Public Relations Blog

Girlfriend of Bill by Karen Nagy

Girlfriend of Bill Cover

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

“I was mystified about what went on in these meetings. I also was, I hate to say, a little paranoid and even jealous about all the time my boyfriend spent at them. What went on? Why were these damn Steps so important?”
—from Girlfriend of Bill

A new romance can be exciting, but if you are dating someone in a recovery program such as Alcoholics Anonymous, you may find there’s more to the relationship than just shared interests and mutual attraction. Your new beau may suffer from anxiety, mood swings, or other issues that stem from the way his addictive brain causes him to think and behave. You may also experience feelings of jealousy as your significant other spends significant time with his sponsor or recovery group—instead of with you.

Here to support you is a new, first-of-its-kind guide entitled GIRLFRIEND OF BILL: 12 Things You Need to Know about Dating Someone in Recovery by Karen Nagy. In her book, Nagy shares her personal experiences dating a man in recovery, wisdom from the “Big Bookof Alcoholics Anonymous and other Twelve Step programs, and stories and advice from her friends to offer twelve practical tips that will help you understand your recovering partner on a deeper level.

Filled with humor and compassion, GIRLFRIEND OF BILL offers valuable information about how a recovering person’s past, along with certain “addict-like” personality traits, can affect both individuals in the relationship:

“Manipulation means being talked into something you don’t want to do. For example, my PIR (Person in Recovery) convinced me to loan him a significant amount of money. Twice. My friend Grace was convinced by her PIR husband Joe that they had to move back and forth between several different states during the ten years of their marriage. She later found out it was because Joe was trying to get out of paying years of child support he owed.”

Nagy explains how to identify whether you are developing any codependency issues, what to do about them, and how to create healthy boundaries to ensure your own well-being. On the lighter side, she provides some creative ideas for fun sober dates.

Throughout GIRLFRIEND OF BILL, Nagy combines lighthearted insights and cautionary red flags, along with advice about how to handle them, that will make a tremendous difference in the health, enjoyment, and longevity of your relationship.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Karen Nagy is a college professor, actor, and songwriter. She wrote GIRLFRIEND OF BILL, her first book, based on her own dating experience and love of the Twelve Steps.

ABOUT HAZELDEN:
Hazelden Publishing is part of the Hazelden Foundation, a national nonprofit organization founded in 1949 that helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. With over 60 years of knowledge and experience, Hazelden offers a comprehensive approach to addiction that addresses the full range of patient, family, and professional needs, including treatment and continuing care for youths and adults, research, higher education, public education and advocacy, and publishing. Hazelden has facilities in Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, Florida, and New York