On the Outside Looking In

Surviving the Blind Side of Addiction

By: Kathy Carniero

Narrated by: Cindy Telisak

Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Have you ever felt alone, lost and defeated while you watched your loved one slowly kill themselves with drugs or alcohol?

This audiobook is the story of one such experience.

You will learn about addiction, alcohol and crystal meth. You will journey through with the author as she is blindsided by her father’s alcohol addiction. You will feel the pain of discovery, the joy of recovery, the heartbreak of loss and in doing so you will find the courage to go on.

Interwoven with Kathy Carniero’s personal journey are distressing stories from addicts, inspiring stories of recovery, and life changing advice and resources from licensed professionals.

On the Outside Looking In: Surviving the Blind Side of Addiction is a must have for every person affected by addiction.

©2013 Kathy Carniero (P)2014 Kathy Carniero

Very helpful look on addiction. Insightful

Would you consider the audio edition of On the Outside Looking In to be better than the print version?

I really enjoyed being able to listen to the voices on the other end rather than just reading the words. Somehow hearing the stories told was that much stronger rather than reading although it would make a great read as well.

What did you like best about this story?

The emotion real life stories that were shared. It was touching and moving and realistic. I appreciated that the author was open enough to share her story with her dad. That moved me.

Which scene was your favorite?

There was one guy who told his story a bit different than everyone else. His story really grabbed my attention about how no one ever said no to him.

There were so many touching moments but this one story stood out for me.

If you could give On the Outside Looking In a new subtitle, what would it be?

And on the Inside looking Out.

Any additional comments?

"Being on The Outside Looking In: Surviving the Blindside of Addiction" is an eye-opening book for anyone who has struggled with addiction or has anyone in their life that has. This book builds awareness and is inspirational. Real, raw, and open. There is so much pain and ongoing guilt that comes along with this disease. It takes a lot of strength to be this honest. I believe this book will be helpful and therapeutic. There is so much constructive advice and real-life stories. It’s so good for people to feel that it is okay to share this part of their lives. We all need support and acceptance to overcome hardships. People who do not struggle in this way they can learn that addiction should not be considered a dirty word. We all need to be more understanding. This is a devastating disease and so many people suffer along with their families. We need to learn compassion and understand this disease more so we can help friends and family members to find recovery which will lead to a better life.

The author shares her personal journey of her father’s alcohol addiction and other people share their unique stories. All these true life stories were so honest and open that I felt I knew these people. It really made this story come to life. All these personal struggles are different but there are so many similarities. I was emotionally pulled in and touched. These stories really drew me in and helped me to better understand their situations. Everyone can gain something from this in-depth educational book.

The reality of addiction is it can happen to anyone. If not stopped it can lead to death. This is not a subject to take lightly. This is life changing and important. There was a reason this author had to experience all the pain and hardship she had to go through with her father. I admire her so much for reaching out and sharing her account and so many others. This is an impactful book that gave me goosebumps and made me to remember to be grateful for the good and the people who are in my life.


I really enjoyed listening to this intriguing book on audio book. It was easy to get lost into the mind blowing stories. It was really easy to follow along and the narration was done really well. Never felt like it was being read but very natural as in conversation.