LADNER MAN OFFERS ADDICTS HOPE FOR RECOVERY THROUGH NEW BOOK

Jim Stimson Pens Act Of Surrender In Collaboration With Friend

Jim Stimson has taken a lifetime of training, education, and personal
and professional experience and channeled it into a book that
promises hope for recovery from addiction.

The idea for the book was born several years ago. Stimson, who lives
in Ladner with his wife Janet, said it was over a Christmas dinner
with friends. The idea of things they would like to do before they
died came up, he said, and longtime friend and colleague Nancy Lee
told the group she wanted to write a book.

Soon after that conversation, Lee contacted Stimson and told him she
wanted to collaborate with him on a book about addictions.

"So, we set off on a journey," he said.

The result, An Act of Surrender: Recover from Alcohol and Drug
Addiction and Be Happy, Joyous, and Free, which took more than three
years to write, was released a few months ago.

The title of the book comes from Stimson's assertion that recovery
from addiction has to start with surrendering one's ego, selfish
needs and chemical dependency.

"This requires developing an understanding and a relationship with a
higher power or presence greater than our own self will," he said.
"Addicts need to be open to receiving guidance from something greater
than they are, just as their addiction was greater than them."

Stimson knows a thing or two about addiction. As a registered social
worker and a licensed counselor, he has spent almost 30 years working
with clients struggling with addiction. He worked for Weyerhaeuser
Canada and MacMillan Bloedel managing their employee and family
assistance programs.

However, he also has a lifetime of personal experience with addiction.

Stimson grew up with an alcoholic father. He took up drinking at 15
and has spent 37 years working on his own recovery from addiction.
The scourge of addiction did not stop there. Four of the five Stimson
siblings ended up addicts. His sister died after a cocaine overdose
at the age of 44.

And it continues.

Stimson said he has taken a niece and nephew to rehab; as well, one
of his own sons has struggled with addiction.

The book is intensely personal as Stimson shares his family's story
throughout the chapters. He said before he set out to write the book,
he approached each member of his family with the idea. Stimson said
everyone was supportive, especially his now 90-year-old mother.

He said the aim of the book is to reach a broad audience -- addicts,
active, recovered and recovering, their families, and just anyone
looking for a greater understanding of addiction.

"When Nancy suggested we write a book, something that had not ever
crossed my mind, I quickly saw it as an opportunity to reach out and
hopefully help a much broader audience."

Stimson firmly believes that addiction is a disease, not a lifestyle
choice, and it is genetic -- his own family is a prime example.

The effects of the disease reach far beyond the addict. Stimson said
that one case of addiction can have a detrimental effect on between
25 and 50 other people.

"We don't know of another illness that does this," he said.

The aim of Stimson's book is to show addicts they can not only
recover from their addiction but also they can also go on to live a
life that is happy, joyous and free.

The book, which was self published, has received high praise.

"The scope of this work is huge," said Dr. Ray Baker, a professor
with the UBC faculty of medicine and a fellow with the American
Society of Addiction Medicine. "Jim has distilled and refined the
essence of 37 years of his own successful recovery from active
addiction and combined it with his professional wisdom gleaned from
many years as a pioneer developing and implementing employee and
family assistance programs and workplace addictions education and
intervention projects.

Stimson and Lee also recently produced a set of 52 recovery cards
based on some of the principles talked about in the book.

An Act of Surrender is available locally at Black Bond Books in
Ladner, Albany Books in Tsawwassen and Wellspring Health stores in
Ladner and Tsawwassen.