America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life

I read an article by the author in The New York Times which mentioned that a new book, America Anonymous, was being released which addressed different types of addiction by integrating life stories of addicts. This intrigued me, so I bought the book. I'm very glad I did. Mr. Denizet-Lewis does a most admirable job in presenting addiction in some of its varied disguises. He discusses both substance and process addiction and presents people who successfully live with their addiction as well as some who are still in addiction's grip. He makes sure to emphasize that one never gets cured, but that one can learn to live a successful and fruitful life as an addict. He also discusses some of the physiology of addiction and pharmaceutical attempt to cure addiction. The book is well balanced and extremely readable. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in getting broader perpective on the subject of addiction.

I just finished reading America Anonymous, an outstanding essay on the state of Addiction & Recovery in America today. I recommend it becomes mandatory reading for anyone who is in the field of addiction, who might come in contact with an addict, or cares about one. The eight narratives are bookended by a powerful introduction and eloquent conclusion. I personally feel uplifted and encouraged by the idea to get successful recovering addicts to tell their story publicly, eventually leading to a Million Man Recovery March in Washington. We need to take recovery out of churches basements and into the public arena. Benoit did an excellent job making the case for it!

Denizet-Lewis, Benoit. "America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life", Simon and Schuster, 2008. Looking at Addictions Amos Lassen As I was browsing a local bookstore the other day, I noticed "America Anonymous", picked it up, glanced through it and put it back. I realized when I read the article about Benoit Denizet-Lewis in the newly revamped "Advocate" that I should have paid more attention to it so off I went in the rainy cold to pick up a copy. Once I began reading I did not stop until I finished it. The characters in the book are like people we all know and the author breathes life into them so that they jump off of the page. Then Denizet-Lewis goes on to show us the truth about addictions (including his own addiction to sex). He does not see addiction or recovery for that matter as any the less complicated and complex than it is; there is no sugar coating here. He talks to us straight from the hip and he lays the truth on us s he writes about survival and hope and healing. ` The book looks at eight men and women from all over America and the cast includes a college student, a grandmother, a housewife, a body builder among others; all of whom are struggling with some kind of addiction. It examines the culture of addiction and how we, in the modern world, attempt to escape reality and to make ourselves feel better by drinking, gambling, overeating, drugs and other ways that become addictive. We also read about modern medical research and thought about addiction and recovery. I think that this is such an interesting read because of the variety of addictions covered here. There is alcohol, crack sex, food and shoplifting and combinations of those. The author followed his subjects for three years and look at their recovery programs and we see that recovery is not just about willpower but there are other factors as well. Of course, not every question is answered and new questions are raised and in this way addiction assumes a human face. There is also information on the historical perspectives on addiction, treatment and recovery along with the modern trends being used today. Denizet-Lewis probes addiction and brings the facts to us through people who have been in the war. The book both informs and inspires and it is written with insight and compassion. We see sadness and we see joy. I also see an extremely readable book that kept me mesmerized during the read and which will not be forgotten any time soon. We all know addicts of some kind so we all have something to gain here.

As a recovering shoplifting addict since 1990 and as an addictions therapist and author myself, I am immensely impressed and gratified by Mr. Denizet-Lewis's new book "America Anonymous." He shares about his own background as a recovering addict but, more importantly, plumbs the depths of the lives of 8 other American addicts in recovery as well. I'm particularly pleased that he covers some of the lesser-surveyed addictions such as shoplifting. This book offers something for everyone--addict and non-addict alike. In addition to the in-depth stories, Mr. Denizet-Lewis gives historical perspectives on addiction and treatment as well as more contemporary and future trends. His writing style is engaging and evocative. The book reads in equal parts as novel and treatise. I can't recommend highly enough this offering.

America Anonymous is a powerful, important look at addiction in this country, through the lives of eight and a half addicts (author Denizet-Lewis alludes to his own sex addiction) as well as research into modern medical thinking on addiction and recovery. What makes this such a readable book, and one that will surely spark debate, is that Denizet-Lewis chooses to combine various kinds of addictions, from crack to alcohol to sex, food, and shoplifting. He acknowledges that some of these are not yet recognized in the DSM and that doctors and specialists vary on how best to treat people like his chosen subjects, and this additional information highlights the drama that unfolds. For three years, he follows his subjects into recovery, whether that takes the form of an online support group for shoplifters or into a court-ordered home for addicts. The vibrant personalities all make for compelling reading, even when it's sometimes hard to have sympathy for them (for me, that moment was the $4,900 fee Sean pays for his sex addiction rehab). But if there's any point Denizet-Lewis is desperately trying to make, it's that for people like him, it's not just about willpower. Save for Bobby and perhaps Todd, who both seem torn between getting clean and staying in their chosen lifestyles, the others ardently want to change their behavior and go to great lengths to do so. At one point, Ellen, who used to weight 300 pounds and is a "food addict," talks to her sponsor about how to cope and what the real issues are, and their conversation was fascinating to me, especially when Marianna, the sponsor, says, "Accepting that happiness comes from the outside rather than the inside is the difference." Her idea is that we have to focus on connecting with other people in order to have a whole life. I'm not necessarily I sure I buy that, or ever idea presented in America Anonymous, but I appreciate that each of these addicts struggles and explores how to heal both from their addiction and the issues behind it, each coming up with different coping strategies. This book doesn't seek to answer every question ever about addiction, and would have been foolish to try. Instead, Denizet-Lewis both raises numerous questions and humanizes addiction, by claiming his own and by showing the complexity of the issues, including one's surroundings, outside opportunities, and the reasons behind these behaviors (such as shoplifters feeling like they're "owed" something). Marvin, the 80-year-old alcoholic, is especially compelling, and Denizet-Lewis deftly explores issues unique to elderly populations (such as the stigma around the word "alcoholic"). I'm not an addict, but I love many people who are, and what intrigued me especially about this book was how the Twelve Steps can also be applied to the rest of us. Those who did a "searching and fearless moral inventory" were clearly striving to create better lives for themselves, and those around them, and seeing them succeed (even with some