Sources and
Further Reading
Everything on this site draws from primary Stoic texts and the work of scholars who have made them accessible. These are the sources, with notes on where to start.
The primary Stoic texts
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Written as a private journal, never intended for publication. The most personal and directly human of the Stoic texts. The Gregory Hays translation (Modern Library, 2002) is the most readable. The Robin Hard translation is more literal and also excellent. Available free in older translations at Project Gutenberg.
Enchiridion by Epictetus. A short manual - handbook - of Stoic practice, compiled by his student Arrian. The most concentrated and practical expression of Epictetus's philosophy. Begin here if you want Epictetus. The Nick White translation is clear; the George Long translation is free online.
Discourses by Epictetus. Longer and more discursive than the Enchiridion. The original lectures as transcribed by Arrian. More context, more nuance, and more of Epictetus's characteristic directness.
Seneca
Letters to Lucilius (Letters from a Stoic). Seneca's philosophical correspondence, 124 letters on how to live. Warm, honest, and practical. The Penguin Classics edition translated by Robin Campbell is the most accessible. Available partially free online.
On Anger (De Ira). Seneca's three-book examination of anger - its causes, its effects on judgement, and practical techniques for managing it. Directly relevant to the emotional triggers in recovery.
On the Shortness of Life. A short essay about time, how we use it, and how we waste it. One of the most useful texts for thinking about what recovery is actually for.
Secondary reading
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson. A practical guide to Stoic philosophy through the life of Marcus Aurelius. Well-researched, readable, and directly applicable. The single best modern book for applying Stoicism to difficult personal circumstances.
The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot. More scholarly, but the most serious engagement with what Stoic spiritual practices actually were and how they worked. Hadot's concept of spiritual exercises is particularly relevant to recovery as a practice.
"The writings of the Stoics are not monuments to admire from a distance. They are tools to use."Pierre Hadot, Philosophy as a Way of Life (paraphrased)
The Insight Tool
The Stoic principles from these texts applied to your specific situation right now.
Open the toolMeditations by Marcus Aurelius is the most accessible starting point for most people. Short chapters, personal tone, directly applicable. The Gregory Hays translation is strongly recommended.
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson is the most practical and well-researched modern guide. It applies Stoic practice specifically to psychological challenges.
Yes. Older translations of Meditations, the Enchiridion, and Seneca's letters are available free at Project Gutenberg and similar sites. The modern translations are worth purchasing for their readability.
Do not read them as philosophy. Read them as practice manuals. Take one passage and apply it to a specific situation in your life right now. The evening review, the morning intention, the dichotomy - these are practices, not abstractions.
Not medical advice. A philosophical companion to recovery.