The Joy of Recovery

A Comprehensive Guide to Healing From Addiction

Non-Fiction - Self Help
368 Pages
Reviewed on 04/19/2018
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

The Joy of Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing From Addiction by Michael McGee is a book whose theme and well-delivered message could potentially guide anyone with an addiction to recovery. Dr. McGee provides a method that has been tried and tested by many other patients he has worked with. Many have been restored and reformed from their past lives through dedicated effort and will. In The Joy of Recovery, twelve (12) steps, which the author calls ‘touchstones of recovery’, are discussed. Interestingly, the author’s main message is that of love, the love of an addict for themselves and those around them. He urges the reader to cultivate self-respect and get inspired by the joy of recovery. His tone throughout the book is that of love and a deep understanding of what addicts go through. At some point, Dr. McGee states, “Not one of us wants to be alone, destitute, and solitary. We need one another to exist and to evolve. Alone, we stand no chance.”

I loved the unconventional approach that Michael McGee takes in The Joy of Recovery. He is not only focused on helping the addict recover from their addiction, he also takes them on a journey of self-love. He also appreciates that the hold an addiction has on the addict is not just physical and emotional; it goes deeper to their spiritual side. Another great aspect of the book is that it is written for all; those suffering from an addiction and those affected by it either through relatives or friends. He gives the addict’s guardians, friends or family tips on how to handle an addict. Michael McGee points out the mistakes people make in handling addicts and the tell-tale signs of identifying addiction. The Joy of Recovery also contains useful illustrations and quotes that helped me better understand the message being conveyed by Dr. McGee. Simply put, The Joy of Recovery is a masterpiece.

Mamta Madhavan

Addiction destroys millions of lives. The Joy of Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing from Addiction by Michael McGee M.D. is a useful tool for those readers who are in the process of healing from addiction. The book speaks about love and teaches everyone to love and transform their suffering from addiction into joy in their lives. This practical guide uses 12 ‘Touchstones of Recovery’ to guide readers through the healing process, and addresses how to experience and understand life and the world at large so that they can be protected from the disease of addiction. The author focuses on how to create a positive recovery environment, heal, love, respect reality, grow, persevere, develop healthy relationships, cultivate spirituality, and many other factors that will help to treat the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of addiction and recovery.

The author handles a relevant topic with confidence and the guided and interactive approach adopted in the book can be implemented easily, thereby leading to happiness, serenity, and fulfillment. The author’s experience in helping people transform the curse of addiction into a blessing, making them whole all over again, makes the tips and techniques effective and credible to readers. It is a good book for therapists and counselors who are dealing with patients with addiction, as the author’s suggestions, tips, and tasks are useful when it comes to keeping these people on track and out of trouble. The topic has been handled with expertise and these patients can witness joy in their existence through the joy of recovery.

Gisela Dixon

The Joy of Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing From Addiction by Michael McGee is a non-fiction book on how to cope with and overcome addiction. The Joy of Recovery is a book that deals with the basic process of addiction recovery, whether the addiction is to drugs, or alcohol, or anything else. The book provides 12 main steps or processes towards recovery, and each one has been dealt with in individual chapters in detail. Some of the points include: how to create a positive environment, renounce addiction, grow, persevere, respect reality, develop healthy relationships with people, accountability, spirituality and transcendence, help from family and friends, coping with fear and finding peace, and much more. Each of these chapters and topics are covered in detail with many tips and tasks throughout for easy reference and guidance.

I am sure The Joy of Recovery will be a useful book for many readers who deal with or suffer from addictions or any addictive behaviors that are harmful to themselves or society. In this sense, this book provides a broad overview of the essence of what addiction is, regardless of what one is addicted to, which I thought was great. The writing style is lucid and empathetic and provides a lot of practical tips to overcome and heal from addiction. I also liked that there are plenty of references provided in the notes so that the reader can research more into a particular topic if they are interested further. This is a good book for anyone who suffers from or knows someone who deals with addiction.

Romuald Dzemo

The Joy of Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing From Addiction by Michael McGee is a book that happens to be the best gift for me for this year as I am battling addiction on different fronts — alcohol and smoking. A how-to guide that prepares the reader for the journey ahead, sets their expectations, and provides them with the tools they need to beat any form of addiction. This book is packed with information and readers will appreciate the way the author — an expert clinician — explores the psychology of addiction while providing methods to beat the defeating thought patterns associated with it. The book focuses on twelve touchstones and they explore the benefits of the journey.

Readers will learn to work on recovery, find the strength to renounce addiction, create a positive environment for healing, develop the integrity that helps along the way, accept healing, learn to love anew, understand the power of reality and embrace it, grow with joy and commitment, find delight in healthy relationships, become accountable, and persevere on the path they have chosen. This is a book to read if you suffer from any form of addiction and is a great gift for anyone struggling with addiction. It is intelligently written, the style is simple and concise, and readers will enjoy the language, which is devoid of any jargon. Michael McGee writes from inside experience and the reader is left in no doubt that he is an expert in the field. His discussion on the different components of addiction and what it takes to heal is lucid and compelling. The Joy of Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing From Addiction is your tool to personal transformation, healing, and happiness. A book you read and pass on.

Divine Zape

Michael McGee’s The Joy of Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing From Addiction is a book that doesn’t just communicate a message of hope to those suffering from any form of addiction, but also prepares readers to understand, accept, and experience the hidden joy of healing. It offers something that is liberating. Something authentic. Something revolutionary. In this book, the author talks about the treacherous power of addiction and the impact it has on victims, but moves on to help readers discover the power they have, one that is stronger than any form of addiction, a power that propels them on the path to total freedom. This book is designed to help readers beat addictions, but it contains gems of wisdom that will help anyone live a quality, healthy, and fulfilling life. You need this book if you want to improve the quality of your life, grow in love, develop strong and meaningful relationships, and a lot more.

McGee has a compelling style of writing and I felt as though I was engaged in a very intelligent and healthy conversation with someone who could understand my pain, whose words captured my attention in a powerful way. My husband has been a heavy drinker and seeing him struggle to get free has been one of the most painful experiences we have endured as a couple. This book offers great wisdom and tools that anyone can use to create the environment and develop attitudes that make healing not only possible, but a joyful experience. The writing is great, upbeat, and filled with insights about life, healthy living, and personal development. The Joy of Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing From Addiction is an excellent guide for an addiction-free lifestyle.