| This is a powerful book, and also a very sad | | | | |
| one. | | | | Eventually Eileen, as every addict does, |
| | | | crashed hard. One last seizure, one last |
| I run a Computer Lab, we offer free classes, | | | | abuse of her position as mother and wife, and |
| and we offer free internet access. It is | | | | one last realization that she had taken the |
| based in a large homeless shelter, probably | | | | wrong path. |
| the largest shelter in North America, we | | | | |
| offer beds to over 1,100 people every night. | | | | Recovery is not easy, physical dependency |
| Who are these people? Well some recent | | | | creates physical and mental problems. We |
| surveys show that approximately 1/3 are | | | | glibly refer to 'withdrawal symptoms,' they |
| addicts, booze, drugs, or gambling. Another 1 | | | | are not just symptoms, they are facts, they |
| 3 suffer from some kind of mental health | | | | are a bone crushing reality. |
| issue, and the vast majority of all of the | | | | |
| people involved have some kind of anti social | | | | It is estimated that 30% of people living in |
| tendencies. | | | | the US either are addicts, or know an addict. |
| | | | Alive! should be on every high schools |
| I was intrigued by Eileen DeClemente's book, | | | | reading curriculum, it reveals the story from |
| it hit close to home. Yesterday, I had a | | | | the inside out. |
| client go into seizure in the lab, while it | | | | |
| is not an everyday occurrence, it is not | | | | Eileen was one of the lucky ones, at age 34 |
| something that is rare. The first time I | | | | she woke up, but years of addiction have |
| witnessed a seizure I was horrified. The | | | | taken their toll. She is now 55 and diagnosed |
| brain short circuits, the victim literally | | | | with Alzheimer's, and she freely admits that |
| freezes, crashes to the floor, and often | | | | it is likely a result of her addictions. |
| twitches and convulses. It is not a pretty | | | | |
| sight. | | | | This book is written from the heart, and |
| | | | includes letters from Eileen's two daughters |
| In Alive! A Courageous Story Of Addiction, | | | | and her pharmacist as well as facts about |
| True Love, and Forgiveness Eileen DeClemente | | | | addiction and recovery - for addicts and |
| tells her life story of addiction and | | | | their families. Topics include: growing up in |
| recovery. It is not a pretty story. Eileen | | | | a dysfunctional home; coping mechanisms; |
| started with booze at the tender age of 11, | | | | making better choices; relationships, |
| as an adult she added prescription drugs, and | | | | friendship, significant others and family |
| street drugs. At one point her daily intake | | | | dynamics; parenting, healing, forgiving and |
| was in the region of 90 pills, a bottle | | | | loving unconditionally; seeking help and not |
| vodka, and a couple of cases of beer. | | | | being afraid. |
| | | | |
| The problem is, the more you do, the harder | | | | This is a book that I plan on recommending to |
| it is to get the high, and Eileen was the | | | | my co-workers, and a book that I recommend |
| expert. The highs became less and less, in | | | | everyone should read. You can get your own |
| fact the highs went away, she needed to "use" | | | | copy from Amazon, and you can also get more |
| just to maintain. | | | | information from Eileen's web site. |