Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions

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I think it’s part of being human. To carry a wound. A flaw. And again, paradoxically, it is only by facing it that we can progress” I never thought i’d read a book penned by Russell Brand, and yet here I am. My understanding of Brand has mostly come from the tabloids: I’m familiar with his past dependency on narcotics, his ill-fated marriage to Katy Perry, his Hollywood films. But I hadn’t heard about him in some time. He’d dropped off my radar. And then, out of seemingly nowhere, I heard news of the impending release of this book. Russell Brand, a name synonymous with wit, humor, and controversy, is more than just a comedian and actor. He’s a thinker, a philosopher, and most importantly, someone who has walked the tough path of recovery himself. His experiences, both good and bad, have shaped his perspectives, making “Recovery” a deeply personal and insightful read. Through his book, Russell doesn’t just share his journey but offers a guiding light to those seeking their own path to recovery. 1. The Power of Acceptance Yes - grain of salt - yes - but that’s with anything…Could probably skip the whole anecdote in step 6…

Having walked the path of recovery himself, Russell’s personal experiences deeply influence the book, making it authentic and relatable. 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 fourteen 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?" Similarly, Attenborough painted a picture through stories of his own life, he moved onto paint an even scarier picture of the destruction we have caused and where we are heading but then, and this is what I feel I am missing from Brand, he went through a whole host of solutions that both I the individual and we the collective can do to be a part of the solution. Thus, overall, I’m somewhere in the middle on this one. I had no idea Brand was such a profound dude (I’ve really only watched some of his comedy movies), and I loved seeing this other side of him. I think it would be super fun to chat or get dinner with him, and I may give some of his other productions a shot, but I can’t help but feel like this one missed the mark just a bit. It’s a bit of a memoir, but it also talks spirituality and philosophy. It was an interesting five hours for me and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Russell’s voice is good to listen to and though the narrative is a bit all over the place, I just enjoyed the ride.I've never been a huge fan of Russell Brand, but even before reading this I thought it was pretty fair to say he's someone who just might have something to offer on the subject of addiction. Actually, I was surprised by just how disarming his honesty was in the book, the level of brutal self-reflection he achieves in his writing here, and clearly in his path to coping with various addictions, was both moving and inspiring. It's not easy taking a long hard look at yourself, at the choices that you've made and the inner workings of your mind; and not just looking but seeing what and why and how and then maybe, just maybe, having the strength and courage to change yourself. Wow. A few months ago my mum told me about this podcast she had started listening to called 'Under the Skin' created and hosted by Russell Brand. I was intrigued by the things she told me about it and so started listening and was captivated by the guests he had on, the topics they discussed and the incredibly honest and vulnerable way he shared parts of his own story. Fast forward a few months and from listening to his podcast I learnt about Russell Brand's newest book Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions. In the vast ocean of self-help books, “Recovery” by Russell Brand stands out, not just because of its celebrity author but due to its profound insights and authenticity. The top 8 ideas presented in the book are not just theories but tried and tested truths, making it a treasure trove of wisdom. So, if you’re seeking a transformative read, look no further. Dive into “Recovery” and embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.

There are parts of the book that are very good to great, but there are parts that are a bit out of place a couple of Russell’s antidotes seem out of place and I am not sure the go with the step he was trying to portray. The overall message is that no meaningful social or political change can happen without the spiritual evolution of humanity. He boldly asks: what is the point of existing if we are merely striving to better organise our material needs? We need to talk about death, we need to have connectedness, we need to re-discover the sacred in the mundane. Society has to organise itself around these fundamental needs, just as much as the material needs. Peppered throughout the book are open and honest stories from different points in Brand's life. It portrays a man on a journey, constantly seeking and willing to grow on an uncommonly grand scale. To the vast majority of us, who have never lived a celebrity life, it is nice to be told that we were not missing out on anything at all, actually. Brand is only newly discovering how desirable and satisfying family life can be, which suggests that we don't need to go on a trip to the Himalayas to find God. We can just as easily find God in the eyes of our children. Or our dog, perhaps? There are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments and some truly touching moments from his dealings with down and outs, the homeless and addicts. I applaud anybody who can use a 12 step program to both get and maintain sobriety (note: I will use sober in this review to mean free from addiction. I will use it to mean not using or doing a destructive behaviour that a person is addicted to.) I will add that my own experience (and those I have been around) have included variable results with them.

One of the things that does come across is the idea that this is not an easy process. It is hard work. Whatever a person is addicted to (in my case, coffee), they (I) could think of a hundred different justifications why it is ok. Even though I know I am addicted I am ok with it. I am allowed one vice, right? The program goes through the process of saying no, it is not ok. It is also no good replacing one addiction with another. Also, once an addiction is beaten, it is a constant battle not to relapse. 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

This book has that raw authenticity and truth that I love about the podcast. His openness to new ideas and to self-growth. This book takes Alcoholics Anonymous' twelve-step program (something I'd not heard of before starting this book) and adds Russell Brands honest, comedic twist to it. His writing is sometimes magically whimsical and sometimes dark and gritty. He shares some of his own experiences with the twelve-step program and puts it into new wording. You don't have to be dealing with a specific addiction to get things from this book. There's a lot in here, all fascinating and thoughtful and anyone interested in self-growth or who may be feeling anxious or dissatisfied with life would benefit from giving this a try. Even when I don’t agree with what Russell (we're on a first-name basis) is saying, I still love everything he says, because to me it feels like he expends all his effort in seeking truth. In this world filled with elegant lies of every form, how many things can you say that about? He’s like a scruffy, vegan Don Quixote on a quest to find what makes humans whole and connected. (I know that’s over the top. Don’t care. There are too few things I’m unapologetically enthusiastic about— so you can put your cynicism in your pipe and smoke it.) Because he's who he is, all of this is done is simple, amusing, and straight forward language. He titled it Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions. I would call it Recovery: Lose all the Bullshit. There's a clear plan to follow, 12 well worn steps that have worked the world over. That's not to say it would be easy to go this route, getting to the end of this path would mean dealing with some issues not everyone might be ready to face about themselves, but at least now they might be able to see how it could be approached and where to go for help. It's a starting point. The other message Russell preaches/talks of is that he was probably more of a mess than most people do. If it could work for him, I can work for anyone. One thing that does not probably help this book is that Russell is naturally a funny man, but he is talking about a very serious subject where humour works against it. Thought adding a load of F-bombs does not make things funnier or relatable. On the positive side, this is a really well-produced Audible original. The sound quality is super good, and Brand puts on what I’d call a poetic performance throughout it. It’s definitely not your standard “book,” and that comes across from the get-go.

Customer reviews

Acceptance is the foundation of any transformative journey. Before one can change, there’s a need to recognize and accept the current state of affairs. Russell’s emphasis on acceptance isn’t about resignation but about understanding one’s starting point. It’s about confronting the reality of one’s situation without judgment, which is the first step towards meaningful change. 2. The Role of Community in Recovery