'Moments of Clarity' puts addiction in perspective Posted 12h 41m ago |
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Moments of Clarity by Christopher Kennedy Lawford is dedicated to "all those who die from this disease (addiction) so the rest of us can get sober."



THE LAWFORD FILE
Background: Age 53, son of late actor Peter Lawford and the late Patricia Kennedy Lawford, the younger sister of President John F. Kennedy. Degrees from Tufts, Boston College and Harvard. Has worked in politics and the movie industry.
Now: Consultant with Caron Treatment Centers, a non-profit provider of addiction treatment. Divorced, has three children, lives in Marina Del Ray, Calif.
By
Janice Lloyd, USA TODAY
Christopher Kennedy Lawford's first book was about his recovery from alcohol and heroin. Now, Lawford has a new book out,
Moments of Clarity: Voices From the Front Lines of Addiction, a compilation of 42 essays by ordinary people and celebrities including Martin Sheen, Susan Cheever, Alec Baldwin and Judy Collins, describing moments that led them to reach out for help.
In it, he describes his own "moment of clarity" on Feb. 17, 1986. He was standing at the windows of a brownstone in Boston and realized his addiction had reached the point of hopelessness.
He dedicates the book to his father, actor Peter Lawford, and cousin David Kennedy, and "all those who die from this disease so the rest of us can get sober."
Q: What caused you to write another book on addiction?
A: When I was touring with the first book, people were desperate for the knowledge they or somebody they knew could use to change their lives like I did. I had no idea there were 26 million people who suffer from this disease, less than 10% who get treatment. Very few people get there. That was the issue for me. It was eye-opening, and I'd been in recovery for 17 years.
Q: What happened during your moment?
A: I knew I either had to die or change, and I didn't have a gun to put in my mouth, so I had to change, and the only way I could change was to surrender. So I did. I said, to whatever was out there, "You know what? I give up. … Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it." And I realize now, that was it. That was the opening through which grace entered my life.
FIND MORE STORIES IN:
Boston |
God |
Malibu |
Alec Baldwin |
Vicodin |
Martin Sheen |
Jamie Lee Curtis |
David Kennedy |
Judy Collins |
Peter Lawford |
Susan Cheever |
Front Lines of Addiction
Q: Can you forget about Feb. 17 now?
A: No. I remember being at those windows. I remember the hopelessness deep in my gut and the incomprehensible demoralization in every fiber of my body. It's very important to remember the moment. People who don't … can end up using again.
Q: The people in your book — what was it like to listen to their stories?
A: Every single one of these interviews is profound to me. I cry when I read this book still. I was a basket case listening to Jamie Lee Curtis. She had wished for sobriety and kept it a secret. She knew she was close to dying from Vicodin and alcohol. I know Jamie. We grew up together. Our parents were best friends. We'd go ice skating together as kids. To connect with her and feel, it was just amazing.
Q: How did you get them to open up and trust you?
A: I didn't know Martin Sheen. I sent him a copy of my first book and asked him if I could talk to him about this book. He called me up and said, "Come to my house." I went to his house out in Malibu and he said, "I'm going to tell you a story about my moment of clarity that I would never tell you if I hadn't read your book. But I know if you can be that honest, I can be that honest."
Q: How is life different after that moment?
A: Kelly McGillis had been killing herself for 12 years with alcohol. She ended up overdosing but heard this voice, "Not yet," speaking from inside her soul. She checked herself into treatment. These are razor-edge kinds of things. She talks about the miracle and grace. Before we get sober, we've heard about grace and God, but few of us have ever trusted it. I have seen grace transform my life. The people in this book agree.
'Moments of Clarity' puts addiction in perspective - USATODAY.com
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