Reading is one of my favorite ways to learn new information about the world. The field of mental health and addiction treatment is changing so quickly that it’s easy to get left behind. Below are the very best books on mental health and/or addiction that I’ve read.
8. Strung Out by Erin Khar
Erin Khar’s beautifully written memoir, Strung Out, is a vivid reminder that addiction hits every socioeconomic class. Despite growing up in a household with wealthy, successful, and loving parents, Erin recounts her harrowing journey with addiction, starting with substance experimentation at age 8 and heroin use at age 13. Erin gives a first-hand account of how trauma makes people more vulnerable to addiction while offering real hope that addiction is a treatable and curable disease whose victims deserve unwavering empathy and love.
7. Codependent No More by Melody Beattie
While Codependent No More is a timeless classic in the self-help canon, I recently reread it through addiction-focused lenses. Melody Beattie originally wrote this book in 1986 to raise awareness and provide support for those suffering from overly dependent personality structures and unhealthy relationships. However, her tips on boundary setting, expectation management, and self-care/self-compassion are incredibly useful for anyone struggling to love and support someone with addiction or a mental health condition while not losing themselves in the process.
6. The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray
Catherine Gray offers a refreshing and uplifting take on sobriety, challenging the idea that life without alcohol is restrictive or dull. Through humor, research, and her own personal journey, she reframes sobriety as something freeing and empowering. This book is especially helpful for those who are questioning their relationship with alcohol and are curious about what life on the other side could look like.
5. High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life by Tiffany Jenkins
Tiffany Jenkins shares her story of living a double life: outwardly successful and high functioning, while privately struggling with opioid addiction. Her memoir is raw, honest, and at times surprisingly humorous, offering a deeply relatable look at how addiction can exist beneath the surface. Jenkins’ story resonates with those who may not fit the stereotypical image of addiction, making it an impactful and important read.
4. This Naked Mind by Annie Grace
One of the most widely recognized books on changing your relationship with alcohol, This Naked Mind challenges deeply ingrained beliefs about drinking. Annie Grace combines neuroscience, psychology, and personal insight to help readers understand why they drink and how to shift those patterns. Rather than relying on willpower alone, she offers a new framework that makes reducing or eliminating alcohol feel more natural and sustainable.
3. Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction by Maia Szalavitz
In Unbroken Brain, journalist Maia Szalavitz offers a compelling and research-backed argument that addiction should be understood as a learning disorder rather than a moral failing or purely a disease. Drawing from both neuroscience and her own personal experience with addiction, she challenges traditional perspectives and introduces a more compassionate, evidence-based framework for understanding substance use. This book is especially valuable for those looking to deepen their understanding of addiction through a modern, science-informed lens while also recognizing the role of environment, behavior, and personal experience in recovery.
2. The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Written by famed Psychiatrist Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, this newly released New York Times Bestseller offers a comprehensive view of exactly how traumatic experiences physically rewire brain circuitry. Dr. Van Der Kolk explains the neurobiological changes that take place in the brain after a traumatic experience. He also offers several simple treatment approaches for those suffering from the effects of trauma. This book will enhance your understanding of trauma and how it affects daily interactions while offering tangible hope for a healthier future.
1. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté
Written by the famous Canadian physician Gabor Maté, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts was originally suggested by a patient of mine over fifteen years ago. I’ve now read it at least five times. It is, hands down, the most powerful book on addiction treatment I’ve ever read. Complete with photographs, Dr. Mate gives a detailed account of his many years as an Addiction Medicine Physician, where he worked treating the uninsured and homeless population with active, severe addiction in rural Canada.
Challenging prevailing assumptions that addiction is either a solely physical disease or a moral failure, Dr. Mate instead makes a thoughtful and compelling argument that addiction is largely due to the effects of childhood trauma, otherwise known as adverse childhood events (ACEs). Bringing a compassionate voice and face to the voiceless and faceless victims of addiction, Dr. Mate brings to light the often tragic and misunderstood journeys of his patients in ways that only a masterful, informed storyteller can do. Mate’s insightful views on the topic of addiction, coupled with his intimate and specific patient stories, paint a comprehensive, informed outlook on the disease of addiction, both from a societal and an individual perspective.
Happy reading!
About the author: Dr. Lauren Grawert, MD.
Dr. Grawert is a double board-certified Addiction Psychiatrist. She completed her medical school training in 2009 and a General Psychiatry Residency in 2013 at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She then went on to complete an Addiction Psychiatry fellowship at MUSC, which she completed in 2014. After fellowship training, Dr. Grawert served as the Chief of Psychiatry and Addiction at Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic. She has also worked in private practice, specializing in general psychiatry, substance use disorders, and medically assisted treatment (MAT). Dr. Grawert has served as an expert for the San Diego Community Response to Drug Overdose Task Force, the Addiction Committee Leader for Kaiser Permanente National Mental Health & Addiction Leadership Organization, and a Professor of Psychiatry at Penn State College of Medicine. In 2023, she joined Aware Recovery Care as their Chief Medical Officer, where she leads the organization’s clinical strategy, guiding the development of evidence-based, patient-centered addiction treatment programs while supporting multidisciplinary teams in delivering high-quality care across all markets. She likes to write, travel, and spend time with her two young children in her spare time.
