The Weight of a Feather

A Mother's Journey Through the Opiates Addiction Crisis

Offers camaraderie and hope to parents struggling with a child’s opiate addiction. Statistics of the opiate epidemic, or crisis as it is often called, indicate that more than 50,000 Americans die of drug overdoses each year. According to a Columbia University study, "40 million Americans age 12 and over meet the clinical criteria for addiction involving nicotine, alcohol or other drugs." If we suppose a minimum of three family members for each addict, we are talking about over 120 million Americans who are dealing with effects of addiction. There is scant support for these family members and few books that deal honestly not only with the devastation that accompanies addiction but also the flaws within a treatment system that fails to lead addicts successfully on to recovery.

Go-to resource for communities who are trying to address the problem of addiction Hardly a village in America is untouched by opiate addiction and overdose. Extensive media coverage has brought the issue into the living room of every American, and there is widespread pressure for communities to develop a plan to address the problem on a local level. Community forums are springing up in every county and concerns are being voiced in every possible platform. Weight of a Feature offers insight into the nature of addiction as well as spotlights flaws within the treatment process that impede recovery and contribute to the current high rate of recidivism. (On a personal level, after the first meeting on opiate addiction held in my local town, community members looked for ways to be involved and learn more about addiction. As a result, the local librarian ordered a whole collection of books on opiates and drug addiction. This is the reaction of a small town library with limited funds. Imagine the possibilities of larger libraries with more extensive budgets)

View from the trenches: A parent exposes pitfalls and potholes in the process of addiction recovery Most books written on addiction come from the world of science and academia, often promoting a particular theory or approach to the origin or treatment of addiction. Weight of a Feather provides a fresh perspective on addiction without any bias toward any particular approach toward treatment.

Opens the door to family dynamics when addiction is added into the mix Most treatment approaches for addiction deal exclusively with the addict in either group of individual sessions. As treatment providers begin to explore new models of treatment, family counseling will inevitably play an important role in new models being developed

Christians will find encouragement in these pages The Weight of a Feather clearly demonstrates that God does not turn a deaf ear to struggles of addicts and family members. He is ever-present even in the bleakest of moments. The final pages of The Weight of a Feather are a powerful testimony of God’s presence in the midst of tragedy and will renew hope for the thousands of Christians currently struggling with addiction in their own families.