Customer Reviews

Healing and Hope

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The name Betty Ford is synonymous with addiction-recovery. The six stories in "Healing and Hope" do not disappoint. Millions of readers will connect with the hope, promise and power that spills from these pages. Each story gives a thorough look into the lives of six shattered women who came to Betty Ford's doorstep, looking for recovery from the various addictions that plagued them. In an unusual look into the unique psyche of female addictions, "Healing and Hope" is a must-read for any woman who has struggled with addiction. This is a truly powerful compilation of inspiring and encouraging stories of recovery unlike any I've encountered before.

I was so moved by this book..every woman's story was more gripping than the next, and I felt I was getting a rare inside look at addiction from a female point of view. Betty Ford has made a difference to thousands of people, and it's about time that the world learns more about this powerful woman and the lives she's touched. I'd recommend this to anyone--not just those who have struggled with addiction.

This book made me appreciate for the first time how very difficult it is for an alcoholic/addict to get clean and stay that way. I have a friend who is a recovering alcoholic and this book made me understand at least some of what she went through--and still goes through. All of the women in the book are so impressive--An inspiring read!

What is missing from previous reviews here? The essential personal acknowledgment of THIS IS ME!

Yes, the testaments in the book are very powerful. I found many points of connection. I don't know where I will go from here, but I can say that the thought process of each woman who bravely exposed their souls in this book is a very valuable resource for those of us struggling with our own problem of addiction.
I may not fit the mold as presented by each woman here. That is not the point. It is recognizing the heart and soul of what it means to be buried in family issues and the "out" of numbing with drugs/alcohol.
I recommend this book for any person, male or female, who needs to face themselves honestly and with conviction on a very difficult social and personal journey to wholeness.

This book comprises the stories of six women who were patients at the Betty Ford Center along with commentary by Mrs. Ford. The book is divided into three sections based on "Dante's Inferno," which includes each woman's descent into the hell of their addictions, their climb into the purgatory of treatment, and the ultimate paradise of going into, and remaining in recovery. The first part of the book was, at times, hard to read as the stories of the six were heart rending. Although I am a male and a family member of mine who is in recovery is a male, I was nonetheless affected by their stories.

Even as they began to recover, relapse was a danger and several, in fact, did relapse. However, with more rehabilitation, they went back into recovery and I hope that all six, since this book was written, have remained sober. My family member in recovery did not go to the Betty Ford Center but to another, equally world class facility. I know how important it is for the alcoholic/addict to work through the 12 steps and this is what is done at the Betty Ford Center and at other reputable rehab centers.

The stories of the six are emotional. They come from different backgrounds but, their disease is very democratic. It affects rich and poor alike. I found myself rooting for each of the six as I read their accounts and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about how frightening and difficult recovering from addiction and alcoholism can be, But, recovery also offers hope and ultimate healing.

Betty Ford narrates the stories of six women who have battled alcohol and/or drug addiciton. Each person shares her pain and rebirth into sobriety. This book is a 'must read' for any woman who has or is suffered from addiction. It is very benifical to those who know and love these women. These women, including Mrs. Ford herself, are very open about the pain that addiction has brought to them and all members of their family. They share with us that healing takes place in all members of the family - not just the addicted member.

First off, I am not an addict and didn't read this book to seek help with that. It was after the death of Mrs. Ford that I began looking into her life, and of course, knowing her founding of the Betty Ford Center, I decided to read this book about 6 women who went through her program and how their lives turned around. This is a wonderful, insightful, heartfelt and honest book that looks deeply and completely into the lives of 6 women and their family members. Reading this book, I learned how very much the disease of addiction affects not just the addict but her entire family as well. Without careful and understanding help, as was offered at the Betty Ford Center, I doubt these women would have ever gotten out of the devil's hold that had attached itself to their lives. This book also showed me that the steps, attitudes, exercises, programs, etc., offered by the Betty Ford Center, could be mirrored for most any defeating issue that any of us can be faced with - and in all honesty, we all have something, be it struggles with weight, self esteem, stress, relationship abuse, etc., etc. Any of these issues can grab hold of our lives and control us and/or bring us down as much as these 6 womens' alcohol addiction did. And it's so very difficult to simply get a handle on these problem issues alone. So reading this book helps one to understand how to get out of whatever life's rut we happen to be in; I don't think there is anyone who couldn't benefit from reading this book. It shares, with complete honesty, the intense struggles, recovery, and difficulties in staying straight and clean (or in the case if it were other issues, one could apply that you would learn to stay on top of remaining positive in whatever good you accomplished with your life's battles). You'll cry at times and cheer at others while reading this book. But overall, it's something worth reading, re-reading, and having by your side anytime you need a boost in confidence or feel bad about what you're trying to deal with, when you just flip through these pages and recall the difficulties endured and overcome in other women's lives.

Having worked at the Betty Ford Center for 11 years I recognized a couple of the women in the book.