I Want My Life Back

by Steve Hamilton

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Author: Steve Hamilton

Publisher: Hazelden Publishing

Paperback:
ISBN 10: 1592850839
ISBN 13: 978-1592850839

This book follows Steve Hamilton's addiction through the drug underworld of South Africa, to the time he was pronounced clinically dead, and into the first steps of recovery and the founding of Narcotics Anonymous.

Steve Hamilton is a living metaphor for addiction--and ultimately recovery. A hardened addict in his teens, Hamilton had a heroin habit that led him deep into the drug underworld of South Africa. It took eleven stays at institutions and three times being pronounced clinically dead before Hamilton took his first earnest steps toward recovery. Hamilton eventually became a founding member of Narcotics Anonymous in South Africa and has since counseled addicts in treatment clinics. EXCERPT: "That's the trouble with drugs. None of it is real in the end. The whole thing is one big lie. I wish every day that I could start over, turn back the damn clock and see what the real Steve was like and what he could have accomplished without his dangerous toys and dubious playmates. That's another reason why I want my life back."

From Publishers Weekly

Hamilton, a 39-year-old South African, tells a sadly common tale of woe as a reformed drug addict and alcoholic, straightforwardly detailing how he descended into a dismal, purposeless life after surviving a broken home with a drunken father, and squandered his future as a promising tenor. Although Hamilton realizes early on that his addictions could derail his life, he sees little hope in shaking the dependence on drinking and drugging that, from his teens, quickly plunges him into a dead-end existence. Using his grim story as a departure point, Hamilton often lapses into long lectures on the evils of drugs and alcohol; he finds cigarettes can be a "gateway drug'' for those susceptible to addictive behavior. He doesn't render his brave journey from stupor to sobriety in a clear, linear manner, but rather in fits and starts, as he bounces from topic to topic, going from a brief admission of brain damage from his addictions to longer remembrances of his postrehab work with schools and companies, and the difficulty of fighting the urge to get high. While the recollections of his dysfunctional family and tainted friends hold an occasional charge of drama, Hamilton offers few new insights about the rigors of healing and rehabilitation, producing a predictable memoir that is, at times, boring. Hamilton addresses moral courage, determination and redemption in the face of temptation, physical decline and unwavering support from a community of peers. Despite the book's lack of originality and erratic narrative, the author's generous heart and willingness to help others make it inspirational and instructive.
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From the Publisher

A powerful story powerfully told, I Want My Life Back is Leaving Las Vegas with a happy ending.

I Want My Life Back is not a pretty storybut it's beautifully told and absolutely compelling. The book's cover features a portrait of author Steve Hamilton. You'd guess his age to be somewhere in his late 60's. Guess again. He's 39, and he has seen several lifetimes of hurt and failure. Raised by an alcoholic father, Hamilton learned early how alcohol can dominate every dynamic in family life. Later, alcohol and drugs dominated every aspect of his own life.

This book is a moving and compelling portrait of the addicted life. Readers will learn how addiction comes to possess the mind, soul and body of its human prey. Readers will begin to understand why an addict like Hamilton can't quit the very thing that is destroying him. He leads readers to grapple with a mix of emotions: loathing, pity, sympathy, compassion, and ultimately, admiration. He has been clean and sober for more than a dozen years now, and he completely embraces the Twelve Step philosophy.

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