Symptoms of Withdrawal by Christopher Kennedy Lawford

Symptoms of Withdrawal by Christopher Kennedy Lawford

At last, the first memoir from a Kennedy family member--an inspirational, candid, and explosive personal story sure to be one of the most sensational bestsellers of the year

Christopher Kennedy Lawson was born to enormous privilege. But with fame, money, and power came tragedy and heartbreak. In this clear-eyed, sensitive, and compulsively readable autobiography, he breaks his family's long-held silence to a rare glimpse into the exclusive worlds of both Washington politicos and the Hollywood elite during the socially turbulent 1960s and 1970s.

As the first born child of famed Rat Pack actor, Peter Lawford, and John F. Kennedy's sister, Patricia, Christopher Lawford was raised in Malibu and Martha's Vineyard with movie stars and presidents as close family members and friends. But this little boy who learned the twist thanks to private lessons from Marilyn Monroe would grow up to become a spoiled adolescent with a near-fatal jones for heroin and alcohol. With deep sincerity, Kennedy sets the record straight, sharing many never-before-told stories about the good, the bad, and the ugly in his life, including the deaths of his uncles, his parents' divorce and its effect, his hard-fought struggle to overcome addiction, his long-lasting sobriety, his acting career, and his relationships with his famous cousins and his own children. Surprisingly frank, Kennedy pulls no punches as he tells us what it's really like to be a member of America's first family.

Christopher Kennedy Lawford worked as an actor, lawyer, executive, and producer in the film and television industries for over two decades. Signs of Withdrawal (2005) and Moments of Clarity (2009) are two of his New York Times bestseller books. Lawford has been in recovery from drug addiction for more than 25 years and works hard on behalf of the recovery community in both the public and private sectors. He currently works for the UN, the Canadian Centre on Substance Addiction, the White House Office of Drug Control Policy, and the World Health Organization. He also advises with Fortune 500 corporations and various non-profit organizations, speaking on topics such as addiction, mental health, and Hepatitis C all over the world.

Lawford was named to the California Public Health Advisory Committee by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009. Lawford was named a United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime Goodwill Ambassador in 2011 to promote initiatives that support drug treatment, care, and recovery. He also works for Caron Treatment Centers as a national advocacy consultant. Lawford has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Tufts University, a law degree from Boston College Law School, and a master's degree in clinical psychology from Harvard Medical School, where he was a lecturer in psychiatry.