The Good Mothers: Coping with the Challenges of Alcohol and Other Drugs in the Family

'Personal experiences and stories by this group of resilient mothers have incubated over recent years, shepherded by the guidance of caring professionals, to become the valuable and encouraging resource that is this book. Within these pages, you will find struggles, coping mechanisms, suggestions, ideas, strengths and challenges. This book is a reminder to strive for good physical and mental health while coping with those challenges, and that it's never too late to try again.' CASS MORIARTY, author of The Promise Seed and Parting Words

'The book is replete with humour, wisdom, and invaluable life strategies, providing both a tablespoon of reality and a teaspoon of hope.' ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR GRAHAME SIMPSON, The University of Sydney

'What a priceless piece of work! I sat down and read it in one sitting. It is raw and real, and I particularly liked the section on harm minimisation and the dilemma that mums face in this.' Donna the Social Worker

The Good Mothers is about growing resilience in families affected by alcohol and other drugs.

It combines lived experience stories with resources and strategies adapted from Simpson and colleagues' Strength2Strength group work program.

About the Authors

In The Good Mothers, you will find words of wisdom, vulnerability and courage from the mothers who co-authored these chapters - Elaine, Sally, Sheree, Anna, Tracy, Edel, and Lou. Over several years, these women have come together to draw strength from one another while sharing stories about the highs and lows of supporting a loved one living with problematic substance use.

To complement these stories, Accredited Mental Health Social Workers Dr Georgia Hunt and Claire Walsh reflect on their experiences as clinicians who have facilitated the Strength2Strength Growing Family Resilience program. For many years, Georgia and Claire have had the privilege of working with individuals and families affected by complex concerns that fall within the realm of substance use, mental health, trauma, and domestic and family violence.