I Want My Life Back - Softcover

Hamilton, Steve

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1592850839 ISBN 13: 9781592850839

Publisher: Hazelden Publishing, 2004

Synopsis

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."

About this title

About the Author

At the age of fifteen Steve Hamilton already had a criminal record for possession of an illegal substance. From there, his life spiraled deeper into the drug underworld of South Africa. It took eleven institutions and three times pronounced clinically dead before he took his first real steps back into normal society. He was a founding member of Narcotics Anonymous in South Africa and has since counseled addicts in rehab clinics. He also lectures before school groups and other organizations about the dangers of experimenting with drugs.

From the Inside Flap

"The author's generous heart and willingness to help others make it inspirational and instructive."
Publishers Weekly, Dec. 2003

Reviews

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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Edition details

• Publisher: Hazelden Publishing
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1592850839
• ISBN 13: 9781592850839
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 392