You Are Not Alone is the story of a mother and son. It recounts the devastating emotional impact of a teenager’s descent into the ravages of addiction and the resulting agonies of his family. Drawing from personal memories, diaries, letters, and writings, it tells how an ordinary family struggled to cope, seemingly without help or support, as the crisis unfolded and enveloped them. Ultimately however, it is a story of hope and courage; of how an individual turned helplessness into action and overcame adversity to help others battling one of society’s biggest, most ignored and least understood crises: drug and alcohol addiction.

"Sometimes, things happen to you in your life from which you cannot ever imagine recovering."

You Are Not Alone is a story that will resonate with anyone affected by or involved in alcohol and drug addiction. The author, Dorothea Bickerton was a unique woman who turned helplessness into action, and overcame adversity to help others, founding one of the first family support groups in the UK. You Are Not Alone (first released under the title A Life Remembered)captures her experience, not only as a mother of an addict, but as a professional in the field of substance abuse. It shares her perspective, ideas, and approach towards drug rehabilitation. It is a philosophy that has touched – and still touches – the lives of so many struggling with drug or alcohol misuse, helping and supporting the families that suffer alongside them, because drugs don't just hurt the person using them.

As a direct result of her experiences, as the mother of an addict, Dorothea Bickerton founded what is now known as CDARS (Community Drug & Alcohol Recovery Service). During the time of her leadership, she saved the lives of literally thousands of people: over 6000 family members and drug/alcohol users were recorded as accessing the support she provided. What began as a seed of an idea, grew to become a charity that still flourishes today, now recognised as one of the country's leading support agencies, holding true to the same values upon which it was founded: person-centred, inclusive, holistic, respectful, non-judgmental and confidential.

All profits from this book are donated to The David Bickerton Memorial Fund, established in 1995 to provide emergency relief for families facing desperate times. The fund is managed by CDARS. During David's time working alongside Dorothea at Community Drug Helpline, now CDARS, he frequently used his own money to support families in crisis. The fund set up in his name continues to operate today with the same benevolent mission. Every copy of this book that is bought means that another family will not go without.

"This is a book for those struggling with addiction, for those that have a loved one battling with this disease, and for anyone working in the field of alcohol and drug misuse. Many other books on the subject, and many clinical centres, treat the addict as a statistic rather than as an individual who is suffering deeply. By contrast, Dorothea brought a sincere and heartfelt authenticity to rehabilitation and substance abuse recovery, believing that each addict should be treated with dignity, empathy, compassion, kindness, and respect. It is an ethos that lives on in CDARS." Franco Toma, CEO, CDARS