Walking Out the Other Side: An Addict’s Journey from Loneliness to Life - Softcover

Charles, Alan S

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0996830618 ISBN 13: 9780996830614

Publisher: Alan S Charles, 2015

Synopsis

“So many people share about seeing me go in and out of the program over the years, how heartbreaking it was, thinking I would die before I got well. They talk about how I am living proof no one is ever too far gone to get clean. The common theme is: if Alan can get sober, anyone can get sober.” Walking Out the Other Side is the story of a journey from childhood to adulthood, from addiction to sobriety, from fearing life to living joyfully. Join Alan S. Charles through the dramatic ups and downs of his life from an adventurous childhood to the tragic early death of his father and his traumatic home life with a mentally ill brother and depressed mother. Watch Alan’s attempts to overcome his past through professional sports—baseball and harness racing—and then a high profile career in sales. Plummet with him into a twenty-four-year cycle of cocaine addiction and recovery. Before it’s over, his addiction will destroy his aspirations and relationships and almost kill him. Yet he will walk out the other side. Anyone who has experienced addiction will relate to Alan’s story. Anyone struggling with recovery will find hope in these pages. Anyone with addicted friends or family will get a clear picture of how the addict’s mind works and how they can best cope with their loved one’s behavior while practicing hard love to protect themselves.

About this title

About the Author

Alan S. Charles has lived a remarkable, diverse, and full life. From playing professional baseball to being a professional harness racing driver and singing with Barry Manilow at Radio City Music Hall, he's rarely known a dull moment. After his playing career, Alan was a successful businessman, quarterbacking multi-million dollar sales campaigns. The world seemed to be at his fingertips, but eventually, the pain of his dysfunctional upbringing caught up with him. Seeking relief from his lifelong feelings of anxiety and loneliness, he became addicted to cocaine, which ultimately caused him to lose it all. Then, after years of being in and out of rehab and battling his inner demons, Alan got clean and sober. Today, he is the doting father of two daughters as he takes life one day at a time.

Review

"Riveting, fascinating read. Alan Charles has lived much of his life alone, but he has accomplished so much, from beating the odds and playing professional baseball to defeating his addictions. This is a remarkable comeback story that shouldn't be missed." - Jon Hart, Author of Man versus Ball: One Ordinary Guy and His Extraordinary Sports Adventures

"Walking Out the Other Side is incredibly honest and filled with insightful information that will help many! Thank you for the opportunity to read your inspiring story." - Richard A. Singer, Jr., Award-Winning Author of Eastern Wisdom for Your Soul

"If you want to know what goes on in an addict's brain, look no further. In his book, Walking Out the Other Side, Alan S. Charles tells us exactly how it is. He does not hold back on any of the pain and confusion that led to his addiction, or the struggle it took to finally shake the nightmare." - Barbara Sinor, Ph.D., Author of Tales of Addiction and Inspiration for Recovery

"The power of Alan S. Charles' memoir is in its truthfulness, his need to make sense of his former life as an addict, and the beauty of this book is found in the author's message to all who suffer from addiction. No matter how far we fall, so long as we don't lose hope, there is always the possibility of growth and recovery. Mr. Charles is living proof that addicts can and do change." - James Brown, Author of The Los Angeles Diaries: A Memoir

"From playing professional baseball in the Dominican Republic to the ins and outs of harness racing and a career in sales, Alan goes from one exciting adventure to another-and then there's that little white powder that somehow shows up wherever he goes and spoils whatever plans he has. What a story! What a triumphant tale of the human spirit's power to overcome." - Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D., and Award-Winning Author of The Best Place

Edition details

• Publisher: Alan S Charles
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0996830618
• ISBN 13: 9780996830614
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 336