Recovery

Freedom from Our Addictions

By: Russell Brand

Narrated by: Russell Brand

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

This program is read by the author.

A guide to all kinds of addiction from a star who has struggled with heroin, alcohol, sex, fame, food, and eBay, that will help addicts and their loved ones make the first steps into recovery.

"This manual for self-realization comes not from a mountain but from the mud.... My qualification is not that I am better than you but I am worse." (Russell Brand)

With a rare mix of honesty, humor, and compassion, comedian and movie star Russell Brand mines his own wild story and shares the advice and wisdom he has gained through his 14 years of recovery. Brand speaks to those suffering along the full spectrum of addiction - from drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and sugar addictions to addictions to work, stress, bad relationships, digital media, and fame. Brand understands that addiction can take many shapes and sizes and how the process of staying clean, sane, and unhooked is a daily activity. He believes that the question is not "why are you addicted?" but "what pain is your addiction masking? Why are you running - into the wrong job, the wrong life, the wrong person's arms?"

Russell has been in all the 12-step fellowships going, he's started his own men's group, he's a therapy regular and a practiced yogi - and while he's worked on this material as part of his comedy and previous best sellers, he's never before shared the tools that really took him out of it, that keep him clean and clear. Here he provides not only a recovery plan but an attempt to make sense of the ailing world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Russell Brand (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

Not just for hardcore alcohol & drug addicts...

This is a book I think everyone could benefit from reading because it addresses addictive behavior in general: overeating to smoking or Smartphone dependency. Russel Brand takes a fresh and inspiring, no-holes-barred approach to sharing his personal, addiction recovery story. I laughed, I cried and many times was awestruck at how eloquently he articulated the bittersweet and beautiful human condition. It is helpful and hopeful for those ready to recover.

First, Please Forgive My Hubris In Writing A Review

Recovery was generous and beautiful. It is a primer for facing the fragility of human existence as well as a genuine life buoy for someone struggling with any kind of addiction in any of its forms. The writing was brave and vulnerable, and it somehow allowed me to reveal my vulnerability to myself bravely. The message was profound, yet quite simple. If you need to change, you can - since you can, then do - here's how. I do hope that anyone who needs this book finds it, and I suspect that could be almost everyone. Listen to it or read it for yourself and see. Thank you Russell.

As only Mr. Brand could put it

There is a little anecdote in the book where Brand is speaking with a counselor, a grueling session that has gone on and detailed the darkest parts of his life and the severity of his addictions. When she stops speaking she looks at him awestruck, and in that little pause, that on a sheet of paper is 2 tiny spaces, your mind reels with the thoughts that could fill pages... She simply tells him what a survivor he is to have found drugs. Think about that.

5 *'s? Sure. When an author expresses himself with such sincerity, intimacy, and intelligence -- I am inclined to feel gratitude for the shared experience. (And never has the phrase "F*ed up* sounded so proper.) I also thought Brand's definition of addiction and how that broadened interpretation fit into our current world was significant. I bought this book to expand my understanding of addictions and recovery, and also as a reader that has experience with the subject professionally and within my family that is always looking to better understand. I've read extensively on the subject, lived with it, and worked with addicts. And I think that sadly, that has become the norm.

Brand doesn't give us anything new here other than his own experience and testimony of the 12-Step program, but he does it with more insight, expanding the concept of *Higher Power* with wisdom and his own comedic touch. He applies the 12-steps to a wide variety of the obstacles that might be keeping us from being the person we are meant to be (drugs, alcohol, food, anger, selfishness, depression, etc.). Rather than just educating myself, I came away with a desire to improve myself and be a little more at peace in my environment, and a little enlightenment. Some clinicians argue against the 12 Step program concerned that a participant would only be replacing one addiction with another...I think Brand gives an eloquent argument against that opinion.

Brand has walked that razor-thin edge most of his life and knows the struggle very personally. This is a more than just his story fit into a guidebook, more than just another life preserver thrown out to those sinking. Brand seems to jump in and buoy up the drowning, and I am convinced he'd do just that. It's a fervent plea to those struggling under their own destructive burdens not to give up. By sharing his detailed journey, the hidden pains and the glorious celebration of the birth of his daughter, he is convincing that it's possible to not only gain back wellness but to be embraced by a world where you are an integral part of a journey toward being F-ing magnificent. *It's Russell Brand...uncensored. It's intelligent, heartfelt, endearing, very funny, and maybe a *thank you for Life* written to the author's own Higher Power.
A case where the author brilliantly narrated his own book--I loved listening.

"Do you feel like you don't have the right to be happy?"

This was the line that did it. I was entranced. Russell is giving us priceless information, and we need to be ready to hear it.

Not what I thought

For some reason I thought this was going to be a story about Russell brand’s life, and some ways it was. I was pleasantly surprised that it had so much useful information for me personally. I also thoroughly enjoyed his delivery. Thank you for this book Russell.

Very helpful.

The repetition is a bit daunting. I do realize its necessity. The only way to drive these messages home is to repeat, repplay, and relive them. As an atheist, participating in certain 12 step programs can be a challenge due to their heavy christian undertones. They turn me off. Russell has a way of making it more neutral and easier to relate to. I highly recommend this book to everyone. We all have gaps and lacking. This can help.

BRILLIANT. Genuine. LIFE CHANGING.

KUDOS to you Russell Brand!! Thank you for comically, insightfully and humbly converting your personal hell into a tangible map which can lead the rest of us out of the burning flames of our own insatiable egotistical desires.

I am cooking in the stew of my own melange of addictions and am so relieved to now have the recipe to get the hell out of the fire!

SINCEREST GRATITUDE for this courageous work! you inspire me immensely!

my greatest hope in life is to also transform my lifetime of failure and addiction to humbly serve humanity for a greater good! Thanks for paving the way! Peace and love to you and your family!

This book is for everyone!

Whether you do or do not think you have an addiction - read this book! Because this is for everyone. This is for those who seek balance but are defeated at the end of each day wishing they could just control something or change something so they could feel good. This book is for those who believe they are missing something. Ok I'll quit raving.

In addition to above - it is well written. And who better than Russell Brand to read his own book? It was a pleasure to listen to - I say as I am going to listen to it again.

Anna Jennings

Russell sums up addiction and recovery in an honest and educated way. He tells his story from a place of profound authenticity, and demonstrates through personal experience that his sobriety and serenity is contingent on practicing and expanding a spiritual program of action. His writing is poignant and poetic... parts feel like very accessible spoken word at times. I listened to the audio book on a drive from the desert to the coast. It was entertaining and hypnotic. Even though I've been happily and gratefully sober and very active in 12 step recovery since my early 20's, I learned a great deal from Russell's perspective. Thank you Russell, for being a beautiful example of what I believe is a Divinely inspired program and way of life!
This book should be shared with anyone affected or interested in addiction.
A beautiful and brave book!!

A great story even if you're not an addict

This insightful book from the very funny yet serious Russell Brand helps to solidify my opinion that comedy comes from pain, that pain can be worse than death, and that helping someone else through something is the best cure for your own illness. Russell as recovery coach is both helpful and funny - - a pretty difficult balancing act. This does not replace doing a program, but explains a lot about the mind space you'll need to do just that. I defy anyone listening to this to NOT learn something about yourself. Good on you, mate.