Book Club Week 2: Supporting Our Loved One Without Losing Ourselves

Welcome back to week two of our walk through When You Love Someone in Recovery. This week covers chapters 4 through 7, and it's where things get practical. Because love can get confusing and tough when addiction is in the house.

Four themes from this week's reading:

🔹 Support is not the same as rescuing. We are not the reason someone keeps using.
🔹 Labels can become cages. Leading with "the addict" puts the condition before the person.
🔹 Your family's story can be reframed. When we shift the story, something shifts in recovery too.
🔹 Recovery is bigger than sobriety. It's about building a whole life, not just stopping something.

Your action steps: Practice talking about your loved one in a new way. Advocate for person-first language. Add one wellness practice to your week, even something simple like a walk, more water, or better sleep.

📖 Grab the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400253977/

Next week: Mental health, boundaries, and the opposite of addiction (Chapters 8 through 10).

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com