mothers with Addicted Children (Hazelden Meditations)
Setting Boundaries (R) with Your Adult Children
How I Almost Lost Everything to Video Games
My life from how I learned about video games to the end. I almost lost everything I love, but this is how I overcame my addiction.
In the beginning
Growing up, my family had every game console known to man. From the Atari to the Xbox 360. I lived, ate, and breathed video games. This may come as a shock because, believe it or not, I'm a girl. When you live in a family that always plays video games, you tend to pick up a controller, or two.
When my addiction began
In 2020, I got my hands on a copy of Call of Duty Modern Warfare. I couldn't put the game down! I wasn't in high school anymore so luckily I wasn't messing up my grades. Unfortunately, I did have a job. Every day, after waiting tables, I would come home, throw my stuff on the ground, jump on my bed, and pick up the controller. My TV was 2 feet from my face and I was loving every minute of it! No one could beat me! But being the best comes with a price: I've shown up late, skipped work, and gave poor performances because I was so tired. I've even lost a job over it.
I found love with my addiction
In February of 2020 I was in a lobby waiting for another game to start. The guys in the room were trash talking me because they can't grasp the idea of a woman playing a video game. I decided to leave the drama behind and find another room to play in. This time I would just play 1v1 (a game that is me against only one other person). Little did I know, I had a stalker. This guy followed me from the lobby with the trash talkers and wanted to see if he could beat me. Well I won the first round, but never won a single one after that. And that my friends, is when I fell in love.
My new life with consequences
I got married to the wonderful man I met in February just 10 months later. He moved to my state and got a job right away. I fell pregnant in April of 2020 and decided that I would be a stay at home mom, but start early. Without any notice I quit my job for the sole reason of video games. All I wanted was more time to play, now I had an excuse! Every day with my husband was fighting, arguing, and yelling. "Stop playing that game. Clean the house. You're always angry. Take a shower. Pay attention to me." My life was a blur. The only thing I ever said to him was, "Five more minutes!"
My wake up call
One month before my son was born I walked into my house and saw my husband's bags packed and sitting by the front door. He taped a note to the TV that said, "Get help, or I'm gone". I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. How could I have let myself get this bad? So bad that my husband will divorce me? That very day I picked up the phone and called a therapist. I finally admitted that I needed help.
Today is always a new day
To this day I still have struggles. It's hard when I see other people playing, or talking about video games. I allow myself six hours of playing time each week: far from my normal of twelve or more hours a day. Ever since I got help my marriage has been better than ever. I laugh again, smile again, and love again. If my husband hadn't have woke me up before my son was born, who knows where I would be at now. I take it one day at a time. Each day is always a new day at life, and I'm not going to miss a single day of it.
