THE BOOK
The Spy, His Umbrella, and the Secret Everyone Knows
Stories About the Condition of Addiction
What if addiction isn’t just about substances, but about how a person’s mind is wired to think, feel, and decide, over and over again?
A DIFFERENT WAY TO UNDERSTAND ADDICTION
Inside the Mind of an Addict
Matt Green, with his 40 years of clinical experience, takes you inside real therapy rooms, court corridors, AA basements, family meetings, and even a Caribbean clinic to reveal what he calls the Condition of Addiction, an all-or-nothing way of thinking driven by brain chemistry, fantasy, and a relentless need for completion.
Real Stories. Real Struggles. A Different Understanding of Addiction.
Through true, composite stories you’ll meet people like Ezra, the “spy” whose marijuana-fueled delusions help destroy a brilliant career; Sam, the medical professional whose fury in group masks terror of facing his drinking; Mark, four years sober and undone by one instinctive lie; Alex and Isaac, caught between jail cells, treatment centers, and the question of whether they truly want to change; and the therapy group itself, where peers call out denial long before the therapist can.
THE CONDITION OF ADDICTION
When the rain won't stop...
You’ll come to understand why the condition of addiction can be viewed as an umbrella. The ribs radiating out from the center represent the variety of symptoms that indicate the condition of addiction, helping us understand the varied reasons why a person can return with a new set of problems after successfully stopping the one they were previously treated for.
This Book Is For...
FAMILIES
Families desperate to understand “why their loved one keeps doing this”
PEOPLE IN RECOVERY
People in recovery who recognize their own thinking on the page
PROFESSIONALS
Professionals who want a clearer, more compassionate framework
It removes shame without removing responsibility, and shows why you may be closer to “the miracle” than you think.
What Readers Are Saying
"Overall, I really enjoyed reading Matt's book. What makes this different from a lot of other books geared towards clinicians, families, or individuals in recovery is that it is not prescriptive. Matt 'shows' more than 'tells', through real stories. He demonstrates the broad umbrella that is addiction and how it is not defined by a specific substance or frequency of use, but a mindset that leads to a pattern of behavior. His emphasis on the all or nothing thinking pattern is a keystone for those in recovery and their supports to understand. While Matt highlights the commonalities among people with the condition of addiction, he also retains the individuality and humanity that is needed in treatment. At a time when our culture is becoming more isolated, siloed, and perpetually on screens, Matt's focus on connections and the magic of groups is a critical counterbalance.”
"Drawing on decades of clinical encounters, Matt Green offers a candid, story-driven look at the secrecy, shame, family strain, and peer connection that can surround addiction and recovery. At its heart is an appeal to see the person before the addiction.”
"In The Spy, His Umbrella, and the Secret Everyone Knows, Matt Green draws from his decades of experience as a guide to individuals and families working to overcome the impact of the condition of addiction. His work is practical, not theoretical, sharing stories of the his clients’ struggles to heal, with all their complexity and all their beauty. His work is simple but not simplistic, focusing on the key elements required for recovery: honesty, peer support, persistence, learning from failures, and hope. His work integrates the balance between providing support, love and caring with the need for truth-telling, accountability and responsibility that is the key to recovery. He has indeed shared the secret everyone knows.”
THE SPY, HIS UMBRELLA, AND THE SECRET EVERYONE KNOWS
See Addiction Through a Different Lens.
It removes shame without removing responsibility, and shows why you may be closer to “the miracle” than you think.
