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I have been alcohol free for 2 years and sought solace mainly from online groups, friends and books. We still judge mothers so harshly and that shame around parenting and addiction hurts far more than it helps. This is her story through this and what I appreciate about her writing is that you go on this journey with her especially as she unpacks the layers of bullshit and denial she had surrounded herself with. Go hard or go home is an oft repeated mantra in our fairly tame living house - when you get the opportunity isn’t life organised and tough enough not to want to break free every now and again? The narrative jumps from Bryony’s experiences in rehab to describing the often shocking situations she was in while drinking.
For me one of the most memorable parts is when she's sober for the first time at Christmas, and is able to observe how other people handle alcohol - sipping it slowly, just having one glass, choosing not to drink because they need to get up early etc, and the understanding that it's been a totally different experience for her, she could never have behaved in a reasonable, "sensible" way around alcohol. In others it's another 12 step memoir; by which I mean that recovery through the programme involves a series of steps that addicts work through and that enable the to re-narrate their addiction, address it, and overcome it. And then, a chink of light as the hard work begins - rehab; AA meetings; endless, tedious, painful self-reflection - a rollercoaster ride through self-acceptance, friendship, love and hope, to a joy and pride in staying sober that her younger self could never have imagined. Perhaps for those impacted by addiction will get the most out of it, gain an understanding from the other side.She’s not afraid to delve into topics of shame, pain or disgust which plague most people with mental illnesses and addiction. I was told that the glitter perhaps showed a person who was keen to hide their true self behind a sparkly front. Perhaps it's early in the recovery process to expect this, and by the point at which recovery is part of the every day and not still a novel choice, the impetus for reflecting more deeply lessens. While the author herself relays how she found the cliches or jargon of 12 step recovery annoying and dismissible when still in active addiction, she both repeats them as part of her story, e. Having been sober for around ten months, after numerous attempts over the years, I needed something to inspire me, there is a life after alcohol !
No, it is not easy but no matter how much pain you have to put yourself through to get it, it is by far the most wonderful thing one can possibly do. I think that this tale will be relatable to many as the 80s kids reach their more analysing 40s decade. I can imagine this book was a terrifying, but cathartic memoir to publish and I wish Gordon all the success. Known for her trademark honesty, Bryony re-lives the darkest and most terrifying moments of her addiction, never shying away from the fact that alcoholism robs you of your ability to focus on your family, your work, your health, your children, yourself.Bryony Gordon is a respected journalist, a number-one bestselling author and an award-winning mental health campaigner. I’d recommend it to anyone who has found themselves at a tremendous low point or feel alienated by the ‘rainbow and sparkle’ lives that people share on social media, or indeed in real life.
Of course, Bryony Gordon is an extremely successful journalist and her groundbreaking work for mental health paints her as someone in complete control. This very readable book is a crucial reminder that change - of any kind - isn't going to happen with a quick fix but that sometimes it can truly hurt and undo us but that there is a way out of the darkest places. I wanted to shake everyone, ‘DRINK’ I wanted to shout, “you’re allowed to drink so why aren’t you drinking properly!In Glorious Rock Bottom Bryony opens up about a toxic twenty-year relationship with alcohol and drugs and explains exactly why hitting rock bottom – for her, a traumatic event and the abrupt realisation that she was putting herself in danger, time and again – saved her life. This is I think the darkest of her books as she tackles her alcoholism with brutal honesty including the impact on her family. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. This is a much darker, grittier read than her other memoirs, but given the subject this is unsurprising. The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. It's very hard to break through shame, fear and social conditioning to speak about addiction or mental health issues and here Gordon pulls no punches about either.Shining a light on the deep connection between addiction and mental health issues, Glorious Rock Bottom is in turn, shocking, brutal, dark, funny, hopeful and uplifting. Knowing these thoughts and emotions and behaviours and cravings and outbursts I get are things other addicts experience too. Writing this review as someone with an intimate knowledge of the disease of addiction, I can say that this is written by a lady who certainly knows her stuff, I identify with you, Byrony, all the way, I just wish I had your gift with words.
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