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