On October 30, Harry Cunnane, the middle son of Montgomery County Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, celebrated nine years of recovery from addiction, writes Rita Giordano for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

His years of struggle and road to recovery are the subject of a memoir written jointly by mother and son, titled Under Our Roof: A Son’s Battle for Recovery, a Mother’s Battle for Her Son.

The story is deeply personal and painful for both authors.

However, they felt it was important to share it with everybody, especially knowing how many American families are living with the horror of addiction.

“We had one thing in mind: If we told our story and it helped someone, it would be worth it,” said Dean.

One piece of advice she wanted to offer parents about treatment and recovery is that 30 days in rehabilitation will not make everything fine.

“Recovery requires an entire shift in one’s physical health, mental health, and world view,” she said. “I knew right away that one month wasn’t going to do it.”

The process takes time, “so don’t judge if relapse occurs,” she said.

Read more about the book by Montgomery County Congresswoman Madeleine Dean and Harry Cunnane in The Philadelphia Inquirer.