American Drug Addict

a memoir

By: Brett Douglas

Narrated by: Ryan Turner

My name is Brett. I'm a college-educated man who was once a husband of 26 years with two children, three businesses, and a large home with an actual white picket fence. I'm also a drug addict. And I have a tale to tell.

My story has everything: sex, death, pain, atheism, God, jail, marriage, divorce, heresy, homosexuality, physics, traffic fatalities, computer science, video games, cinnamon toothpicks, Barry Manilow, Nine Inch Nails, pornography, breasts, used tampons, strippers, venereal disease, abortion, prostitutes, AIDS, racism, suicide, infidelity, public nudity, anti-Semitism, marijuana, alcohol, pawn shops, drug dealers, needles, acid, ecstasy, crack, heroin, pain pills, withdrawal, interventions, rehabs, product tampering, road rage, vandalism, elderly abuse, grave desecration, arson, identity theft, burglary, armed robbery, and murder.

But more importantly, it's about the despair of addiction and the absolute certainty that it can be overcome. Recovery is not simply abstinence, but a process of growing up. I spent my entire life searching for the key to long-term sobriety. I would like to share with you what I have learned.

©2017 Brett Douglas, TCA Books, LLC (P)2018 Tantor

What an in depth eye-opening biography!

I had no idea about some of the depths of hell junkies will go to in order to get their fix. Such a waste. Informative though.

Excellent! Best Book So Far

From the story to the narration, this audio book is great. It is actually just like a drug. I couldn’t get enough of it. I was addicted to keep listening to it to see what happened next. He did not disappoint. The narrator was awesome. I will def be listening to this again.

Good Addiction Book

Even though it was a long book to listen too, Brett did write his experience, strength, & hope. Being a recovery addict myself, I could totally relate to his experiences. This was a great book in itself. It’s definitely a what not to do in life, most teenagers should have to read. So they know that “this won’t happen to me” kind of thinking goes out the window, & hopefully they’ll have the choice to not even try something for the first time, so then it doesn’t turn into not having a choice anymore. Then that’s when true powerlessness starts!!!

Recovering Addict

As a recovering addict/alcoholic myself, it was very relatable. Well read. Story may be shocking for some who haven’t experienced going this far down the scale.

honesty

at first, I thought the book was entertaining. then I started to really dislike the book because of the guy. He was the kind if guy I would've hated. I finished the whole book within 24 hrs. to my belief, it was one of the most honest memoirs that I've ever read. there's a lot of sarcasm so don't get it twisted. the guy is being himself and wrote the book himself to the readers knowledge. If you want honesty, this is your book. I've know goof friends and co workers who have had similar experiences to thos so I really believe it's not made up.

great book overall. congrats on the author for having the balls to tell all the stuff that he has done wrong to the world. p

miserable reality

it was almost unbearably miserable at times, but that's because its accurate. I believe more books about the struggle of after sobriety should be written it gives people something to show them it doesn't matter if you backslide as long as you keep pushing yourself forward.

I’m in awe of the author’s courage.

I’m grateful to Mr Douglass for sharing such an amazing story. It is entertaining but more importantly it touched my heart and moved me. I never expected that when I began listening to it. I can see me listening to this story again. Thank you Mr Douglass. I’m in Pensacola 4 nights a week for work and I always wonder where you are and how you are. I wish you the best.

Powerful

Being in recovery for the past 17 years, a day at a time, I could SO relate to this story, although Brett indulged just a smidge more than I did; but what this story did for me is it pulled me right back to being so grateful to God especially! Not sure if Brett ever warmed up to the “God” thing, but I’m hoping that he realizes that, in my opinion, that last day when he was in the tub of that hotel room, Divine Intervention came down and touched his soul. God was not ready for him yet… I hope very much that he is still sober today and that he’s living a happy and grateful life. God Bless You brother! 🙏🏼✊🏼

Brett's openness

Thank you, Brett, for your openness.
As a probation officer I work with addicts every day.
Thank you for shedding some light on their thought processes so that maybe I may be a small step in their recovery.

Interesting listen. Author is a jerk.

I'm a little torn on rating this one. It was an interesting listen. On the other hand, the author is a jerk. He's arrogant, thinks he's funny, and is more or less unapologetic about how much of a jerk he is. He admits to doing a lot of reprehensible things while high, and does acknowledge that a lot of it was wrong. But he clearly thinks a lot of his antics are funny, when most of them are not. He makes some amends toward the end (offering tepid apologies for some of the stupid stuff he did as a kid), but is conspicuously silent on other things. He talks about an ex girlfriend yelling racist epithets at black people and his making a bunch of antisemitic jokes at a Jewish man's expense, but really doesn't actually seem terribly contrite. He makes incessant references to his intelligence. His amends at the end feel like they're from someone who feels obligated to apologize but isn't actually all that apologetic. If you like listening to drug-fueled war stories, this is your book. It's not all that substantive beyond those anecdotes.