Acrobaddict Paperback – September 10, 2013

Joe Putignano is a man of exceptional beauty and an accomplished performing artist. On top of that he has become a great writer, more than anything else. And he owes it to addiction and recovery, one day at a time.Joe is grateful for the hard life he's had and, given the chance, he'd do it all, just the same, all over again. As Piaf sang, non, je ne regrette rien. Joe doesn't regret his past nor has he shut the door on it. Rather, as part of his daily work of recovery, he digs up every single drug use, all the highs and lows, the unending rock bottoms that he kept hitting, deeper and deeper. Joe holds nothing back. As he says, we're only as sick as our secrets.It has been said that religion is for those afraid to go to hell, and spirituality for those who've been to hell and back. In that sense, Joe's journey is deeply spiritual. He describes his own personal hell with no embellishments, no excuses, no self-pity, no blame.Joe didn't set out to write the great book that he wrote. His only chance of staying sober today is to look squarely, with dry eyes, serenely, at all the choices he has made, which led him deeply into addiction. And to write it all down. He does it not just for himself, but mainly for those still suffering and those, like him, on their journey back from hell.You don't have to be an addict to enjoy Joe's book. It's a hard read, but you might find yourself, like me, unable to drop it down. I took a day off and read it all in one sitting. It is that gripping. I laughed and cried, was deeply moved, and finally relieved for so much hope and strength in Joe's story.His could be anyone's story. There's nothing exceptional about him, other than his stunning beauty. Joe's ordeal is another example of what happens so often in so many families all over the world. Same in my country, Brazil, as in the US. And it doesn't really matter if it's heroin or crack or meth or alcohol. As Joe writes, "addiction is the only jail where the key is inside, impossible to find in the darkness". But there's somewhere a glimmer of light, the hand and shoulder of someone, a relative, a lover, that breaks the darkness - and the key to sobriety can be found.The key of willingness, honesty and open mindedness. Compassion, acceptance, surrender. Humility, service to others, serenity and change. All of these are hard-won qualities for the addict who comes from a place of shame, self-hatred, denial, dishonesty and unending struggle. In Joe's book, they're not slogans, boilerplate self-help jargon, but realities that spring organically from his experiences in recovery. The angry boy who gave the world and himself a big you-know-what turned into a sweet loving man, no longer fighting. "There is an infinite peace in surrendering", Joe writes.I hope that not only addicts and professionals in the field of addiction find this precious book, but that everyone could have a chance to know Joe's story. In our age of headlines about "drug epidemics", it's refreshing to have the real thing: the detailed, harrowing, true and redeeming story of a man who descended into hell and came back to help us save ourselves.

I couldn't put the book down, I bought it for the kindle and 25% of the way in I was already crying. I wanted to hug Joe and tell him don't worry I know this is all gonna work out in the end. You're young you need help. Its fine.Of course I couldn't hold the author and his former youth, but I felt like I was him. I saw some similarities in my youth and his youth all the way up. The author was kind of a loner in high school, didn't have a lot of friends because he was introverted, and was shy. He was introduced to drugs by one of his close best friends and it all spiraled down hill from there.There were times I wanted to shake the author and just scream WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? YOU'RE HURTING THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU!!!! Then I would want to sob and say I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH I'M SO SORRY JUST HANG IN THERE!! Everything from the doctor office visits, the feelings of the highs and the pain of cutting were all wonderfully detailed and left no doubt in how the author was feeling at that time. I loved the writing style and the raw, brutal honesty of it all, and just found the author to be a delightful person and down to earth and very nice. (I of course had to email him and tell him what an amazing book he had and thank him for sharing his story).If you haven't bought it yet just jump and do it. You'll love the book, at least I did. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I remember one point in the book where Joe was in the hospital and asked the nurse (after he had just OD'D) where the nearest homeless shelter was and she was a very cruel woman, although she never said anything hurtful the look in her eyes and her actions were louder than words. I will never look at drug addicts the same way. Sometimes you forget that they are someones sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers. Sometimes people just need a little extra help.

Acrobaddict is a truly great read and story. It shows how very easy it is for to succumb to not only peer pressure but also what the stress of life in a broken home can do to a child and examples set early on by parents. It also gives clear indications of how much pressure and stress is placed on athletes and performers in his similar situation. Two main themes that I have seen that I hope any and all readers will take away from this is: 1.) never give up on a friend, loved one or family member that may show signs of falling into addiction. They will lash out and will become defensive, regardless of that stay by their side and don't expect someone else to fix them. They will only recover with consistent support; 2.) regardless of how far they have fallen into addiction, always give unconditional love. Do not pretend or assume anything, have patience and love to see them through recovery and continue to be there regardless of the situation.As a former competitive athlete, that is also gay, I could have and did for a period of time fall into a very similar situation. What Joe's story highlights is regardless of how far we may fall our 'warrior spirit' is still alive and well. By tapping into that, those that are in similar situations can and will recover and we will use that drive to fight each and every day to not fall again. The difficult times when we put so much pressure on ourselves to succeed against all odds, we must not repeat old patterns when we fail, but learn from our failures, correct them and drive on to become better.This is a truly great read that I have recommended to many of my friends and will continue to do so. Thank you Joe for sharing such a difficult part of your early life and I wish you much love and success to achieve your goals from now and well into your future. Take each day and appreciate and love those that are by your side that want to see you through and beyond each step toward your goals you take.

Wow! I can’t begin to tell you what an amazing book this is!! If your contemplating in purchasing I would highly recommend it, you won’t be disappointed at all. It can be a difficult read, but really worth it. I struggle myself with reading such books but I honestly didn’t want to put it down until I had completed it and finished it within 3.5 days…Joe takes you on this rollercoaster of a journey from been a young child with an ambition for gymnastics to becoming a young adult homeless, struggling with sexuality and addicted to many different drugs. The book is highly descriptive, and giving us a blow-by-blow account of his life, Joe makes you feel like you are there with him living his journey. Joe takes you on a true journey, you get truly gripped to his journey and progression through rehabilitation, and been able to analyse where he experiences the relapse. Joe shows you how he has danced with the devil, and really what the 4 corners of hell are like.I honestly can’t recommend a better book to read. It is absolutely fantastic. Joe telling his story is a real eye opener and makes others feel and believe that there is hope, and there is the light at the end of the tunnel should you put your mind to it (in my personal opinion).

How inspiring and touching. This is undoubtedly a very sincere account of addiction and a way out of it. Definitely worth reading and really well written

This book helped to me to understand addiction. the last book my brother read before his addiction took his life. Thank you

Très belle biographie! Comment après une descente aux enfers l'auteur va reprendre sa vie en main et atteindre des sommets.