Nonfiction

Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines

Nic Sheff was drunk for the first time at age eleven. In the years that followed, he would regularly smoke pot, do cocaine and Ecstasy, and develop addictions to crystal meth and heroin. Even so, he felt like he would always be able to quit and put his life together whenever he needed to. It took a violent relapse one summer in California to convince him otherwise. In a voice that is raw and honest, Nic spares no detail in telling us the compelling, heartbreaking, and true story of his relapse and the road to recovery. As we watch Nic plunge the mental and physical depths of drug addiction, he paints a picture for us of a person at odds with his past, with his family, with his substances, and with himself. It's a harrowing portrait -- but not one without hope.

My Dad Loves Me, My Dad Has a Disease: A Child's View: Living with Addiction

The basic premise of this book is that chemical dependency is a disease — the alcoholic/addict is a sick person not a bad person. This disease affects not only the addicted person but those who love that person as well. This is a book that will help the "others" affected by chemical dependency to become well.

My Dad Loves Me My Dad Has A Disease was originally written as a result of Claudia Black's work with young people who had a parent in treatment for their alcoholism. These children were learning at a very young age that it was not safe for them to openly talk about their family experiences. Art therapy was a wonderful medium for them to find the words and a voice in which to talk honestly. It was also a wonderful tool in which to not only share feelings but to problem solve, lessen denial, and to put words to that which was so confusing.

The original pictures were all drawn and the stories written by children age five through fourteen that had one or two alcoholic parents. After many years and thousands of children using this workbook, it has been revised to address the fact that today, if a child lives with addiction, it may not be alcohol addiction. The family member may be addicted to other drugs as well. Words have been rewritten, some pictures changed and new pictures added making it possible for more children of addiction to experience their own recovery process.

Many years ago when Claudia Black was a counselor in an alcohol and drug treatment program, she asked a six-year-old daughter of a man in treatment for his addiction if she knew why her father was in this program. The girl paused and with confidence said, My Dad Loves Me, but My Dad Has a Disease. In spite of her father's addiction she knew her father loved her. That is a message Claudia would like all young people to be able to believe. Unfortunately when people are addicted they often lose the ability to act in loving ways toward those they love.Growing up in an addicted family usually means living by the rule: it is not all right to talk about the drinking or using in your family. Having been raised in an alcoholic family herself, by the age of six Claudia shared the feelings of loneliness, fear and frustration of her family.

Working through the loneliness, fear and frustration by expressing feelings is what this book is all about. This workbook gives children the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings and to better understand addiction.

Although this workbook was designed for and the illustrations created by young children, it may also hold insights for the now adult age person raised in an addictive home.

An Elephant In the Living Room - The Children's Book

An illustrated story to help children understand and cope with the problem of alcoholism or other drug addiction in the family.

Alateen: A Day at a Time

Go Ask Alice

The torture and hell of adolescence has rarely been captured as clearly as it is in this classic diary by an anonymous, addicted teen. Lonely, awkward, and under extreme pressure from her "perfect" parents, "Anonymous" swings madly between optimism and despair. When one of her new friends spikes her drink with LSD, this diarist begins a frightening journey into darkness. The drugs take the edge off her loneliness and self-hate, but they also turn her life into a nightmare of exalting highs and excruciating lows. Although there is still some question as to whether this diary is real or fictional, there is no question that it has made a profound impact on millions of readers during the more than 25 years it has been in print. Despite a few dated references to hippies and some expired slang, Go Ask Alice still offers a jolting chronicle of a teenager's life spinning out of control.

Alice
COULD BE ANYONE.

Alice
COULD BE SOMEONE YOU KNOW.

Alice
USES DRUGS.

With over a million copies in print, Go Ask Alice has become a classic of our time. This powerful real-life diary of a teenager's struggle with the seductive -- often fatal -- world of drugs and addiction tells the truth about drugs in strong and authentic voice. Tough and uncompromising, honest and disturbing -- and even more poignant today -- Go Ask Alice is page-turning and provocative reading.

Alice COULD BE ANYONE. Alice COULD BE SOMEONE YOU KNOW. Alice USES DRUGS. With over a million copies in print, Go Ask Alice has become a classic of our time. This powerful real-life diary of a teenager's struggle with the seductive -- often fatal -- world of drugs and addiction tells the truth about drugs in strong and authentic voice. Tough and uncompromising, honest and disturbing -- and even more poignant today -- Go Ask Alice is page-turning and provocative reading.

En Pie De Guerra (Sangre De Campeon) (Sangre De Campeon)

"It's Just a Plant, a Children's Story of Marijuana"

It's Just A Plant is a beautifully illustrated story that tells the tale of how a child learns about marijuana, the most widely-used illegal drug in the world. It is a tool for parents to use in creating conversation that educates, rather than merely frightens, their young children about cannabis use. It's Just A Plant provides honest and helpful information about the plant that puts the safety of children before politics.

When Parents Have Problems: A Book for Teens and Older Children With an Abusive, Alcoholic, or Mentally Ill Parent

Wise Highs: How to Thrill, Chill, & Get Away from It All Without Alcohol or Other Drugs

The best-selling author of How Rude! describes more than 150 ways to feel really, really good-naturally, safely, and creatively. From breathing and meditation to exercise and sports, gardening, music, and games, these are "highs" that can change teens' lives without leaving them dull, burned out, or hung over. Formerly titled HIGHS! Includes updated resources.

I've Got This Friend Who: Advice for Teens and Their Friends on Alcohol, Drugs, Eating Disorders, Risky Behavior and More

For many teens today, the carefree days of youth are anything but happy-go-lucky. From alcohol and other drug use to relationship issues and sex to depression and eating disorders, teens are confronted with high-risk pressures and problems--whether experienced personally, through their friends, or with family members. Where can teens turn for help and advice? The experts at KidsPeace, a nonprofit organization serving children and families in crisis, created this lively, interactive book to help teens handle difficult issues and develop confidence in their own abilities and self-worth. Personal stories, fast facts, and self-tests help teens learn how to recognize when a friend or family member is in trouble and find help, to identify their own issues and seek help, and to take care of themselves when feeling overwhelmed by problems of friends or family members. In the process, teens learn one of life's greatest lessons about healing--the importance of connecting with others who understand, care, and can help.