The Chips Are on the Table

With unflinching honesty, Teddy Assaly shares his journey from self-destructive behaviours to sobriety and recovery. The eldest of eight children, Teddy grew up feeling the pressure to be perfect. Feeling that no matter what he did, he could never do right, he became reckless and, in his teens, found escape in drugs, sex, and partying. After college and meeting a girl, he decided to set up his life on the East Coast, away from his family’s home in Ontario. But despite finding a great group of friends on the East Coast, living the dream, and being sober for a few years, he could not close the void within him, and by his late twenties, his life began to spiral out of control. Fuelled by cocaine and alcohol, his day benders became weeklong, and his addiction took on a life of its own. It wasn’t until his darkest day—a near death experience—that he was able to truly confront himself, reflect on his life, and begin his ascent to recovery.

In this deeply personal memoir, Teddy shows us how through sheer determination, hard work, and by incorporating the teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous, Stoic philosophy, and spirituality into his life, he was able to turn his trials into triumphs. An inspiring, insightful, and brave, The Chips Are on the Table is about finding hope and courage when all is lost.