Still Standing: From debutante to detox
By Liz Jamieson-Hastings
ISBN13: 9781869507015
RRP $36.99
Synopsis
"The dressing gown was pink candlewick. Old brown vomit stains on the lapels tried to hide themselves in shame as I swept into the room, weaving my way towards the silver drinks tray with its Waterford crystal decanters of whisky and brandy. By the time I raised the decanter to toast the elite of Auckland, the dressing gown was flapping around my naked body like a spinnaker without its sheets."
That Liz Jamieson-Hastings is sane, sober and still standing is a miracle. At 21 she was a hopeless alcoholic; now she is a respected counsellor, decorated for her services to the community, which include substance abuse progreammes in schools, prisons and even the US Navy.
Her inspirational story is one of privilege and social advantage preceding a spectacular fall from grace. Her battle against anorexia and alcohol should have killed her - her fight back to normality, only to watch her first husband succumb to cancer, should have sent her spiralling back into addiction. It didn't. She's still standing, and her amazing life exemplifies the incredible strength of the human spirit.
Her lively, hard-hitting story includes strategies for fellow sufferers and their families. In her devastatingly honest tale of personal survival, Liz shows what hope, honesty, hard work and the generous help of true friends can achieve.
About the Author
Liz Jamieson-Hastings CNZM, JP works in schools and a variety of areas in the community throughout New Zealand, and now lives with her husband on Waiheke Island. This is her first book.
Review
Liz Jamieson-Hastings' closing statement in her epilogue beautifully sums up the over-riding message from her autobiography: "To accept the seemingly bad along with the apparently good becomes first a skill and then an art in life which only we can learn for ourselves. To know the glories of success and the devastations of pain in all their varying forms is to live a life with a richness few are privileged to experience. What we do with all of our life's happenings depends on whether we become bitter or better. The difference is in the I."
Still Standing: From debutante to detox is a story of how a woman born into a family of social standing, who whilst in the clutches of anorexia and bulimia, escaped the clutches of alcohol and completely turned her life around. Once you understand the depths from which Liz has emerged, along with the devastating challenges she faced and overcame, you will appreciate why she is so effective in educating today's youth and motivating New Zealand's most hardened criminals to break free from their addiction.
At the end of her book, Liz discusses the warning signals of a drinking problem and provides the contact details for a selection of agencies you can call upon for assistance and support.
According to Liz: "There are three items in life that can never be retreived: a bullet shot, a spoken word, and a lost opportunity." Don't miss the opportunity to learn from this remarkable woman. I guarantee her story will move you, inspire you, motivate you to make changes in your life, and empower you to help those close to you to make postivie changes in theirs. This book is superb.
Reviewed by: Franciska
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