Why You Must Replace Alcohol With These 5 Books to Heal a Broken Heart
Why gulp down the pain with a temporary fix when you can heal through it with a permanent one.
We all have been there. Some are contemplating doing it, and some have ripped the band-aid. Whether you have decided to walk away, or are the receiver of the text message, the intense pain of a broken heart is no different.
It’s not the breakup that hurts. It’s the vacuum that follows. You feel the same pain as you would feel losing a loved one. To numb the pain, drinking alcohol seems like the most convenient option. You may feel the sheer rush of pleasure initially, but we all know that the withdrawal later feels much worse in the process of gaining a temporary fix.
Loved ones support you with kind words. Friends may make you feel like it’s not the end of the world. You drown yourself in work, making it seem like the best distraction. But the moment your head hits the pillow at night, the wave of emotions hits you hard and then flows through tears.
Ignoring the pain is no better than alcohol. It’s a quick fix, but it doesn’t solve the root of the problem. The more we avoid acknowledging how we feel, the more the memories come to haunt us. There is a better way to deal with the pain, and it’s only by accepting how you feel. To make it more bearable, here are five books. Each book has a unique perspective on healing.
1. Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
Jay Shetty should pay me for advertising his book so much. I cannot stress enough how much this book helps you heal your darkest traumas through simple techniques. If you’re hurting, go inward. It may seem scary as hell, but this book provides you options, and you choose which option seems the best for you.
“If you’ve lost yourself in the relationship, find yourself in the heartbreak. “— Jay Shetty, Think Like a Monk
2. Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan
This book gave me hope like no other during a pandemic, and sometimes hope can be the biggest healer. Set during the world war, this book connects three gut-wrenching stories through a musical instrument. If you feel your world is devastating right now, read this book as it showcases the severe adversities that children have overcome and how believing that there is light at the end of the tunnel can get you through even the worst circumstances. Trust me by the end of this book; your broken heart won’t seem that broken.
“YOUR FATE IS NOT YET SEALED.
EVEN IN THE DARKEST NIGHT, A STAR WILL SHINE,
A BELL WILL CHIME, A PATH WILL BE REVEALED.”
― Pam Muñoz Ryan, Echo
3. Stories We Never Tell by Savi Sharma
In the age of social media, for one girl where everything is out in the open, the world seems to crumble if people know her life isn’t perfect. On the other hand, a boy who feels that finally, everything is working in his favour changes instantly when one incident wrecks his whole world. Two stories that we would typically bury inside the closet are now out in the open thanks to this author. We all have heard our friends and family say don’t worry, you will heal, and everything happens for the best. It may not feel so right now, but everything will make sense six months down the line. This book shows you how this theory works for these two souls who are lost and broken, and the only thing that will fix them is going with the flow.
“There are moments in our lives that change us irrevocably; these moments come without warning. Sometimes they are avoidable. Other times, it is a cruel throw of the dice.”
― Savi Sharma, Stories We Never Tell
4. The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Sometimes we break up not because something was wrong in the relationship. We break up because we fail to understand each other’s love language. The 5 Love Languages dives deep into discovering the real reason why relationships lose their spark over time. By identifying your love language and speaking the right love language of your partner, you can save even the most dead relationships. If you are starting over and are willing to learn from your past mistakes, give this one your time. It will be worth it.
“The person who is “in-love” has the illusion that his beloved is perfect.”
― Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate
5. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
There is a thin line between care and obsession. Those who have been through it realise that you can quickly become a victim of your own choices. It Ends with Us opens your eyes to see what happens when you let things go in the name of love and how it day by day breaks you internally. This is a story of a woman who breaks and stands up for what she truly deserves and how if we want, we too can make the right choice because it’s never too late. If you know it’s wrong what you are going through, read this book to help you finally take that decision that you have been stalling in the name of love.
“All humans make mistakes. What determines a person’s character aren’t the mistakes we make. It’s how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.”
― Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us
So the next time you have plans for a binge drinking session, try ordering these books from Amazon or your favourite book store. It will cost you less and heal you better. I think it’s a win-win. What about you?
