Raise Your Hand: A Journey Through Addiction, Recovery, and Hope

Raise Your Hand: A Journey Through Addiction, Recovery, and Hope chronicles the transformation of Berni Jones, a blue-collar worker from New Brunswick, Canada, whose battle with addiction took him from stability to homelessness and despair — and ultimately, to redemption. Told with brutal honesty and poetic depth, the book unfolds in five parts: The Road Into Addiction, Rock Bottom, The Turning Point, The Climb, and The Gift. Each stage captures the reality of addiction and recovery with authenticity that few dare to voice. Berni's story begins quietly — a few drinks, a few excuses — until addiction consumes everything. After years of denial, manipulation, and loss, he reaches rock bottom: sleeping in parks, alienated from family, and on the edge of death. But in his darkest moment, he discovers a truth that changes everything — recovery begins the moment you raise your hand for help. From that turning point, Berni rebuilds his life one step at a time. He learns the power of "no," the value of solitude, and the grace of forgiveness. The book is both a memoir and a message — that healing isn't just possible; it's a choice renewed every day. Fifteen years later, Berni stands as living proof that recovery works. He's a father, a stepfather, and now a proud grandfather — no longer watching life through the fog of addiction, but through clear eyes and hard-won peace. Raise Your Hand is a story of destruction, resilience, and rebirth — a reminder that no matter how far you've fallen, it's never too late to rise again.