Why This Book?

In Relinquishment and Addiction, Dr. Jamie Marich explores a deeply under-recognized link: how early life separation — through adoption, abandonment, or emotional neglect — can create wounds that fuel addiction later in life. Drawing from personal experience, survivor stories, and clinical expertise, Marich invites readers into a compassionate exploration of how feelings of loss, identity confusion, and disconnection can drive people toward substances or behaviors that numb the pain. This book is not about blame — it's about belonging, and what happens when that basic human need goes unmet.

Who It’s For

• Individuals who were adopted, relinquished, or emotionally abandoned in childhood
• Survivors struggling with addiction and questions of identity, loss, or attachment
• Therapists and support workers who serve adoptees or survivors of early trauma

Big Takeaways

• Relinquishment — the loss of an original caregiver — can create deep attachment wounds that shape self-worth and coping patterns.
• Addiction can be a response to a core wound of disconnection, especially when grief or trauma is unacknowledged.
• Healing begins by honoring the truth of what was lost, and by building new forms of safety and connection.

How It Can Help

This book gives voice to a pain that many have lived but few have had words for. It gently affirms that the ache of feeling “unwanted,” “misplaced,” or unseen is not a character flaw — it’s a wound. And wounds, when held with compassion and care, can begin to heal. For anyone who has felt that their addiction is rooted in something older and harder to name, Relinquishment and Addiction offers both insight and hope.

Additional Notes or Warnings

• Contains themes of addiction, adoption, abandonment, grief, and trauma-related coping.
• The book is written with empathy and sensitivity, but may stir strong emotional responses in those navigating similar stories.
• Includes personal narratives and therapeutic tools for reflection and healing.