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Nope. But I’ll walk you back.
Based on a True (Traumatic) Brain History tells your story of addiction and path to sobriety and how you dealt with life after receiving a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was important mainly because of how the TBI I experienced in 2015, and the recovery from it…was all too similar to my recovery from addiction and alcoholism. The two had so many obvious differences, yet the recovery and perspective I had when trying to heal were so similar. It just seemed like a book that had to be written. It morphed into the autobiography it is.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest part of the book? Reliving drunken nights, high out of my mind, and remembering how I felt about the pending next day. The dread and fear of trying to play a composed, well-put together 20-something year old, while everything was falling apart on the inside.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
When I told a friend that if I was on the edge of a cliff, and if he would push me off, he said to me, “Nope. But I’ll walk you back.” That comment and phrase saved my life that day. It’s a good way to calm someoneone down, if they’re feeling like they can’t handle stuff.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
The obstacle is the way. Challenges in the journey of life…are simply just that. They amount to the journey itself.
Author Links: Facebook | Twitter | Website
Based on a True (Traumatic) Brain History
In the blunt and honest book, Mark Allen narrates his life story Based on A True (Traumatic) Brain History: A Short Memoir. Covering topics like his struggle of living with a brain injury, addiction to drugs and alcohol, and some deep reflections about his ways of coping with difficult circumstances, Allen gives readers a look into his world with the hope that his story will help others.
The book is divided into multiple short chapters, but you can trace a clear pattern between the first and second half. The first part deals with his early life, college, experiences as a professional MMA fighter, while the second part deals with the challenges that come with TBI, feeling suicidal and mental health struggles. In the course of the memoir, you’ll learn that the author struggled with substance addictions, but he overcame them and went on to donate a kidney to his ailing mother. Likewise, the author felt heartbroken after the traumatic brain injury (TBI) because it took away his passion, but he managed to sail on.
The best part of this book is that the author never dwells on self-pity. It’s more about the journey and process, how an individual deals with unforeseen circumstances with a practical approach, and how to find a purpose in life. His positive outlook towards life gives the readers hope, rendering a universal appeal to the story. The book starts off candidly as if the author is sitting right in front of you in a coffee shop and having a casual chit-chat. He keeps this conversational tone alive throughout the book, occasionally tinged with his refreshing humor.
The storytelling is honest and easy-flowing. The language is lucid. It gives the readers a glimpse into the author’s life so far, his battles, his practical approach to move ahead in dark times, and his realizations. There is no preaching, only heartfelt expressions and actual incidents recollected from the author’s memory.
Based on A True (Traumatic) Brain History: A Short Memoir is more than just the story of Mark Allen’s life. This through-provoking book is an excellent read for those struggling with addiction, medical injuries, TBI, or anyone that just needs a quick motivational read.
Pages: 242 | ASIN : B08TQNXDPF
LITERARY TITAN 