If Judy Only Knew...

About the Book

"If Judy Only Knew" provides the most unique look at the recovery process from drugs and alcohol. The back drop of L. Frank Baum's story and characters in his book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" create a captivating look at the path to recovery. This distinctive lens draws clarity, purpose, and understanding of the 12 Step process. Walk through this insightful journey to discover how a path of yellow bricks can lead to surviving the wicked witch of addiction.

About the Author

Throughout my lifetime, I have personally witnessed the harrowing realities of addiction, alcoholism, and numerous co-occurring mental health disorders affecting those I cherish. I am acutely acquainted with the intricate interplay of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, and a myriad of other psychological afflictions that are inextricably linked with substance use. Life is a battlefield. This is especially true when the conflict rages within one’s own mind, and your most formidable adversary is yourself. So let me start by introducing myself. My name is Karen. I am a retired Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I devoted my life to specializing in Substance Use Disorder treatment. My grandfather was that full-blown alcoholic sitting on the street, hugging a bottle of booze. He had nothing but 13 cents and a picture of my younger sister in his pocket on the day he died. His son, my father, whom my mother divorced when I was 6, had his own struggles with mental health and substance use. I would have to write a second book just to document all the people I knew and loved over the years who lived with addiction and alcoholism. And sadly, a third book would need to be written, devoted to all the ones who lost their lives to it. I wanted to rescue them all. So like Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the beloved Cowardly Lion, I was off to see the Wizard. My life has been spent walking for decades on what I like to call a path of Yellow Bricks. Each step I took on that path brought learning, wisdom, and understanding. I came to meet many Wizards, or should I say wise people, who challenged me to get stronger, smarter, and to hold my own against Wicked Witches. I never had to retrieve a broom, but I did have to retrieve myself from many difficult, trying, scary, and overwhelming experiences of life. With the wisdom I gained (from my Scarecrows), the passion and purpose I found for my life (through my Tin Men), and the courage to change and move forward even when I didn’t want to at times (inspired by my Cowardly Lions), I eventually found the place I knew was home. I found my home in serving as a licensed therapist helping people overcome their addictions, alcoholism, and the many mental health challenges that come with those. And like Dorothy, I really never traveled that Yellow Brick Path alone. I had God, or should I say my Higher Power that Dorothy would have recognized as the Good Witch. I was always reminded of the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 to give my patients in recovery…. “a hope and a future.” There are many who do not make it onto the path of recovery; theirs is a life told of hope lost and futures perished. They never got to walk the path to freedom from a wicked witch of addiction. They never made it home again. If they only knew the path to freedom from addiction was along those Yellow Bricks!