by William Cope Moyers with Katherine Ketcham
Addiction is a topic that fascinates and horrifies many in equal measure. In his book “Broken- My Story of Addiction and Redemption”, author William Moyers offers a no-holds barred take on his struggles with a life changing addiction
to crack cocaine. His story can give anyone, addict or not, an insight into how you can seemingly have everything on the surface- loving and caring family, talent, and money- but still feel as though you are failing in some way, shape
or form.
Addiction has no preference for your status in society, it can grip you whatever your age or stage in life. Moyers’ brutally honest account of how he moved through crippling dependency on alcohol and finally crack cocaine is
testament to this.
The author’s biggest issue is “himself.” He fought a constant battle for perfection, to show that he was as good as anyone else. His desire to simply cope with day to day life meant that he needed crutches to get through and he
chose two of the most dangerous. The struggle with chemical dependency meant that he missed out on several great career opportunities, he lost his first marriage and eventually he came very close to losing his life.
However, this is ultimately a story of survival- from the pit of despair he found himself in, he was able to turn his life around- to get clean again and begin to right all the wrongs he felt he had committed.
Moyers’ book is an honest inspiration, showing that no matter how far down you are there is still a way up, and that sobriety and a new way forward can be achieved. There are many books on addiction worth reading. Many are beautifully written. Moyers’ is up there with them and demonstrates solid proof that the right treatment really can make a difference to someone’s life.
It should be an inspiration to anyone who is treading the same path and feeling that there might not be any way out.
Laura Chapman spent a decade helping children with mental health and addiction issues before becoming a freelance writer and editor. She enjoys keeping up-to-date with both academic papers and personal stories that inspire hope. She is a regular participant and contributor to the Recovery.org Addiction Recovery Blog.
