About the Book
My debut book, coming March 2025, is for anyone struggling to earn back the love, respect, and trust of family and friends after active alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness.
It will not only help you repair the damage you've done during active illness but also prevent you from creating more damage in recovery.
Pre-orders for the book are now available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Available in Paperback, Kindle, and Audiobook.
Good Read’s Review by Swapna (a portion of the entire review)
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“Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery is the most important book I have ever read about addiction and how to repair relationships while staying Sober”
Pre-Release Endorsements
“ Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to mend and strengthen their relationships post-addiction. It offers a balanced mix of personal anecdotes, practical advice, and emotional support, making it a must-read for individuals committed to personal growth and recovery. Janice’s emphasis on patience, self-awareness, and resilience provides a hopeful and encouraging roadmap for navigating the complexities of relationship repair and personal development throughout the recovery journey.”
— RYAN OSCAR, CCRC, CCAC, podcast host on From Darkness to Light and director of operations and education at Our Collective Journey
“Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery is the most important book I have ever read about addiction issues and how to repair connections during sobriety. Dowd offers an enormous number of strategies and ways to move forward as people battling with this disease fight to reclaim their lives. Dowd beautifully describes the steps and emotions that survivors and family members experience throughout their healing process. I will be recommending this book to clients and colleagues, especially those who have been stuck in unaddressed grief and are looking for a resource that helps them understand and acknowledge their pain and reconnect with their loved ones.
—Shari Botwin, LCSW, therapist, trauma expert witness, law and crime network guest, media contributor, and author of Stolen Childhoods and Thriving After Trauma
Matthew’s Story (my middle son)
Relief. Cofusion. Sadness. Happiness. Anger. These were some of the feelings I felt the day my mom left for rehab when I was a high school student. I never knew anyone whose parents went to rehab. “These things don’t happen to families like ours” …
…This day began a long journey of many ups and downs. I thought it would be a couple of weeks, but it turned into almost a year of my mom being out of the house. When my mom returned, our relationship could almost be compared to that of a hospital patient in the ICU. While I held hope that things would get better, I worried the damage would be too much…
A (Portion of the) Message to the Reader from My Children…
We sincerely hope this book can give hope to other families that things can get better. We have seen our mom create a vision and fulfill this dream. A dream that also took a lot of hard work. It has brought reality to the belief that dreams can be achieved with time and effort. Our mom is our role model, and we are so excited for her hard work to be shared with you. We hope it helps both those in recovery from mental health struggles as well as their loved ones. But most importantly, we hope that it gives you hope.
-Dennis, Katie, Matthew, and Michael
“This book is a must-read for anyone struggling to repair and rebuild their relationships in recovery. It is a beautiful and sensitively written guide to help readers navigate the broken bonds often left in the wake of addiction. Janice’s voice is free of judgment but full of grace and honesty. She offers actionable and realistic steps and tactics for healing and reconciling, supported by her candid account of her own experience. She is as encouraging as she’s relatable and offers hope to those intimidated by the challenges to come. The book is a gift to the sobriety community, providing both education and inspiration on an often overlooked topic.”
-Hadley Sorensen, author of, The Dirty Truth on Social Drinking
Why I Wrote This Book
Rebuilding relationships impacted by addiction or mental illness requires a different approach than that of a relationship troubled by typical marital conflicts over; money, communication, parenting, infidelity, etc. Unfortunately, information and instruction specifically directed at recovering individuals are under-represented in the self-help and addiction genre today. I firmly believe there is a market for recovering individuals who want to regain the support, love, and trust of their family members and friends.
Twenty-five million Americans sought treatment for their Substance Use Disorder, Major Depressive Episode, or Serious Mental Illness in 2021, according to the National Annual Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Most of these individuals have family members or friends affected by their loved one’s illness. Often, these relationships have been damaged to the point that the recovering individual has been completely removed from their family.
Although most treatment providers agree that family support is essential in a recovering individual’s efforts to stay sober or mentally healthy, very little information on rebuilding these relationships is provided to the recovering individual, their family, and significant others. Early treatment focuses primarily on the individual. Relationships with family, although initially addressed, are not given much time and focus as part of the treatment plan. Some treatment programs offer family programs, but these are usually limited to a week and may not involve the patient.
My book is unique from most because it emphasizes providing the information and skills it takes to find a balance between sobriety skills and family needs. It affirms that inclusive and positive family support is integral to recovery, not just a side effect. It addresses the family’s needs, the science of addiction, the disease concept, and the susceptibility to relapse while providing practical information and exercises to improve the relationships with their loved ones. My approach to writing is to be direct and somewhat confrontational. I present this information in the “tough-love” language of 12-step programs. Yet it is approachable and easy to read and understand. Ultimately, it offers hope and inspiration to the reader.
Latest Updates on the Book
In January 2024, I signed a book deal with North Atlantic Books.
The book is currently in production with a prospective release date of March 10, 2025
If you are interested in reviewing a pre-release copy, please reach out to me by email.
Keep an eye out for further details on Instagram or this site.