Breaking the Silence - Damian Bloss

Rich Bennett: 00:00:00

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Welcome to the Author Pitch, the short form podcast where writers from around the world deliver a powerful pitch for their book and read a standout excerpt in their own voice. I'm Rich Bennett, this is the Author Pitch and your next great read starts here.

Welcome to the Author Pitch where writers from across the world deliver a powerful pitch for their book and read a short excerpt in their own voice. I'm your host, Rich Bennett and today's guest is Damian Bloss, author of Breaking the Silence.

So we're just going to start right with the pitch, Damian. Give listeners a tight, high impact overview, what the book is, who it's for, why it matters and what makes it unique.

Damian Bloss: 00:01:25

Sure. Yeah. And I gotta say thank you as well for having me on. You know, I love talking with you, Rich. You know, we always had some great conversations.

So thanks again for letting me having me on.

Rich Bennett: 00:01:37

You know, you had to be one of the first ones I had to ask.

Damian Bloss: 00:01:42

Well, I appreciate that. I do, I do, yeah. So, so my book, Breaking the Silence, My Journey from Addiction to Healing.

It is a, an autobiography slash memoir slash self help book. You know, it's, it's for anyone navigating their addiction, mental health journey. You know, I was in active addiction for 20 years.

And you know, and when I say that, it sounds so crazy. And a lot of people are like, um, David, they've even said you were, you were addicted 20 years.

And I'm like, you know, my first drink sold me, you know, it hooked me right in. So I, I don't, I don't count the times when, you know, I started going off the wall. It was from that first drink and that's when everything started.

So. But yeah, this, this book is for anyone navigating that journey, just letting you know that you're not alone in this, in this journey.

And you know, while my, my book, it's my story, it's also a lot of other people's stories. No matter what I went through in that, in that moment or in those moments, the, the whole thing is that we've all been there.

Anyone in this, in this space had been there going, navigating, trying to navigate this. This recovery journey, trying to get sober, trying to better our lives.

Rich Bennett: 00:03:18

I think that's one of the things that really makes it unique is it's. Even though it's your memoir, it's. It could be everybody. A lot of people's story.

Damian Bloss: 00:03:29

Yeah. Yeah. You know, you know, some of the things may change from here, from me to another person, but, you know, everything is.

Is pretty much the same and that depending them out, they're not alone.

Rich Bennett: 00:03:42

All right, so now let's hear the excerpt that you brought for us today. Take your time.

Damian Bloss: 00:03:47

Sure.

Rich Bennett: 00:03:48

Set. Settle in, you know, and just read at your natural pace, and I'll give you a moment, and then you can begin whenever you're ready.

Damian Bloss: 00:03:55

All right, Sounds good. So, yeah, this. This excerpt comes from chapter 10 in my book Starting out, and this is word for word here.

,: 2020

I had to fight through the physical and mental effects of withdrawal without giving in to alcohol. While I had gone through detox before, this time was by far the most difficult and most frightening.

The voices and hallucinations were so intense that I actually feared for my sanity. After about three to four days, the symptoms began to lessen.

My appetite started to return, and by this point, I was feeling so good that I even questioned whether I really needed treatment. Of course, I knew that was just my addiction trying to convince me otherwise, but that didn't stop me from wanting to listen to it.

To numb the pain, I switched from, you know, my usual sad country music to Christian songs. I needed to feel something other than just the constant ache in my heart.

Alicia was still at home from work, and, you know, we would sit together on the couch listening to music, praying for guidance and trying to make sense of how our lives led us to this point.

She blamed herself and carried so much guilt for my alcoholism that no matter how many times I reassured her that it wasn't her fault, she couldn't believe me. Rebuilding her trust would take time, and I knew it wouldn't happen overnight.

The weekend before I was to leave for Ashley, we gathered the two girls. My. My two girls, our daughters, and had an honest and open discussion about what was happening.

Our oldest daughter grasped the situation better than her younger sisters, and after all, she had been through this with me before. We showed them photos of the facility, and our youngest was envious that I would be staying in a hotel for a month.

It Was a rare moment when I felt like my daughters were truly proud of me. And I'll stop it right there, but.

Rich Bennett: 00:06:26

So why, why'd you choose that particular excerpt from it?

Damian Bloss: 00:06:31

Yeah, I chose that because, you know, my, my story, if I would have read anything else like it, I would have had to keep going because it's. So there's no really good end point.

But I chose that one because of how it affects others, that, you know, we're, I'm, I'm doing this to myself and, and I'm thinking in that moment, like, this is just happening to me. Nobody else is affected. Why are you worried about it? But I, I like that one because it shows the reality of the situation.

This affects everyone no matter what. They're just close to us. And, you know, she, like I said in that excerpt, she was blaming. Alicia was blaming herself and things.

And, you know, no matter how many times I tried to tell her, it's not your fault, it's not your fault, it, it's still, you know, she still has those thoughts like, why couldn't I have done something?

You know, that, that survivor guilt kind of thing, you know, and getting my, my kids involved, I wanted them to know, you know, I'm not trying to hide anything from you. I want you to know this is what I went through, you know, to, to hopefully have that stick in their minds, like, this can happen to anyone.

Rich Bennett: 00:07:51

What actually. And I, I, I know the answer to this, but for the listeners, what actually for you sparked this book to, you know, for you to actually write.

Damian Bloss: 00:08:04

I was very isolated in my addiction. I kept everything to myself.

And, you know, going through this recovery journey, going to rehab, listening, and just following directions the appropriate way, you know, I realized that I need to have an outlet. I need to let people know what I'm going through. Not only does will it help others, but it also holds me accountable.

I was, I was always afraid of talking about what I was going through because I was, I was psychologically setting myself up for a relapse or setting myself up to not get sober. So if I didn't talk about it, I didn't have to explain the, When I fell off the wagon, because it was inevitable. You know, I tried so many times.

It's over, and I, I would never make it past what they call the Pink Cloud syndrome, which is that euphoric feeling where, like I said in this excerpt, I was, I was, you know, supposed to go to rehab. And I'm starting to think, wow, this feels so good.

I don't Even know if I have to go, you know, and it kind of starts making you think like you're, you're better now. You beat this. So I think that's very important to, to illustrate and, and talk about that, that kind of thing.

Rich Bennett: 00:09:32

Yeah. So what do you hope that readers feel after they finish reading it?

Damian Bloss: 00:09:38

I really want them to feel that they're not alone. No matter if, yeah, your story is exactly like mine or has certain things that sound familiar to your story.

Just know that you're not alone in this and there is help and there is a way out, you know, and, and we don't have to struggle, we don't have to, to go about this. There are so many resources out there and, and we just have to dig into them.

Rich Bennett: 00:10:13

Those of you listening.

Damian Bloss: 00:10:16

God.

Rich Bennett: 00:10:16

I met Damien a couple years ago, I believe it was. Yeah, he came on my other podcast and his story is amazing. And then his wife Alicia, who he mentions in the book, also came on separately.

And the, the thing is with, with Alicia, she still hasn't read the book.

Damian Bloss: 00:10:43

Correct. Right.

Rich Bennett: 00:10:44

And because she can't because she said it was so it was so hard for her to go, to go through this again. But everybody that's read it is just blown away. And you've.

Since that time, and I've said this before because you've been on the other podcast before. I mean, I'm proud of you because you're getting the word out.

You started your own podcast, you're getting on other podcasts, you're getting the word out and something else big. Tell everybody what's next for Damian Bloss.

Damian Bloss: 00:11:17

So I have written another book and that is, it's not a follow up to Breaking the Silence, it's more of a self help book.

And, and when I say that, I mean it keeps the readers engaged with activities at the end of each chapter to, to foster that, that accountability for yourself. You can read this on your own time, write down your own feelings.

When you get those feelings out on paper and you, you actually are, are truthful with yourself and you can, you can put them down on paper, it becomes all the more real. And then you start like, wow, this feels really good. And it's very therapeutic to write your feelings.

Rich Bennett: 00:12:06

Yeah.

Damian Bloss: 00:12:07

So I wanted, and that helped me. Now it might not help everybody, you know, but it's there because I think there's no one way, there's no one size fits all to recovery.

So taking things from any of your resources out there and putting them to your own use in your own way, Will help you in the end.

Rich Bennett: 00:12:32

Yeah, I'm looking forward to that one. So, Damien, something. Something very important. Where can people purchase your book and follow you?

Damian Bloss: 00:12:40

Sure. The book is available on all major retailers online, but I've seen the most common is is Amazon.

So you can, you can pick it up there and you can follow us on social media, on Facebook, Breaking the Silence on Instagram as well. Breaking the Silence.

We have a website, it's www.btsrecovery.net and we also have a YouTube channel that I display all my podcasts and things on there that is at BTS Recovery.

Rich Bennett: 00:13:20

And also he didn't mention this, but I'm going to mention it because since most of your sales are from Amazon, follow him on Amazon as well, because this way when the new book comes out, you'll be notified right away. I do love that feature on Amazon.

Damian Bloss: 00:13:35

Yes, good call out, because I totally forgot that they do that. So.

Rich Bennett: 00:13:38

Yeah, yeah. Oh, man, it makes it great. And I think I would assume that Goodreads does the same thing since it's owned by Amazon. I don't know.

I'll have to look into that.

Damian Bloss: 00:13:50

Yeah, I'm not too sure.

Rich Bennett: 00:13:53

All right, so those of you listen, after you purchase the book Breaking the Silence by Damian Bloss and you read it, make sure you leave a full review.

Damian Bloss: 00:14:02

Yes.

Rich Bennett: 00:14:03

On Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, wherever you can leave reviews and purchase copies for other people. Because this book will definitely, definitely make a difference.

Damien, I want to thank you so much, man, and can't wait to have you on for the next one.

Damian Bloss: 00:14:21

Absolutely, man.

Rich Bennett: 00:14:22

I know you're going to come on. You have to.

Damian Bloss: 00:14:24

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Just let me know when. And I'm on. You know I love talking with you, Rich.

Rich Bennett: 00:14:30

Hey, whenever you're ready to pitch the book. All right, Just come on.

Damian Bloss: 00:14:38

I will be there. I'll be there.

Rich Bennett: 00:14:40

Sounds good.

Damian Bloss: 00:14:40

I appreciate everything you do, man.

Rich Bennett: 00:14:43

Hey, my pleasure, everybody. Thanks for listening to the author pitch. I'm Rich Bennett, and until next time, keep turning pages and discovering new voices.