Surviving Myself

“Bill Tierney brings the reader fully into his inner world, a place shaped by fear, control, tenderness, and deep isolation. His writing is raw and vulnerable without ever feeling performative. Page by page, the reader is drawn into an experience that many will recognize: what it means to feel alone, to survive by hiding parts of oneself, and to keep going without knowing why. There is an underlying tenderness throughout the book that pulls you forward, until you find yourself rooting for Bill, for reckoning, healing, and self-recognition.”

Rachelle Miller, LICSWCertified IFS Therapist, Friend and Colleague

“Reading Surviving Myself was both a gift and a reckoning. As Bill Tierney’s daughter, I thought I knew my father’s story — but this memoir showed me how much I didn’t know, and how much courage it took for him to finally tell it. His writing is honest, restrained, and deeply human. There is no sensationalism here — only truth. It’s not a story of resolution; it’s a story of recognition. And that makes it all the more powerful.”

Sarah RushtonDaughter

“Surviving Myself is a spare, powerful memoir that draws you into a childhood lived like a battleground. Tierney positions the reader at his side as a watchful observer, aware that the scenes unfolding are not ‘correct,’ which conveys the helplessness and danger of each moment. His prose is spare, powerful, and rhythmic like a drumbeat. Woven through the stark sentences is a level of detail that could only come from a child trained by circumstance to use every faculty to anticipate danger.”

Norah Edelstein

“Surviving Myself is one of those rare books that grabs you by the collar on the first page and doesn’t let go. Bill has done something extraordinarily brave here — he has laid himself completely bare, holding nothing back. What moved me most was not just the darkness Bill survived, but the dignity with which he tells it. I have walked my own road of recovery, and I can tell you with twenty years of sobriety behind me: this book is the real thing.”

Jason Malone

“Having had a childhood in an extremely dysfunctional alcoholic family, reading Bill Tierney’s book vividly resurrected the challenges of the dichotomy of broken and beautiful that adult children of alcoholics face constantly. Thanks to Bill’s honest, humble, self-reflective, and clear prose, I left this book feeling deeply appreciative of the sheer breadth of his own transformation along with my own. Anyone who’s had to come to grips with their humanity, flaws and all, will be fortified, validated, and inspired.”

Geoff LaughtonRelationship Coach, Best-selling Author

“Written with raw honesty and acute insight, Surviving Myself is both heart-wrenching and deeply moving — I couldn’t put it down. It shows the far-reaching impact an extraordinarily painful early life has on a young man’s inner world and his life experiences, and how through courageous honesty and determination he chooses to change the course of his life. An inspirational read.”

Sarah Kane LawsonIFS Informed Therapist, Australia

“In his compelling memoir, Bill Tierney offers an unflinching look into his life growing up in an abusive home, navigating the tumultuous journey from a fearful six-year-old to a married man with children. As he grapples with the suffocating weight of rage and shame, he relies on a strong work ethic and alcohol to keep his demons at bay. This powerful narrative resonates with anyone facing their own battles.”

Alison DyerCertified IFS Practitioner

“Putting expression, understanding, and caring awareness toward the pain of younger parts’ lived experience — it’s inspiring to have an intimate lens into the world of discovering and appreciating one’s true essence outside the survival patterns of traumatic childhood experience.”

Islena FaircrestIFS Practitioner, co-author of the Parts Work Guidebook

“Forthright and vivid, Surviving Myself captures the confusion and impossibility we face growing up. And even when Billy endures tragedies above and beyond my own childhood experiences, the author Bill’s resilience compels deep compassion and yearning for a better world.”

Martin Kettelhut, PhD

“The hallmark of a meaningful memoir is the ability to hear the author’s genuine voice. I think Bill has accomplished this in his direct and honest account of many personal, embarrassing, mortifying and humorous episodes in his life. His stories are relatable, compelling, and entertaining.”

Martha AgnewK–8 Teacher, Reading Specialist