The real story of addiction

Author is very honest trought the whole book .No sugar coating just real facts and emotions . I will buy a book for whole my family .

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Savin jake

An absolutely amazing story about a mother and all her family coping with Jake being an addict. I highly recommend, especially for others going through this nightmare too. Thankyou for sharing your journey

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Very good read

Fabulous story so well recorded by this wonderful lady and her family
Drug addiction can happen to anyone - a very heartwarming account - well done to the whole family ❤️

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Beautiful

A real and honest description about addiction and how this disease affect the addicts and their families. I hope this audiobook spreads awareness and help the families around the world that are suffering from the fight against opiate addiction or the loss of a loved one.

This is an epidemic and the combination of heroin and fentanyl is killing a lot of young people in the United States. Recovery is possible but no without help and support.

I am very grateful for discovering this audiobook. It is full of beautiful words and the amzing story of the true love of a mother towards her son. Her patience and kindness helped to give his son a second chance in life.

Thank you very much for this gift for the soul.

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Amazing

Amazing. This is truly a fantastic story. A must read. Highly recommended for dealing with addiction

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Honest and enlightening

For anyone going through family addiction or supporting any loved one affected by addiction, or even ‘just’ raising teenagers, this book is insightful, soul searching and refreshingly honest.

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A parent's dogged determination to save her son...

This loving and desperate mother at her wits end navigates the terrifying journey of her son's drug addiction, learning more about herself along the way through all the thorns, barriers, judgement and treachery to understanding, hope and pride for not only her son's accomplishments but that of the whole family, as well as a deep understanding of the true nature of addiction.

Knowing when to let go, that saying no when life is at its bleakest and your fear as a parent is at its greatest, is probably the most loving thing we can do even though it doesn't feel like it. It helped so much to remind me of the power of saying no to my own son whose struggles were so similar to Jake's.

I'm sure all parents of addicts will find this book a comfort as well as an educational experience to help us stay firmly within our own set of boundaries to not enable our children, even though we inevitably make those mistakes at first.

As the author says, addiction is a disease. It's so under treated and often the original drug addiction is replaced by pharmaceutical opioids addiction, sometimes with little else.

Parents who don't have the financial resources to support someone through this feel particularly vulnerable as there is so much less they can access and it frequently means waiting so much longer than feels bearable, as well as being one of the major stumbling blocks to recovery.

However as D'Anne Burwell came to realise along the way, money alone does not have the answer as the addict has to make the decision that they themselves will do whatever it takes for them to recover. And that in itself cannot be paid for with anything other than recognition, admission and bravery, and knowing that the commitment to recovery is lifelong.

Thank you for sharing your story. It really resonated with me and has helped me understand my own weaknesses and difficulties.

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1 person found this helpful

Inspirational

The truth and honesty in the author's words, sharing the ups and downs of parenting an addict and their journey together. I found the sections on pulling back and allowing her children to make their own decisions powerful advice.

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Easy listen

Good listen. Had this on the plus catalogue. I struggled sometimes with the sympathetic language used by the mother when in reality it sounds like Jake is a self entitled attention seeking brat who needs a good clip. That said - enjoyed it

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Great heartfelt insight, but had me questioning

The book was very insightful into addiction and the impact on family relationships, but I felt as though the subjectivity of the mother tainted the way she portrayed the relationships.
I felt anger, coming from an equivalent situation, at the way the daughter was treated. All attention, emotional and financial, was focused on Jake, leaving the younger sister bereft. I felt a lot of anger when the mother punished the daughter by only partially covering tuition when she got a tattoo. Firstly, the parents clearly did not lay out the terms clearly to the daughter, assuming she would have simply understood this. The mother keeps stressing the maturity of the daughter, because she clearly puts a lot of pressure on her. The father even commented they didn't know her daughter's friends or their parents at her graduation, because clearly they had not been paying her the attention she amply deserved.
Because of the treatment of their daughter, I tend to think their representation of other ways of engaging with their addicted son are too subjective to be believed.

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