Some reading material to continue the journey
For those who would like to continue to reflect on this important and often painful issue, there are many books that address the subject from different approaches. Some are very scientific, others more accessible. In French, there are not many references that integrate the spiritual dimension of the human person, whereas in English, this is more common. Some start from an individual approach to this question, and others consider the more systemic dimension.
Recommended references in English:
Chandler Chris & Andrews, Anita, “Addiction, a biopsychosocial perspective.”, Sage, London, 2019, 269 pages (± 40€).
This book is written in a very didactic way. At the end of each chapter, there is a summary of the chapter and questions for further work. This makes it a good book for training, especially for trainers who would like to explore specific dimensions of addiction with candidates in training. It can also help a facilitator who wants to give a session on this topic. But it will also be of interest to all of us. On the other hand, it does not address the spiritual issue, except to criticise the contribution of religions in the development of drug prohibitionist laws. It is more scientific, and thus less accessible to the public.
Weeman, Scott, “The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments: A Catholic Journey through Recovery”, Ave Maria Press, 2017, 192 pages, (± 16 USD)
This is the first book to integrate the Twelve Steps into the practice of Catholicism. The author founded “Catholic in Recovery”. In this book, personal stories are interwoven in a direct but merciful tone. The author invites Catholics to build bridges between this program, which has helped millions of alcoholics, and the Catholic path of the sacraments. He pays particular attention to Baptism, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the Eucharist. Twelve steps and Catholicism share the same hope in a God who is beyond our frailties and weaknesses – a merciful God.
Beattie, Melody, “Codependent No More: Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself”, 1996, 2001, Hazelden; Anniversary edizione, 254 pages, (±17€)
In this Classic, the author considers an important dynamic at the heart of addiction problems, namely co-addiction. The magazine Psychology Today defines co-addiction as follows: “a term used to describe a relationship in which, by being caring, highly functional and helpful, one is said to support, perpetuate or allow the irresponsible or destructive behaviour of a loved one. ” Although caring for or helping a loved one seems nice and normal, it only amplifies the problem. This dynamic is common in religious communities and foster the “entitlement ideation” which is so counterproductive to treatment.
Recommended references in French:
Radisson, Pierre, “Alcool et addictions. De l’emprise à la liberté”, Éditions Nouvelle Cité, 2020, 179 pages. (±18 €)
In this book, Dr Radisson, an addictologist, presents alcoholism in a very accessible way from the different dimensions of this health problem. He offers a possible path to help those confronted with alcoholism either personally or as a relative of an alcoholic person. Dr Radisson is also a member of a Christian Life team (Ignatian Spirituality Groups for laypeople). This allows him to draw on the spiritual experience of the person suffering from this condition.
Besson, Jacques, “Addiction et Spiritualité. Spiritus contra spiritum. “Éditions érès, Col. Inconscient et spiritualité, 2019, 155 pages, (±14.50 €)
This little book by Dr Besson has a rather psychoanalytical approach but takes into consideration the spiritual dimension of being. The Swiss author begins with a panorama of the Swiss societal situation regarding the question of addictions. He then defines the different forms of addiction and explains the dimension of clinical diagnosis. He then looks at the place of spirituality in health, also addressing more cultural issues. He then goes on to explore the place of spirituality and its effects on mental health. He aims to encourage a more integrative approach to these addiction disorders.
Further bibliographical references will be available on our website at the end of Lent for those who would like to go even further.
Interesting sources on Internet
Alcoholics Anonymous: Many national sites, type Alcoholics Anonymous into your favourite search engine. It is always possible to go to www.aa.org
Al-Anon sites also offer many resources for families or community members of an alcoholic person https://al-anon.org/fr/ (French); https://al-anon.org/ (English). There is also a site in Spanish.
The site www.alcool-info-service.fr/ offers a self-assessment of your consumption; it’s fun to do the assessment for yourself, https://alcoometre.fr/
WHO/WHO: The World Health Organization also offers information on this subject.
- In French https://www.who.int/topics/alcohol_drinking/fr/
- In English https://www.who.int/health-topics/alcohol#tab=tab_1 this site has suitable multimedia supports like this one https://youtu.be/_-skVpmoaGI.
It is also possible to download a self-help manual on alcohol dependence:
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/self-help-strategies-for-cutting-down-or-stopping-substance-use-(assist)
We would be interested in collecting any good material you may know, such as books, videos, websites, NGO, Christian groups. That could help others, even locally. Theses could be made available on our website. Please send references to gmg.cim@mafr.org. Thank you.
