Recovering Out Loud - by Kristy Henderson (Paperback)

About the Book

Addiction is not a moral failing, it's a symptom of pain and trauma. "Recovering Out Loud" is a memoir that takes aim at the shame of addiction and recovery through vulnerable stories and research.

Book Synopsis

Firebird Book Awards Winner First Place - Addiction & Recovery, April 2024.

In her powerful debut book, Kristy Henderson recounts the experience of living two parallel lives: an average, normal life on the exterior, and the secret life she kept in the shadows, battling with a forceful addiction to alcohol few people could see.

Recovering Out Loud is a turbulent memoir about the birthplace of addiction and the self-hate and insecurities that bloomed in its wake. Through her stories and research, Henderson dissects the role alcohol played in her slow undoing and the all-consuming obsession it became. She struggled in silence for years, unable to find help through traditional programs, told "keep drinking, kid" when she went to her first AA meeting. She started to believe there was nowhere to turn.

How do you ask for help when no one around you knows you are struggling?

The only way Henderson was getting out alive required her to examine all ways alcohol served her life. To numb the pain, the anxiety, to calm the irrational mind. She used her passion for learning to deconstruct everything she believed in order to make a lasting change. Her journey inspires hope that people addicted to alcohol truly can recover, whether they hit rock bottom or not. They just need to find their way.

Review Quotes

5 Stars from ReaderViews.com, October 2023

"When seeking help or reassurance from other people's survival stories, we often look for it in places such as group meetings, online communities, and therapy. Sometimes, all we need is a potent in-and-out-of-the-trenches memoir with hard-worn wisdom that will speak to our hearts and remind us that we are not alone and that it is possible to triumph above the odds. Although addiction stories are different, relating with others and how they made it to the other side is emotionally purging and offers glimmers of hope that we could apply some of their techniques to our own.

"Recovering Out Loud" by Kristy Henderson is a searing memoir that chronicles her personal struggle with alcohol addiction and the impact this had on her life as well as those around her. Through candid storytelling and reflection, the author discusses the origin of addiction and the feelings of guilt, self-hatred, and lack of self-worth that trailed her, even striving to make everyone happy as a validation of her worth. Educated, successful, and with a loving husband at her side, Kristy had what many aspire to have, but the insidiousness of this addiction threatened to tear down these seemingly firm foundations. Ultimately, Kristy knew that her first step on the road to recovery and self-reclamation meant understanding why she fell overboard in the first place.

Clear-eyed and insightful, the book is written with firm precision and candor. The writer captivates readers from her stirring introduction to the last page. An informational appendix is provided at the end of the book to help those looking for further information on the topic. Also, Kristy incorporates quotes from notable personalities to accentuate the subject herein. For easier consumption and perception, Kristy likens alcohol addiction to drowning to death. One moment, you are floating through life, splashing, and partying with your friends in the bright summer sun. The next moment, you fall in over your head and have no idea how you slipped into such depths. Flailing in panic and searching for salvation. Unable to find the words, the air you need, to call out for help. She advises people to kick, flail, and fight until they get out.

Readers will cheer for Kristy's powerful addition to the previously available literature on drug and alcohol recovery. The text advocates for society to employ an empathetic approach to dealing with addiction and the kindness this level of anguish requires instead of branding them as outcasts and treating them as such. "Recovering Out Loud" by Kristy Henderson is an illuminating read for those who have not faced the reality of addiction and its devastating effects, and serves as a beacon of hope for anyone fighting this struggle on their own."