Stronger Than the Struggle: A Guide on Addiction and Mental Illness for Inmates Working toward Healing and Freedom with 30-day Workbook Included

by Robert Naugle

Overview

Stronger Than the Struggle: A Guide on Addiction and Mental Illness for Inmates Working Toward Healing and Freedom.

You are not your worst mistake. You are not beyond healing. You are stronger than the struggle.

Every day behind bars can feel like a battle against addiction, mental illness, regret, and the weight of the past. But even in the darkest places, healing is possible. Stronger Than the Struggle is more than just a book. It's a guide, a lifeline, and a mirror for those ready to break free from the cycles that keep them stuck.

Written specifically for incarcerated individuals, this book offers practical, down-to-earth help for anyone facing the twin challenges of substance use and mental illness. Drawing from evidence-based practiced like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), each chapter walks readers through the roots of their struggle and the steps toward healing.

Inside you'll find:
-Real talk about addiction: Why it's not just about willpower, and how your brain, trauma, and environment have played a role.
-Mental illness explained without shame: Understanding depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and how they affect your choices.
-Coping skills that actually work: Easy to use strategies to manage cravings, mood swings, anger, self-harm urges, and negative thinking.
-Reflections and journal prompts: Thought provoking exercises to help you connect the dots between your past, your pain, and your potential.
-Stories of survival and strength: Insights from others who've been where you are and came out on the other side.

Whether you've struggled for years or are just starting to ask the hard questions, this book offers a message of hope: You are not broken beyond repair. Even if your body is locked up, your mind and heart don't have to be. You are worth the effort it takes to change.

Because the world still needs you. And your story isn't over yet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798319601544
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble Press
Publication date:	06/15/2025
Pages:	190
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.48(d)

About the Author

Robert Naugle, MS, LPC, CCHP, is a licensed counselor with over two decades of experience working in correctional setting. As a therapist who serves incarcerated individuals every day, Robert brings a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by those battling addiction, trauma, and mental illness behind bars. He holds a Master of Science in Counseling and is certified in correctional healthcare professional, with a passion for helping justice-involved individuals rediscover their worth and rewrite their stories.

Robert has worked with some of the most vulnerable populations—those labeled as too broken, too angry, or too far gone and has seen firsthand that change is always possible. Through evidence-based practice, compassion, and honest conversation, he helps people find hope where it once seemed lost.

A former foster parent and trauma-informed clinician, Robert believes that healing is not just possible but it’s our birthright. His writing speaks directly to those often left out of the conversation, reminding them that they matter, their lives have value, and they are capable of transformation.

When he’s not writing or working in correctional facilities, Robert advocates for better mental health access and continues to create resources for people seeking healing from the inside out.