Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061860454

Christopher Kennedy Lawford

Christopher Kennedy Lawford is the New York Times bestselling author of Symptoms of Withdrawal. He has worked extensively in Hollywood as an actor, lawyer, executive, and producer. He has three children and lives in Marina Del Rey, California.

Reviews for Symptoms of Withdrawal

[donura1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A lot was lost because of the excessive name dropping, but a great example for those who think that substance abuse is not hereditary in the least.

[susandennis-139327 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Chistopher Lawford is the son of the actor, Peter Lawfod and the sister of President Kennedy. This is the story of the first 50ish years of his life. It is both interesting and well told.

[olegalca · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I thought the first 200 pages or so were well-written and engaging. Unfortunately, the author decided to skate over his marriage and divorce issues in a way that made him seem arrogant and unfeeling and I lost my respect for him.

[lanewillson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Experience, strength and hope” is a mantra frequently heard in the rooms of recovery, and Chris Lawford’s Symptoms of Withdrawal, certainly offers a great deal of all three. Each time an addict or alcoholic goes to the front of the room to tell their story, they are asked to cover three important areas – What we were like, what happened, and what we were like now. Much like the pirate’s code, they more guidelines really, rather than what you would call rules. Each addict telling their story must decide for themselves where the line is drawn that separates an honest portrayal of their experience of addiction from euphoric recall. The geography of Mr. Lawford’s line made me uncomfortable.Though uncomfortable, I was renewed by the story of Mr. Lawford’s struggle. I was especially pleased that he acknowledged his own character flaws that continued to plague his life in sobriety, as they do for all who are addicted, myself included. Self-honesty, humility, and the willingness to learn, are traits that all must possess in one form or another to live sober one day at a time, and I believe that his naked reality of life in recovery is a real blessing found in this book.I got the book a few months ago when Mr. Lawford spoke to a group in Knoxville dedicated to working with the mentally ill and addicted. I was impressed by his passion for helping other get recovery. He was talking about a very small gain that had occurred in the United Nation’s recognition of addiction as a disease. This is a conclusion reached by the AMA in the 1950’s. Despite the fact that it took over 50 years to gain this one step, Mr. Lawford talked of the minute progress as though it matched the achievement of landing on the moon. It was an blessing to read his story and how he has learned to intuitively hand situations which used to baffle him. I think if you read Symptoms of Withdrawal, you too will be less baffled and walk away from the experience with strength and hope.