New Addiction Recovery Memoir By Author Leonard Lee Buschel Titled “HIGH: Confessions of a Cannabis Addict.” Press Release. A Must-Read and Wildly Entertaining.

Image Courtesy of Addiction/Recovery e-bulletin



HIGH: Confessions of a Cannabis Addict
By Leonard Lee Buschel
On Amazon: HIGH: Confessions of a Cannabis Addict 


A Funny, Dangerous, Sad Journey from Addiction and Drug Dealing
to Recovery and Redemption.

Leonard Lee Buschel Blithely Skated Through Life with Aplomb, Good Luck and Chutzpah, High on Pot and More, A Life That Emulates the Films He Features in His Internationally Acclaimed Annual REEL Recovery Film Festival.

Leonard Lee Buschel marvels that he survived the first 44 years of his life…He still can’t believe that he didn’t get knocked off by drug dealers, thieves, or the copious amounts of drugs he himself ingested. Or locked up for life in a U.S. or international prison. And then again, there were the near-death asthma attacks, open-heart surgery and the brain tumor…

Yes, it’s a whale of tale—all true—that he writes in his acclaimed autobiography HIGH: Confessions of a Cannabis Addict.

Buschel lived to tell about it with vast humor, thrilling storytelling, and great insight. He is an Addiction Expert and California Certified Substance Abuse Counselor. He is editor/publisher of the respected weekly news source Addiction/Recovery eBulletin, director of the 14-year-old REEL Recovery Film Festival and Symposium. and co-founder of Writers in Treatment, which supports creatives who struggle with addiction and self-destructive behaviors.

But to get to that eminence, he first had to survive his profligate youth and his 25-year chosen profession as a drug dealer. Buschel’s life started skidding off the rails just weeks after his birth when his postal-worker father died of a massive heart attack on his way home from work, throwing what began as the idyllic family life of a middle-class Philadelphia Jewish family into a skid.

Raised by his mother – herself a very quirky character — alongside his older brother, Leonard learned most of his life lessons at the corner candy store under the guidance of the local bookie and a group of cigar-smoking, streetwise philosophers who thought nothing of buying hot merchandise out of the trunk of a car.

Gradually, experimentation with pot and sex unleashed a nearly life-long addiction to both — and what better way to support a cannabis habit than get into the business? Hijinks, adventure, and near-disaster across international and state lines ensued, alongside explorations of the spiritual, metaphysical, and psychedelic, oftentimes populated by personal encounters with the likes of poet Allen Ginsburg, Ram Dass, Jiddu Krishnamurti; a series of Woodstock headliners; and Hollywood luminaries including John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Stacy Keach, and others.

And close friendships with Robert Downey Sr., in particular, and Robert Downey Jr. -who was often there to lend support in challenging times. He spent much of his drug-selling proceeds to see the leading jazz artists, rock music superstars, and Broadway shows of the era—always living HIGH!

But finally, in his 50s, in the midst of an emotional breakdown over a shattered relationship, and after “smoking his breakfast, drinking his lunch and snorting his dinner” for many years, Buschel checked himself into the Betty Ford Center. It was hitting the lowest of the lows that so many addicts experience.

It was time to see what a month would be like without vodka, weed, or ecstasy. For Buschel, it was a revelation! Every moment he was struck by how alive he felt when not under the influence. For him, the power of the program there and at AA worked wonders. He has now been clean and sober for more than two decades. And while he tinkered with several careers to replace his successful but illegal profession, he finally found himself drawn to helping other addicts kick the habit and find a stable, healthy, robust sober life.

Inspired by the work, he launched the eBulletin, film festival, and organization Writers in Treatment, which he cofounded with Robert Downey Sr, which has made him a leader in the recovery field. HIGH is a fascinating read, a lively romp through a very vivid life, but it is also a cautionary tale and one that inspires. If anyone as committed to the drug life as Leonard Buschel, and can find sobriety beyond 25 years of active addiction and drug dealing, then there is hope for those who are inspired by his message that there is a better life waiting—and that they can achieve it, too.

‘ HIGH: Confessions of a Cannabis Addict is now out and available on Amazon.com in paperback and e-book formats. Available within Kindle Unlimited too! https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/hz/subscribe/

Author Leonard Lee Buschel

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Amazing Memorial Weekend Book Review For My Memoir, “Addicted To Dimes” By Book Must!

Happy Memorial Weekend Reading and Review … By “Book To The Future.”

 

Addicted to Dimes: Confessions of a Liar and a Cheat – Catherine Townsend-Lyon

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How does a good girl go bad? Based on a true story, told in the author’s own words, without polish or prose, this haunting tale of addiction, family secrets, abuse, sexual misconduct, destruction, crime and…. recovery! One day at a time, one page at a time. Learn of this remarkable and brave story.

It’s to easy these days to dismiss an addict without any real thought as to the contributing factors and the struggles they face each day when coping in a world that actively encourages habit-forming pursuits.

Catherine Townsend-Lyon is a recovering gambling addict who guides us through her journey, reliving the most heartbreaking of times up to today, where the lessons hard learned are put forward in their stark honesty.

As you would expect from somebody who has felt the pull of addiction, this retrospective holds nothing back.  It’s brutally honest, makes no excuses or blame and does explore the complex history of the author’s case and painful past childhood where her roots began.

It’s challenging to read but that is how it is written and should be, an uncompromising, self-aware examination of a life that has turned out in an unexpected devastating way.  If you are looking for a writer who leans towards the more literary style of writing, you won’t get it here. Not hiding behind fancy words is sometimes detrimental to the message.

“Here the gritty and down to earth writing bring forth the right range of observations to a dysfunctional past.”

As well as looking at just one specific life, there is also an insight into the flaws of a system that on one hand allows the encouragement of gambling (responsibly of course!) and enjoys the taxes off of said companies and people who partake, yet doesn’t have the ability to support the people who fall prey to the industries ills.  It’s a blatant conflict of interests, the swirling lights, bells and whistles, and noises drawing people into a world fundamentally obsessed and geared to money, a payoff, and glamour that cannot be sustained for any length of time despite what the adverts would have us believe.

“At life’s lowest ebbs, the stigma of gambling addiction underlines the point that we must care for the weakest members of society and give more help and second chances.”

There is some admirable support out there but there could be more for this specific disease. It’s to easy to judge somebody for their failings without understanding the often complex struggles that the individual had to deal with, society these days is extremely cynical and that is likely to cause more harm than good in the long run.  Addiction harms everybody, even in our communities as this author shares.

it’s a stark warning, a forthright exposé, nothing is held back for the reader’s sensitivities and it is something perhaps few of us stop to consider in our own busy lives. It is hard to say I enjoyed the book in the traditional sense of the word, but the insights and the overcoming of adversity made it a worthwhile read.

In a world of ‘celebrity’ addiction this is one book that rings true, means something and will ultimately give context to the darker side of gambling.

I highly suggest this one and her books can be picked up at Amazon both E-Book and Paperback … For more information about the author and recovery resources visit her informative blog  Catherine’s blog

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About Book To The Future!

The About Bit

 

‘I felt a new About Bit was probably in order now that I seem to have shipwrecked myself on the rocky shores of the blogging community for good. Starting out, as I did back in the day as primarily a book blog now, I tend to write whatever wild winds of whimsy lead me too. A lot of that will be from The Philippines as that is where the said winds did blow me. Everyone calls me Ste J, I am an obsessive book creature, in fact, I spend more time between the (book) covers (I read in bed as well though) than I do with ‘real’ people. Which means I probably spend more time with you guys than anyone else. Feel privileged.

‘I have an urge to read as much as I can, in any genre and give my forthright and sometimes slightly obscure opinions on books and whatever other thing takes my fancy, such as life, or gnomes, although I haven’t done a gnome post yet…

‘Here you will find provided, an eclectic mix of stuff for your reading pleasure, when it comes to books, I intentionally do not reveal much plot, if you fancy reading it, you don’t want me coming along and telling you the butler did it or such like. Not that I’m saying he did do it, but he could have.

‘As a public service, I also read the rubbish books so you don’t have too, as well as delighting in finding the obscure to amuse you. I am also looking to review more authors who are self-publishing and attempting to vary the content more and grow this into something interesting. Feel free to look around and make yourself at home, there’s tea in the pot.

‘Recently I have taken to adding more posts on things not found in a book (or those infernal e-readers), so although I am primarily a book, I wish to keep it varied and hopefully bring you a more different and whimsical variety of posts.  Enjoy….

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Take the risk of thinking for yourself, much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way – Christopher Hitchens