Broken by addiction; blessed by God is one woman’s journey from a life of addiction, to one of ongoing recovery that could only be accomplished successfully by finding God in her own life.
Penny Mary Hauser, MSN, is a most remarkable woman. Her story alone, of recovery from alcoholism to a psychiatric/mental health nurse helping other women to recover from addictions is inspirational, yet this is not what her book is entirely about.
Broken by addiction; blessed by God outlines a method of treatment for women dealing with addictions, whether it is an addiction to alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, shopping or sex, that is gender specific and looks at the reasons behind addictions in women.
STIGMA stands for Self Image, Traditional roles, Ineffective communication, Grief and loss, Medical issues and Anger and abuse and each chapter deals with one element in detail and outlines a step by step process for working through and dealing effectively with those issues that are uncovered during the treatment program.
Hauser includes her own experiences, both as a recovering addict herself and from her professional experiences with other women, to give a complete picture of the way in which her treatment works and brings the underlying issues of addictions to the surface.
Throughout the book, Hauser argues the case for a continuing and consistent conversation with God in addiction recovery as vital. Especially considering that forgiveness is often a huge part of recovering from addictions, as well as recognising our individual worth and dignity and the blessings in our lives.
Although this is aimed at women who suffer from addictions, I found the content was relevant in assessing the hurts and unforgiveness we women often carry around. It also deals really well with issues of self image and self esteem and effective communication in all relationships. It is an interesting read, regardless of whether you have an addiction or not, and a must read if you do.
Originally posted 2014-09-29 22:36:47.