BE ENGAGED IN A GOOD BOOK

This rule is directly associated with RULE 5 - go to sleep at the same time every day. Many if not most daily physiological functions are severely disrupted for individuals in recovery.  Simply removing the substance of abuse will not reverse years or decades of unhealthy living conditions; they need to be taught and then regularly practiced to become habits of daily life.

Perhaps none is more consistently and predictably disrupted than sleep. And perhaps nothing can better help this common complaint than regular nighttime reading. Along with its time-honored tradition as an effective nighttime sedative, we've found nothing that feels more healthy and "normal" than drifting off to sleep naturally after reading a good book.   

In the early weeks and months of sobriety, we recommend focusing on books related to substance abuse and addiction.  It seems like the right way to immerse oneself in the issue at hand and help smooth out the initial misinformation and confusion that surround the topic. If you are participating in a twelve-step fellowship, these groups can recommend relevant books to deepen your understanding of addiction and sobriety.  Your usefulness to help yourself and others will be improved with a focused understanding of the disease state we're trying to improve upon.  

Below this section is a suggested reading list of incredible texts from a few relevant areas of interest. These are all books that have we've found to be  invaluable references. We recommend alternating between the educational and scientific literature and books for general pleasure.