Recovery & Mortality: A Review of BACK FROM THE ABYSS

(Note: a complimentary copy of Back From the Abyss was provided for review purposes by Cap and Bells Press. My opinions are my own.)

Admittedly, Back from the Abyss by Kieran Doherty might seem to be written for a very narrow audience. From the subtitle Autobiography of a Low-Bottom Alky, people not familiar with 12 Step philosophy might feel that this is nothing more than a recruiting piece for AA. And my own background in chemical dependency might make me sensitive towards liking - or disliking - certain creative works. (I quit watching Breaking Bad after episode three - it's not a bad show; I am just too familiar with meth culture to appreciate it).

But Back From the Abyss is more than just another "drunk-o-log", as my anonymous friends in AA might say - it's a very well-written memoir, focusing as much on the tender treasures of life as it does on the destructive aftermath of alcoholism. Bookended by pieces written by editor Mark Morgan Ford, Back from the Abyss focuses on Doherty's experiences, his drinking, and his eventual recovery.

What's remarkable about the book is that it avoids the obvious cliche of "once I began recovery, everything got better" - the prose is very straightforward, almost pulp in its style and approach. Rather than chapters, Back from the Abyss consists of chronologically-arranged remembrances, each one focusing on a particular aspect of Doherty's life (especially when it comes to drinking). Each segment is both touchingly realistic and brutally honest, with Doherty taking responsibility with every single word. Despite our current culture's fascination with self-destruction (especially when it comes to celebrities), Back from the Abyss' stripped down, brutally honest approach never seems overindulgent nor does it glamorize the drinking life. (Even in mid-remembrance, Doherty manages to turn his view back on himself, and this book reads less like a Fourth Step Inventory and more like a speaker at an open meeting).

When Doherty begins discussing the lung cancer that eventually took his life, the book masterfully focuses less on the need to "make amends" than on his appreciation of taking "one day at a time." At this point, Back From the Abyss achieves a delicate balance in looking back and appreciating the present. There is no cheap sentimentality or brutal self-revelation. Once Doherty's prose ends, there is a sense of acceptance and willingness which is genuinely moving.

Back from the Abyss isn't a huge, action-packed blockbuster....but neither is it it a faux-literary piece. As a memoir, it is simultaneously harrowing and touching, yet never seems overwritten. It may not be on the best-seller list, but Kieran Doherty's Back from the Abyss is a book worth seeking out, reading, and enjoying - it's a great read, and worth your time.

73 Years' Sober

For Alcoholics Anonymous - an organization that often gets the short shrift in popular culture - this is a momentous year because AA celebrates its 73rd anniversary.

As many of you know, my professional life began as a substance abuse counselor, soon leading to my dark past as a "community organizer" for this organization. I am writing this post not as a member of AA (an organization for which - gratefully - I have never qualified), but have friends whose lives have been saved - and changed - by their participation. Unfortunately, recovering people still not only have the stigma of addiction, but also...well, let's summarize the issue in two words: James Frey.

Twelve Step philosophy often gets short shrift in popular culture- you may get the occasional gem, but mostly, it's either "let's wallow in human misery with a slight dash of redemption" or complete and utter tripe like 28 Days. I sometimes wish a major super-hero would enter recovery (and I have a possible nominee)...if Joe Quesada can stop Marvel characters from smoking, we can have a hero in rehab.
My goal in this post is to help educate, advocate, and well...quite frankly, share some things that have helped me better understand.

Although there's a lot of mythologizing about how AA came along, a good resource - probably better than any biography - is the TV movie My Name Is Bill W. As an early history of AA, it's pretty cool, but as a typical movie-of-the-week, it actually has a lot more polish than one would expect. Yes, it hits all of the familiar tropes, but with one distinction - it's not the man who finds recovery; it's the two men who find their own humanity and connectedness, and realize that in that connectedness they find salvation. What works about the movie, quite frankly, is the casting - both James Woods and James Garner are used well in their respective roles as Bill Wilson & Dr. Bob Smith (in fact, you could even suggest that there was some typecasting - Woods' wired quality enlivening his portrayal of Bill. W, and Garner's more laconic quality bringing a great down-to-earth quality to Dr. Smith) Add JoBeth Williams and Gary Sinise, and you have a pretty decent film. It won't convert you to the 12 Steps (and critics of 12 Step programs, please note - this isn't an endorsement; just an attempt to educate), but it is a pretty powerful film.

Luckily, for a more recent, brutally honest look at addiction, David Carr's The Night of the Gun is a great tale of how a man not only deals/has dealt with his addiction...but is also a great meditation on honesty, memory, and truth. It does contain the necessary "story beats" of a man fighting his demons...but on much deeper level, it's about a man learning to retrust his memory, who is seeking the truth despite knowing that his own addiction can distort perceptions. (There's an accompanying web site that contains backing documents). Carr's journey takes him through some harrowing experiences, with some pop cultural touchstones (such as Tom Arnold and Bob Stinson), but ultimately, this is not a story with a happy ending, because the ultimate lesson of Carr's book - and which is suggested by the end of My Name is Bill W - is that recovery is a process not of gaining a God and having life work out; but relying less on ego and regaining one's humanity.

It would be easy to discuss the impact of AA on not only addiction treatment, but also on our culture as a whole. It's much easier to show how it and its principles have impacted on others. These are works you definitely must experience for yourself.

My Name is Bill W: Highly Recommended
The Night of the Gun: Highly Recommended