Addiction Mental Health Resources

Below are some self-help resources to learn more about yourself. This is a curated list developed over years of practice that continues to evolve. We are excited to share some of these resources with you.

Disclaimer: Please use these resources thoughtfully and with caution and discretion. These resources are general suggestions and not all may be helpful or applicable to you. Self-help resources and support groups are not a substitute for professional assessment and treatment. *We are not personally invested in, nor stand to profit from, any of the recommendations provided.

Self-Check Addiction Quiz

We’ve developed a self-check quiz to help you decide if Addiction Counselling might be a good fit for you. (Just remember, it’s not a replacement for a professional diagnosis!)

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Helpful e-books, worksheets and guides

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Addiction Recovery Resources

• General

  • ASAM Long Definition (2012)

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse to learn more about how substances impact the brain. Their teen section and marijuana sections can be quite helpful.

  • ‘The Untethered Soul’ by Michael Singer and the associated journal for those interested in a more holistic and spiritual take on Cognitive-Behavioural Principles.

  • ‘Addictive Thinking’ by Abraham Twerski

  • ‘In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts’ by Gabor Mate

  • ‘Dopamine Nation’ by Anna Lembke and the associated workbook

  • Article on the problems with social media use and how it can compare to nicotine as well as an article on ‘Doom Scrolling’

  • And see more recommendations in all categories here

• Codependency

  • Melody Beattie: ‘Codependent No More,’ ‘The Codependent No More Workbook‘, ‘The New Codependency,’ and Daily meditations. She also has many other books that can be helpful in learning more about your relationship patterns.

  • Patterns and Characteristics of Codependency

  • ‘The Enabler’ by Angelyn Miller

  • Article introducing 12-Step’s Codependents Anonymous

  • Healing from Codependency article

  • And see more recommendations on our Idea List here

• Alcohol Use

  • The SMART Recovery Toolbox for those struggling with substances and other problem behaviours.

  • ‘Quit Like a Woman’ by Holly Whitaker and the associated workbook

  • ‘Sober on a Drunk Planet’ by Sean Alexander

  • ‘Breaking Free From Addictions’ by Jeffrey Simmons

  • ‘How to Quit Drinking Without Willpower’ by Allen Carr

  • ‘This Naked Mind’ by Annie Grace and boxset

  • Take a Break by Rachel Hart-website, podcast and self-test

  • ‘Undoing Drugs’ by Maia Szalavitz

  • ‘Not Drinking Tonight’ by Amanda White and the associated workbook

  • ‘Alcohol Explained’ by William Porter 

  • ‘Alcohol is Shit’ by Paul Churchill

  • ‘Alcohol Lied to Me’ by Craig Porter 

  • ‘Intoxicating Lies’ by Meg Geisewite

  •  ‘New Pair of Glasses’ by Chuck C.

  • ‘The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober’ by Catherine Gray

  •  ‘Drop the Rock’ by Alcoholics Anonymous

  •  Article on how to identify and support an alcoholic spouse

  • And see more recommendations on our Idea List here

• Eating Disorders

  • ‘Overcoming Binge Eating’ by Dr. Christopher Fairburn

  • ‘Intuitive Eating’ by Tribole and Resch

  • This article provides a thorough overview of eating disorders

  • Blog on Eating Disorder Recovery from Seven Health

  • ‘Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia’ by Marya Hornbacher

  • ‘Getting Better Bite by Bite’ by Schwartz

  • ‘Recovery and Wellness Workbook’ by Amy Woods

  • ‘Binge Control’ by Cynthia Bulik

  • ‘Sick Enough’ by Jennifer Gaudiani

  • ‘How To Nourish Your Child Through An Eating Disorder’ by Casey Crosbie

  • And see more recommendations on our Idea List here

• Sexual Addiction

  • 
    ‘Your Brain on Porn’ 5 part series on YouTube

  • Patrick Carnes’ ‘Out of the Shadows’ and ‘Facing the Shadow’ workbook for sexual issues

  • ‘Recovery Zone Volume 1’ and ‘Recovery Zone Volume 2’ by Patrick Carnes

  • Paige Abbott, Registered Psychologist and Founder of Sana Psychological, has co-authored three books on Addiction: ‘Addiction is Addiction,’ ‘ the corresponding workbook and ‘Love, the Drug‘ about recovery.

  • We also recommend people look into the 12-Step programs (and/or other forms of peer recovery support and connection).

  • Here is a brief article introducing the premise of these programs. We would encourage you to do more reading and research before deciding on next steps of action. Here are some 12-Step programs that might be a fit:

  • Alcoholics Anonymous-AA

  • Narcotics Anonymous-NA

  • Cocaine Anonymous-CA

  • Gamblers Anonymous-GA

  • Overeaters Anonymous (quiz to determine if this program is a fit for you)

  • Anorexic and Bulimics Anonymous-ABA

  • Food Addicts Anonymous-FAA

  • Al-Anon (for family members and loved ones)

  • Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families-ACoA

  • Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous-SLAA

  • Sex Addicts Anonymous-SAA

  • Sexaholics Anonymous-SA

  • Codependents Anonymous-CoDA

  • Emotions Anonymous-EA

  • Workaholics Anonymous-WA

  • SMART Recovery, and/or Recovery Dharma YYC for group support if you are struggling with any problem behaviour.

  • We understand these groups may not be a fit for you, but some of the writings or materials may have an impact even if you do not pursue meetings.

  • Worth Recovery podcast (for women in recovery)

• Some Bonuses: Paige Abbott’s Podcast Interviews- And More!

  • Canadian Podcast Sep 2022

  • Stomp the Stigma ep. 11 speaking about Mental Health, being a Psychologist, and more!

  • A 3 minute read article about Paige’s business, clientele and why she does what she does

  • An article on Anxiety & Addiction by Sana Psychological on the blog Anxiety Gone

• Apps

  Reframe, I Am Sober, Quitzilla, Sober Tool, Monitoring Your Gambling and Urges (MYGU), Meeting Guide by AA, Everything AA, NA Meeting Search, Relay

Addiction Experts At SanaPsyc

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