Loving Our Addicted Daughters Back to Life: A Guidebook for Parents

by Linda Dahl

Overview

The latest information on gender-specific treatment of addiction and recovery can be found in this go-to manual for parents seeking direction to help their daughters. Step-by-step guidelines present tools for recognizing substance abuse in young women; communicating with them and their care providers; dealing with relapse and long-term recovery; and managing parental shame, guilt, fear, anger, and loving detachment.

Linda Dahl is the author of six books, including Morning Glory (2012), chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. A mother of two, she currently resides in New York.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937612856
Publisher:	Central Recovery Press, LLC
Publication date:	06/16/2015
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Linda Dahl is the author of a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and recipient of the Best Creative Writing for 2010 Award by Writers in the Sky. During her thirty-year writing career she has published six books and has been featured on numerous radio and print interviews, including NPR programs, the BBC, Canadian, German, French and Scandinavian broadcasts, Internet interviews, and blog tours, as well as dozens of book talks, signings, and workshops around the country at libraries, bookstores, arts groups, and college campuses. She writes about challenging personalities and difficult issues, reflecting her interests in the arts, addiction, and recovery.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 My Daughter, Myself: Kim and I 1

Chapter 2 Does Your Daughter Have an Addiction Problem? 13

Chapter 3 From Protecting Her Use to Helping Her Get Healthy 29

Chapter 4 Providing Her with Opportunities to Change 43

Chapter 5 Why Gender Matters in Substance Use Disorder 55

Chapter 6 Getting Her Effective Treatment 67

Chapter 7 Gender-Specific Treatment: A Growing Trend 83

Chapter 8 Special Considerations 99

Chapter 9 Her Recovery Is a Dance, Not a Straight Line 111

Chapter 10 Be There As You Can 121

Chapter 11 Just Say Yes: What's New and What You Can Do 129

Resources 137

Suggested Reading 152

Editorial Reviews

05/25/2015
Novelist (Cleans Up Nicely) and biographer Dahl has done her homework on the topic of gender-specific treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, and she presents her findings in a thorough and forthright manner. Dahl is a recovering alcoholic and mother of a young woman with addiction issues, so she's clearly personally engaged with her subject, but her primary focus is on providing useful information to others. Dahl points out that "girls and young women are the fastest-growing group of addicts in the country," and risky substance use is the number one public healthcare problem for U.S. youth, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University She walks readers through the process of turning addiction around, going over the warning signs of substance abuse, when and how to intervene, the benefits of gender-specific recovery programs (preferably inpatient, with strong aftercare), and other topics. Female addicts, she notes, are particularly prone to guilt and shame, and may require longer treatment plans than males. Dahl also includes a helpful assessment of specific types of treatment facilities. This compassionate and invaluable guide will aide parents as they set out to support their addicted daughters on the journey to recovery and healing. (June)

Publishers Weekly

The Library Journal July 2015 Dahl (Morning Glory) utilizes her experience as the mother of an addict and as an addict herself to give straightforward information and advice on coping with daughters who suffer from substance addiction. Citing recent research regarding the physiological differences between men and women, the author contends that treatment needs are not identical. She also mentions issues relevant to LGBT patients, ethnic minorities, and young mothers. Beginning the book with her daughter’s difficulties, Dahl uses family history to illustrate lessons learned and suggest practical methods to parent a daughter with this disease, emphasizing the importance of early intervention. She offers an array of statistics regarding alcohol and drug abuse, cites studies about effective treatment, and presents various topics to consider. The author discusses 12-step programs, treatment facilities, and even relapses, recognizing that the same path will not ensure success for every person. The appendix lists resources and recommended reading. ­VERDICT This book’s down-to-earth style is for parents or any reader seeking facts and guidance. The female focus is atypical and makes this an essential addition to the literature.—Janet Clapp, N. Clarendon, VT

Publishers Weekly 5/22/2015 Novelist (Cleans Up Nicely) and biographer Dahl has done her homework on the topic of gender-specific treatment for alcohol and/or drug addiction, and she presents her findings in a thorough and forthright manner. The mother of a young woman with addiction issues as well as a recovering alcoholic herself, Dahl is personally engaged with her subject, but her primary focus is on providing useful information to others. Dahl points out that “girls and young women are the fastest-growing group of addicts in the country,” and risky substance use is the number one public healthcare problem for U.S. youth. She walks readers through the process of turning addiction around, going over the warning signs of substance abuse, when and how to intervene, the benefits of gender-specific recovery programs (preferably inpatient, with strong aftercare), and other topics (women addicts, she notes, are particularly prone to guilt and shame, and may require longer treatment plans than males). Dahl also includes a helpful assessment of specific types of treatment facilities. This compassionate and invaluable guide will aide parents as they set out to support their addicted daughters on the journey to recovery and healing. (June)

From the Publisher

06/15/2015
Dahl (Morning Glory) utilizes her experience as the mother of an addict and as an addict herself to give straightforward information and advice on coping with daughters who suffer from substance addiction. Citing recent research regarding the physiological differences between men and women, the author contends that treatment needs are not identical. She also mentions issues relevant to LGBT patients, ethnic minorities, and young mothers. Beginning the book with her daughter's difficulties, Dahl uses family history to illustrate lessons learned and suggest practical methods to parent a daughter with this disease, emphasizing the importance of early intervention. She offers an array of statistics regarding alcohol and drug abuse, cites studies about effective treatment, and presents various topics to consider. The author discusses 12-step programs, treatment facilities, and even relapses, recognizing that the same path will not ensure success for every person. The appendix lists resources and recommended reading. VERDICT This book's down-to-earth style is for parents or any reader seeking facts and guidance. The female focus is atypical and makes this an essential addition to the literature.—Janet Clapp, N. Clarendon, VT

Library Journal