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Deviate from Denial: Erasing the Stigma of Addiction and Recovery Through Inspirational Stories
In 2021, over 100,000 people died from an opioid overdose. The crisis continues.
To help combat this growing epidemic, author Sam Perez’s parents made a decision that changed her family’s life forever. In 2017, they opened DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky. The restaurant and bakery cooks up life-changing food for more than one not only does it serve mouth-watering cinnamon rolls; it hires people in recovery from substance use disorder.
Sam watched as her parents’ passion for both the restaurant industry and for serving others merged. She saw the positive impact, met people with different perspectives, and learned from them. From that, Deviate From Erasing the Stigma of Addiction and Recovery Through Inspirational Stories was created.
This book explores addiction to help In Deviate From Denial , Sam Perez channels her love for storytelling into sharing messages of hope and redemption to tackle the opioid epidemic, save lives, and erase the stigma.
To help combat this growing epidemic, author Sam Perez’s parents made a decision that changed her family’s life forever. In 2017, they opened DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky. The restaurant and bakery cooks up life-changing food for more than one not only does it serve mouth-watering cinnamon rolls; it hires people in recovery from substance use disorder.
Sam watched as her parents’ passion for both the restaurant industry and for serving others merged. She saw the positive impact, met people with different perspectives, and learned from them. From that, Deviate From Erasing the Stigma of Addiction and Recovery Through Inspirational Stories was created.
This book explores addiction to help In Deviate From Denial , Sam Perez channels her love for storytelling into sharing messages of hope and redemption to tackle the opioid epidemic, save lives, and erase the stigma.
244 pages, Paperback
Published August 29, 2022
5 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 3, 2024
The first of the re-launched Be-Stirred Book reviews is Deviate from Denial: Erasing the Stigma of Addiction and Recovery Through Inspirational Stories by Sam Perez.
My connection to the author: I met Sam when we were interviewed for the Creator Community podcast last year, and I was drawn to her personally - she is quite the storyteller, and is already on a path to become a world-class journalist. You can read more about her on her website, HERE.
Book synopsis:
In Deviate from Denial, Sam tells the story behind why her parents started DV8 Kitchen - a restaurant built to support those suffering from substance abuse as they navigate the rocky road to recovery. She illustrates how that purpose was shaped – and validated – by the personal stories of some of the people she and her parents encountered along the way. The book concludes with Sam’s research (and personal journey) to understand and tell the story of addiction in our society.
What I learned:
Each book we read is an opportunity to expand our knowledge about the world we live in and each other in some unique way. I usually judge a book by how it educated me as much as how it entertained me. Deviate from Denial hit me on both counts.
I truly enjoyed the personal stories, even the ones that did not end well, because they were so real and so human. The book reinforced some things I’ve heard from people I know with close family members addicted to opioids and other substances, and it taught me a lot that I didn’t know about recovery. Here’s what I learned:
Addiction does not discriminate. Period. It can happen to anyone. Furthermore, recovery from an addiction is never really complete because of how the brain’s chemistry is altered by that addiction. Societal rules and norms don’t help either. It is really, really hard for those in recovery to find–and maintain–jobs, family connections, and community…yet all of those factors are crucial to preventing relapses. As a result, relapses are common and can often lead to death.
I also learned how the for-profit medical system is likely a contributing factor to this pattern of addiction, recovery, and relapse.
In short, Deviate From Denial gave me a more intimate look at substance abuse, addiction, recovery, and the people affected by them.
How you can experience the story:
Deviate from Denial is available in paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats wherever books are sold online. I initially read the book on my Kindle, and, more recently, I listened to the Audiobook.
Of the two formats, the audiobook was my favorite. Sam narrates the story herself, and her talents as a journalist and speaker really shine through. She does a superb job of telling the individual narratives in the context of her theme with a mixture of sass and class that is more evident in the audiobook version than on the page.
My connection to the author: I met Sam when we were interviewed for the Creator Community podcast last year, and I was drawn to her personally - she is quite the storyteller, and is already on a path to become a world-class journalist. You can read more about her on her website, HERE.
Book synopsis:
In Deviate from Denial, Sam tells the story behind why her parents started DV8 Kitchen - a restaurant built to support those suffering from substance abuse as they navigate the rocky road to recovery. She illustrates how that purpose was shaped – and validated – by the personal stories of some of the people she and her parents encountered along the way. The book concludes with Sam’s research (and personal journey) to understand and tell the story of addiction in our society.
What I learned:
Each book we read is an opportunity to expand our knowledge about the world we live in and each other in some unique way. I usually judge a book by how it educated me as much as how it entertained me. Deviate from Denial hit me on both counts.
I truly enjoyed the personal stories, even the ones that did not end well, because they were so real and so human. The book reinforced some things I’ve heard from people I know with close family members addicted to opioids and other substances, and it taught me a lot that I didn’t know about recovery. Here’s what I learned:
Addiction does not discriminate. Period. It can happen to anyone. Furthermore, recovery from an addiction is never really complete because of how the brain’s chemistry is altered by that addiction. Societal rules and norms don’t help either. It is really, really hard for those in recovery to find–and maintain–jobs, family connections, and community…yet all of those factors are crucial to preventing relapses. As a result, relapses are common and can often lead to death.
I also learned how the for-profit medical system is likely a contributing factor to this pattern of addiction, recovery, and relapse.
In short, Deviate From Denial gave me a more intimate look at substance abuse, addiction, recovery, and the people affected by them.
How you can experience the story:
Deviate from Denial is available in paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats wherever books are sold online. I initially read the book on my Kindle, and, more recently, I listened to the Audiobook.
Of the two formats, the audiobook was my favorite. Sam narrates the story herself, and her talents as a journalist and speaker really shine through. She does a superb job of telling the individual narratives in the context of her theme with a mixture of sass and class that is more evident in the audiobook version than on the page.
September 25, 2022
DV8 restaurant is a local restaurant with excellent food and a reputation of helping those recovering from addiction. This book is written by the daughter of the founders.
This book touches on what addiction is, tells the story of about half a dozen people who have struggled with addiction and/or have been affected by addiction, and offers a bit of insight into what DV8 does as part of the employment process. It is also a love letter of sorts showing the author’s admiration for her parents.
The individual chapters are well written but together do not tell a cohesive story. Perez wants us to care about people affected by addiction, and she wants people to be able to experience sobriety. She tells some heart wrenching stories although I wish she would have focused on telling stories of a couple individuals more deeply instead of the brief story of several. OR I wish she would have explained more throughly what DV8 does. Instead I felt that the message was a bit muddled and if I didn’t already know what DV8 was, I would have felt confused. DV8 has a great mission and is helping many people.
Overall a decent read by a young author.
This book touches on what addiction is, tells the story of about half a dozen people who have struggled with addiction and/or have been affected by addiction, and offers a bit of insight into what DV8 does as part of the employment process. It is also a love letter of sorts showing the author’s admiration for her parents.
The individual chapters are well written but together do not tell a cohesive story. Perez wants us to care about people affected by addiction, and she wants people to be able to experience sobriety. She tells some heart wrenching stories although I wish she would have focused on telling stories of a couple individuals more deeply instead of the brief story of several. OR I wish she would have explained more throughly what DV8 does. Instead I felt that the message was a bit muddled and if I didn’t already know what DV8 was, I would have felt confused. DV8 has a great mission and is helping many people.
Overall a decent read by a young author.
January 27, 2023
Awesome read! Whether you’ve experienced addiction firsthand, been affected by viewing it in a loved one, or have never been around it, this book has something for everyone to learn. The stories, information, and advice throughout these pages were incredibly eye-opening for me. Thanks for all the hard work that went into this one Sam! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and walk away with a changed perspective because of it.
August 10, 2023
Will make you think
This book will make you think. That's good. Examine your existing point-of-view. Mine was, Why do people use illegal drugs? or use drugs illegally? I have more insight now. Thanks for a good read.
This book will make you think. That's good. Examine your existing point-of-view. Mine was, Why do people use illegal drugs? or use drugs illegally? I have more insight now. Thanks for a good read.
December 1, 2022
Loved it!!! This is a book for anyone with an interest in recovery, second chances, business, and everything in between. Definitely recommended.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews