Published: July 16, 2010
Words: 171793 (approximate)
Language: English

Ebook short description

Personal, honest, and humble autobiography, of a skeptics approach to AA, spirituality, the deaths of both his parents, and his ultimate insanity. Delusions of grandeur, psychotic episodes, lead him to discovering the rooms, and his misunderstanding of Hippopotamus Sea. Follow the writer as clouds clear and he discovers he has Hepatitis C, his journey through interferon, and his 2nd chance.

Extended description

A poignant true addiction story covering all the facets of tragedy and ultimately triumph over the insidious family disease of alcoholism and addiction. Follow Jared Bryan Smith's journey to insanity and beyond as he jumps off of a bridge and lands in the looney bin and ultimately Alcoholics Anonymous. The 17 years of drug abuse abates, the fog webs clear and he learns he is Hepatitis C positive, his liver is failing and he has no health insurance for the 3 thousand dollars a month Interferon treatments required to save his life. A miraculous story of a tormented soul released from a literal hell. An exciting read that will leave you breathless, and inspire you with perseverance, and faith as Jared Bryan Smith details the path to hell and back, in all it's gory intricacy as he tries his best to explain the unexplainable thought process of a man driven mad by the drink.

Chronicling his descent into madness, the author takes you back through his life, born into an alcoholic family, witn... (Read more) A poignant true addiction story covering all the facets of tragedy and ultimately triumph over the insidious family disease of alcoholism and addiction. Follow Jared Bryan Smith's journey to insanity and beyond as he jumps off of a bridge and lands in the looney bin and ultimately Alcoholics Anonymous. The 17 years of drug abuse abates, the fog webs clear and he learns he is Hepatitis C positive, his liver is failing and he has no health insurance for the 3 thousand dollars a month Interferon treatments required to save his life. A miraculous story of a tormented soul released from a literal hell. An exciting read that will leave you breathless, and inspire you with perseverance, and faith as Jared Bryan Smith details the path to hell and back, in all it's gory intricacy as he tries his best to explain the unexplainable thought process of a man driven mad by the drink.

Chronicling his descent into madness, the author takes you back through his life, born into an alcoholic family, witness to his fathers steady downward spiral, ending with a .357 to his head at the age of 37 when the author was 11 years old, and his inability to stop the cycle. By his teens he is in and out of Juvenile detention, standing before Judge Hatchett of Atlanta on more than one occasion, running after the Grateful Dead, selling LSD, cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy and Opiates by the time he was a late teenager, this story will not cease to keep your interest as you cringe, cry, and laugh at his obsessions, tragedies, miracles and in the end his recovery.

The rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous are welcoming in his late 20's as he struggles to finally stop for good, and return to sanity, and Jared Bryan Smith does a good job of explaining the 12 Steps of AA to the layman, the uninterested, the skeptic, the critic, or even the full blown atheist or non believer. Where two or more people gather to accomplish a stated goal, there stands a better chance than one alone, and by using only this mantra in his head, he is able to have hope, and work the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, cease fighting or debating, and ultimately recover, and have the obsession to drink and drug completely removed from someone who drank and drugged daily for close to 20 years.

Discovering Hepatitis C, he documents his trials and tribulations through the painful Interferon process with great detail, and anyone suffering through Hep C, or who knows someone who is or will be taking Interferon could greatly benefit by reading or suggesting this book, which is why the author also made it available completely for free via google search. A worthy read.

Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

" 'Moon Rocks in the Loony Bin' -

The first time I was checked into the loony bin, I was carrying three rocks. In my deluded mind that July in 2006, they were a moon rock, a space rock and an earth rock, the latter I was certain was also an ancient arrowhead. I'd found them all in my gravel driveway. I was shaking, paranoid, and still drunk even though I hadn't had a sip in the several hours I'd been waiting in the lobby to check into the Dekalb County Crisis center, which others would later give me a reality check about, and refer to as the "loony bin!" They were right and I was loony. When I heard the rocks clamor onto the counter after emptying my pockets, my uncle said "Traveling light, aren't we?" My only possessions were one Rolex, one wallet, the clothes on my back, and three rocks."
(Less)

Adult-content rating:

This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.

Tags

alcoholism, addiction, cocaine, suicide, christianity, devil, demons, beer, satan, recovery, juvenile, prayer, possession, atlanta, aa, skateboarding, roswell, grateful dead, microchips, tracking devices, hepatitis c, 12 steps, na, opiates, interferon, looney bin, abuse drug addiction, hep c, adderall, little five points, rainbow family, juvenile prison, judge hatchett, rand hopkins, hippopotamus sea, jared bryan smith, jared bryan smith blog, soul possession, aa blog, na blog, telaprevir, dekalb crises center

Available ebook reading formats

Single purchase gains access to all formats. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book	Sample First 5%
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	Buy	View sample
Online Reading (JavaScript, experimental, buggy)	Buy	View sample
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Buy	Download sample
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Buy	Download sample
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Buy	No sample available
RTF (readable on most word processors)	Buy	No sample available
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Buy	Download sample
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Buy	Download sample
Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting)	Buy	No sample available
Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page)	Buy	No sample available

Videos

Unknown Origin.Lost
Unknown Origin was written by Jared Bryan Smith and is included in his book Hippopotamus Sea: My Viral Sobriety, which is what he heard in the rooms of AA whenever anyone ever said the words Hepatitis C. Diagnosed with Hep C, the book chronicles his recovery over addiction, alcoholism, Hep C, Interferon, and general madness! www.books4free.com

Reviews

Log-in to write a Review   Log-in to add a Video Review

Review by: Francina 'CeaCea' Golem on July 12, 2011 :
I read this book and then reread this book before writing this today...it will be on my list of BEST recovery books for a good long time, if not forever. I had just finished 2 recovery books, one by Noah Levine and the other called Scar Tissue by AK. I was not happy with either book. They went on and on about their addictions almost glorifying it. NOT what I was wanting to read..I want you to share your story..your struggle, then your hope and strength so that I might glean that for myself as well. This book reached inside of me..spoke to me, if you will. It caused some deep healing, deep cleansing from my past even through the first read...sometimes we think we are all alone and then we meet another who has went through their personal hell as well. I recommend this book for people in all kinds of recovery..trust me..you will pick it up again and again..and to the author thank you..and please continue writing.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Bobbie Crawford-McCoy on April 01, 2011 :
Some might ask themselves why a person would choose to write and publish a memoir. It would seem that some do it for the notoriety, others for the potential money-making aspects of it; still others reveal their story to encourage hope and healing. To have the genuine wish to inspire others who are suffering, to find ways help them fight for strength and hope; a more pure motive would be hard to find. For some readers, this story may stir-up memories of their own past and for others it may be an eye-opening glimpse at an emotional roller coaster ride that one man called life. It could not have been easy for author Jared Bryan Smith to write so candidly about the problems from his past when they included topics such as substance abuse, physical and mental abuse and severe mental-health issues, but share his story he has. This book may not be suggested reading material for individuals who are suffering from emotional or mental-health issues as the author’s rather direct approach and plain-spoken style could be a trigger for some; should a mental health professional deem it appropriate subject matter for a patient on a case-by-case basis and for those who are ready, Jared’s story would do doubt be an incredible inspiration and offer hope to them as well. For those who are considering a path or are already headed toward a life of out-of-control partying and substance abuse for supposed “recreational purposes”, they may find Jared’s memoir a revealing glimpse into their future and the wake-up call that they have been waiting for. Hippopotamus Sea will quickly and actively engage the reader, making it very difficult to put it down. Due to some graphic language, dialogue concerning substance, emotion and physical abuse, it is recommended that readers of this book be 16 years of age or older.


Copyright 2011 (c) Nurture Your BOOKS --- Bobbie Crawford-McCoy
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: William Sanders on Dec. 25, 2010 :
A riveting book from page one forward. For those who have ever suffered from addiction and/or hepatitis c, this is a must-read. It chronicles a young man who reached the depths of hell dealing with both in his life. The book graphically depicts his personal battles with the horrors of hep c and the demons of his addiction. More importantly, it describes his miraculous comeback from these depths. The book tugs at the core of human emotions and exhilarates the reader with his journey to a healthy sober life. It's a must-read for victims of these diseases or the family members of same. Don't miss it.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Reason for report:
— Select a reason — Book is or contains spam Book infringes copyright Same content is published elsewhere with different author (for ex., by private-label rights) Duplicate Incomplete work (such as sample or serial) Should be marked adults-only Category is inappropriate Poorly formatted Nudity or other inappropriate content on cover Nudity or other inappropriate visual content in book Inappropriate erotica content Cover image is improper Content is inappropriate Other violation of Terms of Service Other reason not shown above.

Additional details: