How can you cope with multiple addictions?
Through hard work. And with the support of others. In the book “Detour“, Marilyn Lancelot uses story telling, fact sharing, and education to help you connect AND get yourself together. Her narrative is sharp and witty. But she speak plainly and honestly about addiction. The end product is a book that has the capacity to reach out and motivate anyone dealing with similar issues to get help.
What make “Detour” worth buying?
1. The author explains addiction so it’s easy to understand.
The power of this narrative is in Marilyn’s ability to speak easily on the topic of addiction. She weaves personal accounts into the book alongside medical explanations of addiction.
2. The author is easy to relate to.
If you’re an addict, you can relate to Marilyn. You can understand her attitudes, beliefs, and Achilles heel. Her writing consecutively brought me to tears and had me laughing to myself out loud. Through her words, Marilyn puts you at ease, and makes addiction a condition that you can cope with.
3. The writing is skillful.
Not to mention….you’ll enjoy the content! “Detour” is less a memoir and more an account of a lifetime in pursuit of ANYTHING but sanity. If you’re into storytelling, you’re in for an account that is as exciting as it is unique.
4. The intent is to educate.
Still, I believe that the power of this book is in its intent to help others. Marilyn’s goal is for you to find hope and help if you’re struggling with multiple addictions. She lets you know how she did it…and provides you with a map of how you can deal with your own demons.
An excerpt from “Detour”
Here’s a short excerpt from the book, detailing a moment of clarity and impending doom:
And then, a strange thing happened. On a Sunday morning, around 10:00 a.m., I was sitting in front of a slot machine in the Riverside Casino in Laughlin, waiting for Tommie to finish his game. I had just won a sizeable jackpot and felt drained of all emotion. My mind was a total blank. The casino floor had never been so quiet, and then, I suddenly heard a voice coming from somewhere above me.
“You will never gamble again!”
I remember feeling a chill. This occurred about three or four months before my crime of embezzlement was finally uncovered. At the time, I had never heard of Gamblers Anonymous, and certainly had never thought of quitting.
I didn’t tell Tommie about the voice, but what I heard turned out to be true. After that day, I never gambled again. Nor did I even feel the urge. I had to believe that this was God talking to me, and yet, why would He send me this message? Was he trying to keep me out of prison? Did He think I’d be able to find recovery and, in the process, help other people as well?
That day, I promised myself that if I could stop gambling and somehow work my way out of the financial mess that I’d created, I would do everything in my power to help other people too.
The next morning, I drove down to the bank to deposit winnings of more than four thousand dollars, the most I had ever brought home. The clerk behind the counter smiled as she recorded the deposit in her computer. But then, her smile faded as she stared at a big red circle flashing in the right-hand corner of the screen. As she attempted to move the monitor out of my line of vision, I asked her what it meant.
“I don’t know,” she said, in a bewildered tone of voice.
Not quite believing her, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. But then, the clerk completed our transaction and handed me my receipt.
A book for dealing with multiple addictions
In sum, I recommend “Detour” to anyone dealing with multiple addictions. You can find freedom, happiness, and purpose in recovery. And Marilyn can inspire you to go there directly, instead of detouring yourself in the process.
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