Helping Families Recover from Addiction: Coping, Growing, and Healing Through 12-Step Practices and Ignatian Spirituality

2021 Illumination Book Awards, Gold Medal: Health/Wellness

When addiction enters a home, recovery is necessary for the entire family.

The fear, shame, and stigma associated with addiction can prevent families from discussing and addressing the issues that affect everyone who loves the addict. Jean Heaton knows from personal experience that addiction is best responded to when we address the spiritual and familial dimensions of the disease, in addition to the physical aspects.

Helping Families Recover from Addiction: Coping, Growing, and Healing through 12-Step Practices and Ignatian Spirituality retells Jean Heaton’s journey “working the steps” as a family member of people with addictions. Heaton draws on personal stories and research, including examples from Father Ed Dowling, SJ, spiritual advisor to Bill W., a co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, and others to illustrate the connections between this life-saving program and Ignatian Spirituality. Each chapter ends with reflection points based on Scripture that can help readers as they begin the work of each of the Twelve Steps.

Story-driven, integrative, and practical, this book can help families heal from the effects of a loved one’s addiction and move into a healthy and promising future.

Jean Heaton is a blogger, writer, speaker, teacher, and a workshop and retreat leader. Both her husband and son are in long-term recovery and she has worked her own Twelve Step program for those affected by the addictions of others. She shares her experience, strength, and hope with others at www.jeanheaton.com.