Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself Wins Gold in 2026 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest

Candace Plattor's acclaimed guide for families affected by addiction receives Gold Medal recognition during National Recovery Month.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, September 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself: The Top 10 Survival Tips for Loving Someone with an Addiction, by addiction counsellor, author and family addiction expert Candace Plattor, has been named the Gold Medal winner in the Non-Fiction — Social Issues category of the 2026 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest.

The international recognition comes on the heels of a 5-star professional review from Readers' Favorite, which called Plattor's book "a timely self-help guide and a supremely honest and helpful resource for those who love someone in active addiction."

The timing of the award is particularly meaningful as September marks National Recovery Month, an opportunity to celebrate recovery while recognizing the individuals, families, professionals and communities whose support can play an important role in the recovery journey.

For Plattor, that includes a group too often overlooked in conversations about addiction: the people who love someone struggling with it.

"Recovery isn't only about what happens to the person struggling with addiction," says Plattor. "The people who love them need support too. They need to know that they are allowed to have boundaries, to take care of themselves and to have a life that isn't controlled by someone else's addiction."

That philosophy is at the heart of Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself.

Rather than teaching family members how to make an addicted loved one stop using, Plattor turns the focus toward what loved ones can change: their own choices, boundaries, behaviours and lives.

Through ten practical survival tips, real-life examples and straightforward guidance, the book explores the often-confusing difference between helping and enabling and shows readers how to stop sacrificing themselves in an effort to rescue someone they love.

In its professional review, Readers' Favorite praised the immediate practicality of Plattor's approach, noting that readers can begin applying the book's advice right away. Reviewer Jamie Michele wrote that Plattor "pairs tough truth with practical self-respect" and concluded: "Well written and loaded with answers... Very highly recommended."

The Gold Medal adds another level of recognition to a message Plattor has spent years bringing to families through her writing, counselling, speaking and work with Love With Boundaries.

For families living with addiction, Plattor hopes the recognition helps one message reach even further:
You can love someone with an addiction without losing yourself in the process.

If someone you love is struggling with addiction and you're finding it difficult to know what is helping, what may be enabling, or what your next step should be, the Love With Boundaries team is here to support you. Book a complimentary 30-minute consultation.

Christine Zitscher - Administrative Assistant
Love With Boundaries
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