Breaking the Cycle

by David Joyce

Treatment for addiction should begin at the first sign of abuse. Getting caught in the cycle of addiction and recidivism is a lot like getting caught in a whirlpool. On the fringe of a whirlpool there is a good chance of escaping, but the further you getinto the whirlpool, the harder it is to escape. Even people standing ten feet from you won’t be able to help you. Incarceration is like holding on to a life ring in the whirlpool – it will keep you alive but will not help you escape the whirlpool. The trickis to either not get into the whirlpool in the first place or get out as soon as possible.This is the true story of a man that spent 30 years of his life in that whirlpool and how he broke that cycle, completely turning around his life at the age of 54. He explains how easy it is to get in and how, while often necessary, incarceration magnifies the problem. Breaking the Cycle (of Addiction and Recidivism) is, unfortunately, not so much a “How-To” book, but more like a “How-Not-To” book. This riveting story offers help to young people, parents, teachers, counselors, and law enforcement regarding intervention so that others do not have to start over from scratch. Many can't, so Breaking the Cycle is critical.

120 pages, Paperback

Published November 16, 2023

About the author

I am an author and illustrator originally from North West London but now living in the picturesque county of Surrey.

I am the youngest of three boys and now have three children of my own whom are my inspirations and most fierce critics.

Reviews

[Donnella Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely riveting story about spending half his life in prison as a result of addiction and how he broke the cycle to become an employed, happily married, homeowner. Highly recommend to parents, parole officers, teachers or anyone concerned about wasted lives due to the endless cycle experienced by addicts.

[Diane Binetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked it up couldn’t put it down. What a wave of emotions from my jaw dropping to tears rolling down my face. A true testament of how screwed up our judicial system is. Hats off to the author for literally “breaking the cycle” and turning his life around.