Becoming Normal: An Ever-Changing Perspective

“What is normal?”

That question has plagued author Mark Edick, who is in long-term recovery, all his life.

“To be normal means to fit in. That is what I thought. To fit in means I will be more loved, cared for, and needed. I longed for these things. I yearned for these things. I had spent my whole life seeking real love, true caring, a sense of being needed. And I had so far come up short.” (From the book.)

So begins Edick’s exploration of Becoming Normal and what that means to him and to others who have spent their lives being out of synch with what many in the mainstream consider normal. The book is a narrative examination of the author’s understanding of addiction and his journey to discover how to live a healthy, meaningful, and normal life.

According to Edick, once it was normal to drink and take drugs. Now it is normal for him not to drink or take drugs. In this book, the concept of normal is not simply a comparison between extremes, but of the personal and evolving understanding and acceptance of normal as it applies to the individual and his or her changing relationship with alcohol and drugs. The individual’s new normal involves adopting the habit of not drinking or drugging by stopping to think about potential actions and then choosing rationally rather than react due to force of habit.

Edick, a first-time author, who has been in recovery for over seven years, is a retired autoworker from Lansing, Michigan. Becoming Normal includes wisdom gleaned from his relationship with his twelve-step fellowship sponsor and other lessons learned along the way. Coming to terms with normality for Edick means coming to grips with the addiction that defined his life and his perception of reality, and getting into recovery. It means understanding that comparing others to himself, being afraid, and thinking of himself in terms of Us vs. Them creates artificial boundaries that redefines normality in ways that diminishes his sense of self and belonging. And i

“What is normal?”

That question has plagued author Mark Edick, who is in long-term recovery, all his life.

“To be normal means to fit in. That is what I thought. To fit in means I will be more loved, cared for, and needed. I longed for these things. I yearned for these things. I had spent my whole life seeking real love, true caring, a sense of being needed. And I had so far come up short.” (From the book.)

So begins Edick’s exploration of Becoming Normal and what that means to him and to others who have spent their lives being out of synch with what many in the mainstream consider normal. The book is a narrative examination of the author’s understanding of addiction and his journey to discover how to live a healthy, meaningful, and normal life.

According to Edick, once it was normal to drink and take drugs. Now it is normal for him not to drink or take drugs. In this book, the concept of normal is not simply a comparison between extremes, but of the personal and evolving understanding and acceptance of normal as it applies to the individual and his or her changing relationship with alcohol and drugs. The individual’s new normal involves adopting the habit of not drinking or drugging by stopping to think about potential actions and then choosing rationally rather than react due to force of habit.

Edick, a first-time author, who has been in recovery for over seven years, is a retired autoworker from Lansing, Michigan. Becoming Normal includes wisdom gleaned from his relationship with his twelve-step fellowship sponsor and other lessons learned along the way. Coming to terms with normality for Edick means coming to grips with the addiction that defined his life and his perception of reality, and getting into recovery. It means understanding that comparing others to himself, being afraid, and thinking of himself in terms of Us vs. Them creates artificial boundaries that redefines normality in ways that diminishes his sense of self and belonging. And it

Mark Edick is an author in long-term recovery and is a retired auto worker. His second book, Fear: Feel It, Face It, and Grow, was published in 2012. He has an Associate of Arts in Human Services from Lansing Community College and is currently pursuing a second Associate’s Degree in Creative Writing.