Alumna's first book wins at International Book Awards

By Erin Mason

Candace Plattor, BEd’73, is a teacher, a successful therapist and a newly published author with her first book, Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself: The Top 10 Survival Tips for Loving Someone with an Addiction. 

Candace works with recovering addicts and their loved ones in her private practice in Vancouver, BC. When working with her clients, she uses both her personal experience and her academic knowledge–Candace is a recovering addict herself, now clean and sober for 23 years. 

After Candace’s diagnosis with Crohn’s disease in 1973, her doctors prescribed highly addictive medications including Valium, Demerol and codeine. She faithfully took them as prescribed, but after 14 years she reached “bottom,” discovering that she had become addicted to these drugs and severely depressed as a result. In 1987, she reached out for help and began attending 12-step programs for addiction. 

After completing a 30-day residential treatment program and being clean for three years, Candace began to work as an Addictions Counsellor at Watari Youth and Family Services in Vancouver’s gritty Downtown Eastside. She remained there for 16 years, working with addicted clients and their families.

During her time at Watari, Candace successfully completed her MA in Counselling Psychology while also working in her own part-time private practice. In 2007, she made the decision to go into full-time private practice, specializing in addiction recovery for addicts and their loved ones. Although alcohol, drugs, and gambling quickly come to mind for most people, addictive behaviours can also include eating disorders, smoking, Internet addiction, compulsive over-spending, and co-dependency in relationships. 

“There aren’t many specialists who are helping addicts make changes in their lives while also supporting their loved ones at the same time,” Candace says. “I assist my clients to look honestly at their problems and find a course of action to reach their best solutions. Addicts often don’t change until they have something substantial to lose, and when their loved ones start to set clear and healthy boundaries, many addicts also begin to make significant changes in their own lives.”

Several years ago, Candace wrote and published an article entitled The Top 10 Survival Tips for Loving Someone with an Addiction. At that point, addicts’ loved ones began to contact her, seeking more information and support. It was then that she knew there was a need for more services for this group of people, and she began to write her book specifically for them. 

“Whether the addict in your life is your spouse, partner, parent, child, friend, or colleague, the key to changing this reality for yourself lies in shifting your focus from your loved one’s addiction to your own self-care,” she says. 

Candace’s book is getting rave reviews from loved ones, counsellors, addiction specialists and professionals. In fact, Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself: The Top 10 Survival Tips for Loving Someone with an Addiction has recently garnered Candace a First Place win in the 2010 International Book Awards in the Health: Psychology/Mental Health category, as well as finalist status in four other categories. Click here to read more on the Book Awards.

“This book is about giving hope to the loved ones of addicts, teaching them that they can make genuine changes to help themselves and the addicts in their lives,” Candace says. 

“My clients teach me so much all the time and my work with them is part of my own continued healing,” she explains. “Even after more than 20 years, my job is still rewarding for me every single day.”

Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself: The Top 10 Survival Tips for Loving Someone with an Addiction is available on Candace’s website in print and as an ebook, as well as on amazon.com. 

To learn more about Candace Plattor and her work, please visit her website.