Customer Reviews

Living in the Rear View Mirror: From Substance Abuse to a Life of Substance

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"Living in the Rear View Mirror: From Substance Abuse to a Life of Substance"

Author Kim Vazquez has such a special writing style that before you know it you are right into the middle of her world. I felt I was actually there with Kim as she was telling her story. I could relate to her pain and sorrow, struggled with her numerous attempts to find love and happiness, and cried out loud with her as she finally found a way to overcome her troubles.

This young lady tried just about anything and everything to bring peace into her life. When it seemed like she found it in a different man, job, party or song... she smacked right into a brick wall dragging you along with her. You realize what she is searching for and that keeps you earnestly turning each page to find out if, when and how she actually does find it.

Once I started reading Kim's book I could not put it down. I am a pretty fast reader but I found myself slowing down to a crawl. I felt like I just met a new friend. She does not hold anything back and tells it exactly how it is.

Kim is not afraid to share her deepest secrets, fears, strengths and weaknesses. She even is willing to introduce you to her classic inner-voice demon type characters she calls, "Anxiety" and the "Belittler". Many readers will relate to these cridders.

You will not be able to walk away from this book without thinking you have actually known Kim all of your life. She has an extraordinary way of finding just the right words to express herself and keep you hooked.

Kim Vazquez is not just a gifted writer... she is a gift!

I would highly recommend this book to not only people struggling with substance abuse issues but to anyone who finds themselves on a road leading to nowhere, hoping to find someone who is willing to lend a helping hand by example.

Her story touches on so many other important issues besides just Kim's substance abuse problem. That is only the tip of her iceberg. It is the one everyone can see, feel and taste. However, there are more deep-rooted issues Kim faces and ultimately learns how to overcome.

Kim reminds me of the typical biblical "Prodigal Son" (daughter, in Kim's case). Once she "finally" comes to her senses she knows enough to turn away from her addictions and... Well, you will just have to read the book to find out the rest of the story.

This book is not religious... which is odd. In fact, she coyly stays away from anything even close to being preachy. She even admits in the beginning of the book she was never a big follower of God. However, the spiritual struggle that ensues throughout the book screams out clearly you know she is either cleverly just pulling your leg or trying to foolishly kid herself.

Kim does mention she experienced angelic encounters, however she does not dwell very long on them. She allows the reader to get so entwined in her life that you have to hang in there with her knowing the end has to be something special. Read it and you will see what I mean.

Great job, Kim. I wish I had half your writing abilities. If I did, I would be a best-selling author, which I know someday you will be. Please do not ever stop writing. I truly feel you will touch millions of lives with your books and specialty practice.

I rarely have read a more enjoyable trip through someone's life as in this book. Kim's story takes place in the same area as I myself grew up, near Roseville, California. Her family upbringing and the dysfunction of the people around her created a woman who was headed for disaster if she did not change course. I felt as if the people she described, often living mere blocks from where I had lived, were people I had known. She knows how to capture the essence of a person and commit that to paper. Reading the book, so many of my own memories of that time and place came to the fore...

Kim faced horrific events in her life. Divorce, perverted grandfathers and workplace bullies. Inner and external battles with family. Secrets kept and universal "no-no" arguments to hide the unforgivable and all the while, she kept getting up and facing life. It takes a special spirit to just keep going, despite the headwinds of life.

All the while, an Angelic presence and her own developing psychic sensitivities were there, bubbling in the background, appearing now and again as she wove the tale of her life and the realities of her battles with drug and alcohol addiction with her relationships and ultimate discovery of what Love itself truly meant and not what she had originally envisioned it to be.

Her distrust of men was absolutely clear through much of the book but there was a male angel who appeared to her throughout her life, even appearing for one of her friends and who was quite likely the only trustworthy man she had close to her, save for her one true love whom she finally awoke to realize was the man for her. The angelic forces that surrounded her and which ultimately convinced her to save herself are not well-covered in this volume (the focus being Kim's life), but they are powerful symbols that bring the reader into her mindset and whom, as real beings, show Kim the way to a better life. They are patient teachers, these angels and one finds oneself cheering inside when Kim jumped into rehab and began facing her inner demons and self-created thought-forms that were needing replacement and correction.

Her "letting go and letting be" experiences, where she leaves the self-important ego so carefully crafted over a lifetime and to become something greater that used all her life experiences is an example of the truly self-actualized human who can leap into the unknown and face the abyss with courage and ultimate victory. She has transformed her life into something more and is an example to all people of what it is to be "complete" and in tune with her guides and inner being.

I have actually spoken with Kim and found her kindness, understanding and intuitive nature to be the real deal. She has much to teach. For those in the grip of addiction, be it drugs, alcohol, food or something else, her story should be mandatory reading. I can think of no finer compliment to give her than that. Read this story and it will, at a minimum, bring a smile to know the human spirit can overcome the greatest of challenges... I will most certainly be reading her other books and recommend this story highly to the prospective reader.

Hang on for an enjoyable ride. This personal revelation is not for the faint of heart, but if you want to be entertained and uplifted with a frank and courageous personal story, read this book. The writer is willing to share her private and painful journey that rings true for many with co-dependant relationships. Finding the truth in relationships from family to partners and friends is shared in a true to life, and heartwarming frankness. The humour is refreshing lightening the whole read throughout. Her personal discovery of herself leads to a beautiful connection to Spirit. Truly an incredible read and highly recommended.

Living in the Rearview Mirror, by Kim Vazquez, is a frank open look into the life of a young girl's struggle with drugs, alcohol, work and relationships. The outside beauty people saw never revealed the turmoil that raged beneath the surface. The ability she had to balance work, substance abuse and her need for adoration from her current partner is an eye opener that will make you think about your own personal relationships and how you deal with friends and acquaintances.
Kim, living in the past, caused severe headaches that lasted more than a decade and were only made bearable by burying herself in work using pain killers and alcohol to deaden those debilitating migraines. Kim writes with such clarity her readers will understand her futility, trying to hide from life's problems and the devastating effect of using drug or alcohol as a quick fix for those problems.
Kim's view into another realm with visits from guardian angels and deceased relatives shows the depth of her mystic ability.
A suggested read for young teenagers, Kim's problems exposed in this book should help them avoid the mistakes she made as they too will be searching for partners and reaching for maturity.
This book has had a definite impact on my views and I look forward to whatever she decides to write next.

Kim's story was so heartfelt. I truly felt like I was sitting with her as she was telling the oh so intimate feelings of her world. I related to so many aspects of her feelings and life, that at times I wondered, "How can she know my own thoughts and pain?" If you have ever felt depressed, abandoned, confused about what the heck you are doing here, READ THE BOOK! I know it's one I will share with others, and re-read when I need solace.

"I hadn't lost jobs or had DUI's. I didn't sleep with strange men...I didn't start fights...I've always told myself I was still in control while I was drunk...This is how I lied to myself." In Living in the Rear View Mirror Kim Vazquez takes us on a journey through a sad and broken childhood, the depths of her growing alcoholism and addiction, and through her amazing spiritual awakening that had lingered on the sidelines her entire life.

Kim was born in California to an alcoholic/abusive father and a "victim" mother whose unhealthy marriage and life choices dragged her to another country, exposed her to dangerous influences, left her vulnerable to molestation, and planted the seeds of emotional delinquency that would rule her life for over 30 years. Kim also began seeing angels at an early age...angels that protected her from the worst life had to offer and were supportive when Kim began her recovery from "substance abuse to a life of substance."

Kim Vazquez writes an autobiography of rigorous honesty guided by her higher power. Her spiritual gifts have saved her from certain death and have provided her with the means to help others through spiritual counselling, Angel Readings, and seminars/workshops. Living in the Rear View Mirror is an inspiring story for those struggling with their own addictions, those who love an addict, and those who are empathetic to the human condition.

"Living in the Rear View Mirror" by Kim Vasquez will take you on a journey through one woman's quest to find happiness and fill her feelings of emptiness. She attempts to fill the void through various avenues like men, career, materialism, and ultimately drug and alcohol abuse. What she did not know was that the very thing she was looking for was already in her possession in the form of a very special and spiritual gift.

The book is compelling and impossible to put down. The descriptions of her thoughts and various situations are so graphic, gritty and real that I would cringe in recognition. However, at no time is it a voyeuristic glamorization of substance abuse a la "A Million Little Pieces". Her story traverses through her life's highs and lows, ultimately reaching her breaking point. While her breaking point is not as dramatic as ending up on skid row, it was low enough for the average person to envision that only a few choices separate her fate from one's own.

The author is able to share her lessons from her experiences with an insight and clarity that would appeal to all readers, not only those affected by substance abuse. A captive read that leaves one very satisfied, yet hungry for the author's next writing.

"Living in the Rear View Mirror" is a story of conquering the power and poison of bitterness, anger, stress, loneliness, and addictions. It is a story offering hope and healing for those caught in a web of pain, suffering, emotional emptiness, anxiety, and mental illness. Kim Vazquez shares her story of vulnerability openly and candidly as she relates the results of childhood abuse, rejection, and insecurity.

Deserted by her father in her early childhood, Kim was left insecure. Her mother devastated. Kim suffered through her mother's dysfunctional relationships, emotional stress, and financial woes. She found herself in bondage to her mother's out of control years, feeling unlucky and misunderstood. She later felt cheated out of her childhood as she had become a mini adult while comforting her mother through her hard and difficult life. Kim's was counted on to help with household chores, shopping needs, and finances.

Kim chronicles her adolescence and teen years. She was verbally abused by her father, stalked by her grandfather, experienced low self esteem, and desperately sought acceptance from her peers. She soon found herself addicted to alcohol, drugs, misdirected aspirations, work, constant activity the need for ever present drama, and seeking the euphoria of love through dysfunctional relationships. She describes a love affair with marijuana, her anxiety attacks, and a cycle of oppression and depression.

The sub title of the book offers hope to the reader, "From Substance Abuse to a Life of Substance." Kim's is a spiritual journey, a pilgrimage, which took a new turn when she chose to break out of the cycle of fear, paranoia, emotional pain, and spiritual bankruptcy, a decision to change her life. She chose to search for quality of life, community, and friendliness. She helps the reader recognize the reality of the presence of outside spiritual energies through the power of forgiveness as the beginning of the restoration process.

Kim attributes her own restoration to a metaphysical approach, of counseling, meditation, and angelic healing. While there are those who will feel strongly that there is another road to recovery, "Living in the Rear View Mirror" affords an opportunity for others to identify with Kim's life as they realize their own need to pursue a spiritual solution to find release from their emotional pain in exchange for a hope in the seeds of possibility of spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery and healing.

What good is being presented with a problem when there is no solution in sight? IN LIVING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR Kim Vazquez shares with us the pain and challenges of her personal life while also allowing us to see how she found deliverance, peace and triumph over her own demons.

This is an incredible read for those who are looking for a way out and need that pep talk from someone who has "been there, done that." They will get that and more from Vazquez in this inspiring account.

Overall, Kim wrote a harrowing tale of a woman who has been through a very rough life and has survived to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The voice is very conversational and intimate, one might think of friends sharing over coffee. For me it was reminiscent of a person sharing their story at a twelve step meeting. (From the first chapter I heard my mother's voice and her excuses.) Kim holds nothing back in this book she has really dug deep with in herself to share everything. Also I believe, she tries to be as honest and fair to the other people in her life as she writes.
Threaded through out Kim personifies emotions and objects. For instance, from a young age, Anxiety and the Belittler battled it out to control her irrational mind. Vicodian actually began as a helpmate and then took control of her life. As she begins her healing she quickly, it seems, alters her entire life and becomes an empath and spiritual guide. Which seems so out of touch and just another crutch to place the pain upon. Kim does take responsibility for her actions and owns her mistakes which I commend. Although I hope that this book will be able to help those in pain to reach out for help, I walk away still skeptical, with a quizzical look furrowed into my brow.