Resources & Further Reading

This podcast required extensive research. Here are some of the most useful books and resources I turned to while reporting and writing. (Scroll down below the book section if you’re looking for treatment-related resources).

Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker

I originally learned about Holly Whitaker while researching Alcoholics Anonymous. I stumbled on a 2019 opinion piece she wrote in The New York Times, “The Patriarchy of Alcoholics Anonymous.” As it turns out, I had somehow missed that Holly has become a bit of a cultural sensation since then. Chrissy Teigen credits Holly’s book as the reason she quit drinking. In the recent “Sex and the City” television reboot, Charlotte sends a copy to Miranda. Holly’s writing is especially powerful in audiobook form – you can’t unhear the many ways alcohol wreaks havoc on the human body.

Slaying the Dragon by William L. White

It became clear very quickly in my reporting process that no one would take me seriously until I read “Slaying the Dragon.” One of my sources even brought a printout of one of the timelines from William White’s book to our interview. White has produced the most comprehensive history of addiction treatment out there –- I’ve spotted his name in the footnotes of many studies I’ve read.

A Woman’s Way Through the Twelve Steps by Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D.

Multiple women told me that Dr. Stephanie Covington’s book was part of their recovery process. One even shared that she recommends it to women she sponsors. And while Dr. Covington mostly appears in episode 4, our conversation was in the back of my mind throughout my reporting process. She even offered advice for me to pass along to any person who was sharing traumatic experiences with me: Tell them they may feel vulnerable in the days following the conversation, and ask if they have coping skills and a support system ready in the event that happens.

Clean by David Sheff

I devoured David Sheff’s 2008 book “Beautiful Boy,” as well as his son Nic’s companion book “Tweak.” Both chronicle their independent and shared experiences of Nic’s struggles with methamphetamine addiction. David’s book Clean was especially helpful  for the podcast. It’s an easy-to-read overview of the U.S. treatment system, and Sheff also offers thoughtful, well-researched advice for parents whose children have substance use disorder. This quote from Sheff in particular, about the search for treatment, has really stuck with me: “When addicts must decide what to do, they’re usually in crisis and terrified, consumed by worry, and immobilized, and yet in this compromised state, they must make one of the most complex and important decisions of their lives.”

Her Best Kept Secret by Gabrielle Glaser

Gabrielle Glaser’s book was the first time I had encountered an entire chapter on 13th stepping. Glaser was also featured in a 2016 documentary called “The 13th Step” by Monica Richardson. Both Gabrielle and Monica told me that after publishing, they were inundated with women sharing their 13th stepping-type stories. Gabrielle also wrote a much-discussed article in The Atlantic called “The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous.”

She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

Because, of course. I’m not the first journalist to be inspired by the New York Times reporters who broke the story of Harvey Weinstein’s decades of sexual assault and am far from the last. But for me, the most helpful thing Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey shared in this book was the way they approached sources who potentially had experienced sexual misconduct. I borrowed this particular line from them many times: “I can't change what happened to you in the past, but together we may be able to use your experience to help protect other people.” It strikes the perfect balance between expressing care to the source, but also helps open up a reporting process conversation about the need to corroborate the allegation in order to publish it.

Further Reading

If You’re Looking for Help with Substance Use Disorder

  • Shatterproof’s Treatment Atlas is one of the better resources for finding the kind of substance use disorder treatment you or a loved one might need. If you look online, you’ll find lots of searchable databases, but experts say few of them are reliable. You can’t be sure you’ll find high-quality treatment, because there is so little standardization across the country. Shatterproof is building Atlas to fill that gap, but (because it’s hard to do right!) it currently covers only 11 states. 

  • The Partnership to End Addiction also has a website about Treatment & Recovery that is a good starting point for anyone who has a loved one in need of help.

  • SMART Recovery is a popular, non-12 step based recovery program.

  • Sober Black Girls Club 

  • Alcoholics Anonymous - In episode 4, we weigh common critiques of AA, but for many people it has been essential to their sobriety. 

  • GayandSober.org meeting finder

  • I mentioned in episode 4 that there are 12-step meetings during the set breaks of every Phish concert. Here’s a private Facebook group for anyone looking to join the “Phellowship.”

Also Mentioned in the Podcast

  • Jasmine Grace Marino made the memorable “two dead batteries don’t start a car” comment in Episode 1. She runs a nonprofit that helps women who have experienced sex trafficking and substance use disorder.

  • LIFT is the organization that runs Jana’s Place, which is featured in Episode 6. 

  • NAATP’s Ethics Code, which is mentioned in episode 4, can be found here.

  • Writer Holly Whitaker mentioned that the book Easy Way to Control Alcohol by Allen Carr was the first step on her path to recovery.

  • Jennifer Mondino is one of the lawyers in episode 4. She is part of the Legal Network for Gender Equity, a national legal initiative run by the National Women’s Law Center that helps connect people who have experienced sex discrimination at work, school, and in the health care system with attorneys (and the first consultation is free).