As a teenager, Victor Torres was a gang warlord and heroin addict on New York City’s violent streets. Through the ministry of David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, Victor had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ and came to realize that God had a purpose for his life. Victor has spent the last forty-five years helping tens of thousands of young men and women find freedom from drug addiction and … and gang life. Now, he answers your toughest questions about your addicted loved one. Without pulling punches or promising easy answers, Victor provides wisdom and expertise that can lead you toward success.
Some of the questions Victor addresses are…
- How can I know if my loved one has a substance abuse problem?
- How can I tell the difference between helping and enabling?
- What if my loved one refuses to get help?
- When should I call the police?
- What should we look for in a treatment program?
- What can I expect when my loved one comes out of treatment?
- How do I prepare for relapse?
God did not create your loved one to be an addict or a loser. On the contrary, God created him or her for a better life. Although, for the moment, it may seem like you are losing your loved one, they still have a God-given destiny and a purpose. No matter how bad the picture may look now, there is always hope.
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This was a very hard book for me to read. It had a personal meaning to me because I have a family member who became addicted to drugs at an early age. It destroyed his life as well as the family. It is hard to convince someone they need help and I wish I had something like this book at the time to encourage me and guide me through helping this person. I do agree with the author about not blaming yourself for their addiction.
I have a very strong opinion about addiction and I agree with the author that addiction is curable, but the person has to want to be cured. It’s all about choices and sometimes people make bad choices because of their addiction. One of the things I learned was not to give up and keep trying to help them. One of the best things about this book is the honesty the author has about his own struggle with addiction. His candidness is refreshing and although I may not agree with everything in the book, I applaud him for speaking out about something that others don’t want to deal with. His experiences are real and can help others because he understands what they are going through.
I liked the biblical facts he presented and how we need to lean on God when dealing with someone who is an addict. It isn’t an easy road, but with God all things are possible. A support system is vital to helping you cope and I wish I had had that when I was in the midst of my addicted family member. Overall the book is informative and has a lot of information that will help people as they go through this battle.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Reaching your addicted loved one
This is written by a man that knows how it is to live the addicted life. Fortunately I have not been or know anyone that has been. I am sure this would be an very beneficial book for someone that does have an addicted loved one. There is a lot of great information in the book. Some true stories from people that has experience addiction. I definitely recommend checking out this book.
I did relate to someone mention in the book. It was mentioned several times that David Wilkerson was someone that helped him. I remembered reading his books when I was an teenager, so long ago. David Wilkerson has a really good ministry. Through Christ substance addiction can be overcome.
I received an advanced copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write an positive review. This is my own opinion.
Yes, I would definitely recommend this book. It will go on my list of books on addiction, and I’m already planning to recommend it to my little brother for his next Young Marines project. This book was very practical and hands-on. Even though I’m not personally dealing with a loved one in this situation right now, as I read I felt like the practicality would be so encouraging to someone in panic mode, wondering what to do. The book is well-written and easy to read, well-researched with trusted sources. (I recognized many of them from my own research.) You can read the book straight through, or jump straight to questions like “What should I look for in a treatment program?” or “What if my loved one refuses to get help?” I think this book should definitely belong in any pastor’s library as well.
I received a review copy of this book; all opinions are my own.
I am honored to have been given the opportunity to review Reaching Your Addicted Loved One by Victor Torres. If you have a family member or friend who struggles with addiction, this could be the most helpful book you’ll ever read. I highly recommend it for personal use, to pass on to someone with an addicted loved one in their life, and for pastoral use or church libraries.
One reason I believe this book is so effective is due to the credibility of Torres as he draws from personal experience. Once a gang warlord and heroin addict, he came to Christ through the ministry of Dave Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, and soon began a vital outreach to addicts himself. But while this book draws from that history, it’s main strength is the practical help and guidance it offers. It’s based on first-hand knowledge, with a strong biblical foundation, and with prayer as a key weapon.
Torres makes an important statement in the Introduction that we need to cling to: I believe that any addict is reachable and curable. What hope that offers, for to doubt it would be to doubt that all things are possible with God. The book’s description in the summary above lists some of the topics that are discussed, and I loved how each chapter ends with some “new life success steps.”
Here’s a few thoughts that stood out to me…
— Torres addresses the nature of addiction: “Addiction, like smoking and eating-related illnesses, is a disease. But it is a disease that begins with a choice.”
— Rather than “tough love,” we need to speak “truth love” by being willing to speak and live out the truth, even when it is hard, scary, and uncomfortable for all involved.
— Three chapters toward the end speak to treatment programs. One chapter deals with guidelines for choosing a treatment program, another focuses on what to expect when the loved one comes out of treatment, and the other addresses the need to prepare for possible relapse.
Torres points out that “the hopeless state of loving an addicted person is a terrible place to be.” While this book targets drug addiction, I believe the principles he gives can apply to other forms of addiction also. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.