Unchained
The riveting true story of a young man’s descent into opioids and alcohol addiction, homelessness and violence, and his recovery journey told by a son, now over a decade sober and a co-founder of a substance abuse treatment program and his mother, a spiritual director and youth minister with more than twenty-six years of sobriety. Unchained: Our Family’s Addiction Mess Is Our Message is the inspiring story of one family’s efforts through their faith, 12-step program, and tough love approach to help their son return home – as the Prodigal Son of the Gospel did – to forgiveness, love and a renewed life. This book will provide hope for families grappling with the dark world of addiction.
Nancy McCann Vericker and her son, JP, are co-authors of their award- winning book, Unchained: Our Family’s Addiction Mess Is Our Message, the true story of his descent into opioid and alcohol addiction, homelessness and hopelessness to now long-term recovery as co-founder of Ark Behavioral Health.
Unchained recounts how through faith, tough love, and 12-Step program, the Vericker family helped JP, now in recovery for more than a decade, return home to a renewed life. Their book provides hope for families grappling with addiction.
Nancy and her son have shared their family’s story on the TODAY Show and Conversations with Cardinal Dolan, as well as conferences, radio programs, and newspaper and magazine articles. Unchained won a 2019 award from the Catholic Press Association in the Healing Book Category. Nancy, who has been in recovery for 31 years, has been honored as a Person Who Made A Difference by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence/Westchester.
Nancy is a family recovery coach and writes a weekly blog on recovery issues impacting families struggling with addiction on her website at www.nancyvericker.com. She works as a family liaison at Ark Behavioral Health. Nancy is a spiritual director at Fairfield University and a parish youth minister. She also works as a retreat and conference speaker. Nancy holds a master’s degree in spiritual direction from Fordham University. She has been married to her husband, Joe, for 38 years. The couple have four children and one grandson.
Unchained: Powerful. Riveting.
“Addiction is a family disease, and often, family members in the orbit of an addicted person are looking for help, hope, advice, and assurance that they’re not alone. Unchained is the best book I know of to share with a family dealing with addiction. It’s honest, it’s accurate, and it’s a powerfully told story from a gifted writer and her son who know there’s hope, because their family is living proof.”
– BRIAN D. MCLAREN, author of The Great Spiritual Migration
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Looking for help?
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction please reach out to the support line at ARK Behavioral Health to speak to a specialist.
855-458-0498
Additional Resources
Alcoholics Anonymous
Twelve Step groups are free and available at the local level at a variety of convenient times and locations. For further information, visit the Alcoholics Anonymous website at aa.org.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides a national helpline providing free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families suffering from substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment centers, support groups, and community-based organizations. Call 1-800-662-HELP or visit their online treatment services locator.
National Council on Alcholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD)
The National Council on Alcholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) website offers three simple tests aimed at determining if an individual has a substance abuse problem. These tests comprise three categories: “Are you wondering if you have an alcohol problem?”, “Are you wondering if you have a drug problem?”, and “Self-Test for Teenagers.” Visit their website at ncadd.org.
