I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can
by Barbara Gordon
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Pub Date Oct 03 2011 | Archive Date Sep 01 2012
Smith Publicity--Beaufort Books | Beaufort Books
Description
Barbara Gordon's groundbreaking memoir tells the extraordinary story of a woman who has it all, or thinks she does-a career as an Emmy-award-winning documentary producer, a man she loves, a world of friends, and a beautiful apartment in Manhattan.
But beneath the façade, Barbara's life is spinning out of control. In spite of the pills prescribed by her doctor, a nameless terror disrupting her daily life intensifies until she is besieged by crippling anxiety attacks. A formerly strong, independent, successful woman, Barbara's life becomes a nightmare of paralysis and fear.
When Barbara finds herself unable to leave her apartment or walk the streets of New York alone, she decides to take charge of her life. She doesn't want pills, she wants answers. Instead of ending her fears, quitting the medicine leads to the unraveling of what she thought was her perfect life, and Barbara becomes a casualty of a flawed and inept mental health system. Barbara had often spoken for the voiceless in her films, but she suddenly finds herself powerless, without a voice of her own. Though she feels frightened and misunderstood, the tenderness and love of another young patient, Jim, helps Barbara rediscover her voice and her identity.
In the years since her memoir was first published, thousands of readers all over the world have read her book, followed her descent into hell, travelled with her along the bumpy road to recovery, and celebrated as she creates a new life. I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can is a strikingly honest look at a life gone off the rails. Throughout her journey, Gordon's hope and strength make her an incredible heroine worth rooting for.
Advance Praise
"I can hardly remember the last time I stayed up half the night because I couldn't stop reading. But that's what happened with I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can."-Chicago Tribune
"I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can is an addiction literature classic. But addict or not, there isn't a woman alive who'll fail to be stirred by this heart-stopping tale of self-discovery. This is a book about a smart, successful, independent woman and the horrors she suffered at the hands of a prescription-happy culture. In a time when pharmaceutical companies advertise during American Idol and patients ask their doctors for drugs by brand name, this book is a must-read."-Koren Zailckas, author of Fury and Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood.
"Spellbinding seems too mild a word."-Detroit Free Press
"Not only a frightening account of the tortured journey of her mind and soul, but a beautiful story that is filled with life and hope..."-Philadelphia Bulletin
"There are few women who will not settle for killing relationships, with destructive men or pills or liquor, rather than walk through loneliness. If you read this book, you will have met someone to guide you through that walk-there are no epiphanies, no miracles, only the promise of growth, and Miss Gordon makes us trust that promise."-The New York Times
"Gordon's story rings with authenticity."-Washington Post
"Reads like the unrevised diary of a vibrant, dramatic woman."-LA Times
"Barbara Gordon's tale of her terrifying Valium withdrawal and subsequent hospitalizations is even more relevant today than when first published in 1979. Our current Generation RX can learn much from her-most importantly, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how deep inside of it you are."-Joshua Lyon, author of Pill Head: The Secret Life of a Painkiller Addict
"A number of books about substance abuse have come out since I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can, but it still should be on the bookshelves (or E-reader) of everyone directly or indirectly involved with addiction. Gordon's straightforward description of the mental, emotional, and physical symptoms endured by a recovering addict has a powerful universality. It helps all of us understand the complex and excruciating process of recovery." -Ann Seymour, author of I've Always Loved You
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9780825306099 |
| PRICE | 15.95 |
| PAGES | 352 |
