“The truth most families eventually discover is that no one can cure another person's addiction. Omly addicts can do that for themselves.”

“Few experiences in life quite match the feelings of horror, fear, helplessness, and grief that families experience when someone they love becomes addicted to alcohol or other drugs. They watch in dismay as the addict becomes alienated from the family and undergoes profound changes. Activities that once brought the addict pleasure are abandoned, old friends are pushed away, and the addict withdraws into a world that is inaccesible to anyone who tries to help.”

“For almost every addict who s mired in this terrible disease, other -- a mother or father, a child or spouse, an aunt or uncles or grandparents, a brother or sister -- are suffering too. Families are the hidden victims of addiction, enduring enormous levels of stress and pain. They suffer sleepless nights, deep anxiety, and physical exhaustion brought on by worry and desperation. They lie awake for hours on end as fear for their loved one's safety crowds out any possibility of sleep. They liveeach day with a weight inside that drags them down. Unable to laugh or smile, they are sometimes filled with bottled-up anger or a constant sadness that keeps them on the verge of tears.”

“Even in the depths of despair, a person can soar to heights of greatness.”

“Why do you always refer to vehicles as she?Because they can be temperamental and expensive and sometimes difficult to start, but every man wants one.”

“One day can change your life. One day can ruin your life. All life is is three or four big days that change everything.”

“Quite often somebody will say, 'What year do your books take place?' and the only answer I can give is, in childhood.”