My Take on Never Enough by Judith Grisel

Never Enough Written By: Judith Grisel

Review By: Ashley A.

The must read book about everyone’s favorite subject, drugs. Never Enough written by Judith Grisel, who is a behavioral neuroscientist, speaks about how her experience with heavy substance use and her journey through recovery. Along with her story, the main focal point of the book is Ms. Grisel’s breakdown of how the different classifications of drugs affect the brain and the different functions. The main purpose of the book is to educate the public on how addition arrises and the detrimental impact heavy drug use has on the brain. The main classifications the book reviews are THC, alcohol, opiates, tranquilizers, stimulants, psychedelics, and a catch all of different drugs for the last sections. The book is written to be understood by the general public. The author does a great job explaining hard, complex concepts involving the brain and neurobiology.

The brain component of the book was of greatest interest to me because I love to understand how things work. The understanding that drugs are addictive has been known since the dawn of time, but this book helps the reader understand exactly what causes addition in the brain. The neurology also helps the reader understand the different areas of the brain in correlation to different processes and personality characteristics. The general public does not fully understand the long term effects of drug use on the brain, let alone a developing brain. This book helps the audience understand the different functions of the brain and how drugs impede these functions. The brain is a powerful organ and learning about inconsistent and consistent drug use is an amazing part of the book.

I feel this book is important for everyone interested in substance use, using substances, or working with individuals with substance use issues. The wealth of information within this book is among other books within this category. Among the wealth of information, the author lets the reader into her life and her story with substance misuse. I love how Judith Grisel was vulnerable for her audience and let people into her own story that can be deeply personal for many individuals. I personally enjoy learning through other people experiences because it makes it real and not a scenario. I believe this is also particularly beneficial for the younger audience because they will see someone who started substance use at a young age and was able to find recovery in their own way. The author would also not been seen as a stereotypical drug user which helps challenge the stigma of drug users. The stigma that surrounds drug use creates a blindspot to all the different types of users from different types of backgrounds. This is a main take away from the book is to not stereotype people due to people who need help being looked over because they do not fit the stereotypical image.

As someone who is interested in how substances affect the brain, the book was a must read and very beneficial for my own knowledge. As a therapist, this helped me learn about the brains of my client’s who use drugs as a form of self-medication or recreational use. This book gives the reader a deeper understanding of an individual who uses substances. I would highly recommend this book and any written work by Judith Grisel.