Download or read book I Am a Heroin Addict written by Ritchie Farrell and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-05-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A work of compelling honesty. The writing is so powerful, so brutally sure of voice and experience that the reader is immediately jolted straight into the hellish existence of addiction." - Mary McGarry Morris, New York Times Bestselling Author "I am a Heroin Addict" was previously published as "What's Left of Us" by Kensington in 2009. However, there was no heroin epidemic at the time. Today, the opioid epidemic has become America's worst health crisis ever. Accidental drug overdoses killed more people in 2015 than HIV/AIDS at its 1995 peak. Heroin is a Beast, and that Beast has infiltrated every town and city in America. The Beast has come for your sons and daughters. The Beast is hunting for your fathers and mothers. And that Beast has only one mission, to bury as many Americans as possible. Farrell's ultimate goal is that his life story brings hope to all those suffering through the insidious trap of opioid addiction. "I am a Heroin Addict" is the story of how Ritchie Farrell survived a 10-bag-a-day heroin habit to become a bestselling author, WGA screenwriter, and recipient of the prestigious du-Pont-Columbia Award for excellence in journalism. "In the stripped-down, busted-and-back voice of a man with absolutely nothing left to hide, Farrell gives us this deeply moving tale of addiction and redemption. I am a Heroin Addict is a rush of blood to the head and heart, the kind that only true art can deliver." Andre Dubus III, New York Times Bestselling Author "How Ritchie Farrell survived his life, I'll never know." - Scott Silver, Academy Award Nominated Screenwriter of 8 Mile and The Fighter "A wild ride from start to finish. Riveting." - Chris Cooper, Academy Award Winning Actor "Ritchie Farrell's raw and visceral writing grabs you, slams you into the soul of an addict, and doesn't let go until you experience the courage it takes to wage a life-or-death war against your inner demons." Harry Ufland, Producer of The Last Temptation of Christ "It is a testament to Farrell's stunning writing power that he carries you on this rollercoaster ride of ugliness and beauty. Don't miss it." - Phyllis Karas, New York Times Bestselling Author

Download or read book What s Left of Us written by Richard Farrell and published by Kensington Publishing Corp.. This book was released on 2009-07-01 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Blunt and honest. . .A stunning piece of work." --T.J. English "Deeply moving. . .What's Left of Us is a rush of blood to the head and heart, the kind only true art can deliver." --Andre Dubus "An amazing story not just of survival, but redemption." --Mary McGarry Morris Richie Farrell grew up in a working-class Irish neighborhood in Massachusetts. To overcome a birth defect, his father pushed him to become a star athlete, grooming him for Notre Dame. Sometimes, he would use a belt as a learning tool. Once, he used an electric carving knife. . . The headline read Crippled at Birth: Farrell Now Grid Star. A month later, I tore up my knee and fell in love with pain medication. By time he was thirty, Richie was a heroin addict, stealing from friends, shooting up during visits to his children, living in abandoned mill buildings, running from the shameful secrets of his family. Hopeless and in pain, he attempted suicide. When that failed, he was ordered to detox. He looked at me. "Be honest," he said, "or you'll be on the street in 15 minutes. Jail, death, or honesty. You choose." In this harrowing, astounding memoir, Richard Farrell chronicles a life of desperation, violence, lies--and the pure oblivion of heroin. A gritty, hauntingly written tale of a descent into hell and a slow, uncertain climb out of it, What's Left Of Us is a true story of redemption: of how low a man can get, and how hard he must fight to escape a shattered life. . . "[Farrell] carries you on this rollercoaster ride of ugliness and beauty. Don't miss it." --Phyllis Karas Richard Farrell is an author, filmmaker, teacher, journalist, and adjunct professor of English at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. His documentary, High on Crack Street, was aired on HBO and received Columbia University's duPont Award. He is the co-author of A Criminal and an Irishman: The Inside Story of the Mob-IRA Connection. He is the screenwriter for the upcoming film The Fighter, and makes his home in Milford, New Hampshire.

Download or read book Suburban Junky written by Jude Hassan and published by Jude Hassan. This book was released on 2012-11 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jude Hassan came from an upper-middle class household in suburban St. Louis. For most of his life, he was an all-around normal kid. He excelled in sports and academics, and cherished his time at home with his family. It wasn't until he turned fifteen that things went seriously wrong. While attending his first high school party, he was introduced to pot and alcohol. Needless to say, he gave in to the pressure. A month after that, he discovered heroin. The drug had just made its way into the suburban party scene, and Jude was sure that he could get away with doing it only once. He was sadly mistaken. Within a few short months, his entire life was in shambles. In a series of events that leaves you grasping for the next page, Jude spares no amount of detail in his account of his near-decade long struggle with drug addiction, and the horrors he witnessed along the way.

Download or read book The Biology of Desire written by Marc Lewis and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2015-07-14 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through the vivid, true stories of five people who journeyed into and out of addiction, a renowned neuroscientist explains why the "disease model" of addiction is wrong and illuminates the path to recovery. The psychiatric establishment and rehab industry in the Western world have branded addiction a brain disease. But in The Biology of Desire, cognitive neuroscientist and former addict Marc Lewis makes a convincing case that addiction is not a disease, and shows why the disease model has become an obstacle to healing. Lewis reveals addiction as an unintended consequence of the brain doing what it's supposed to do-seek pleasure and relief-in a world that's not cooperating. As a result, most treatment based on the disease model fails. Lewis shows how treatment can be retooled to achieve lasting recovery. This is enlightening and optimistic reading for anyone who has wrestled with addiction either personally or professionally.

Download or read book Drug Use for Grown Ups written by Dr. Carl L. Hart and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Hart’s argument that we need to drastically revise our current view of illegal drugs is both powerful and timely . . . when it comes to the legacy of this country’s war on drugs, we should all share his outrage.” —The New York Times Book Review From one of the world's foremost experts on the subject, a powerful argument that the greatest damage from drugs flows from their being illegal, and a hopeful reckoning with the possibility of their use as part of a responsible and happy life Dr. Carl L. Hart, Ziff Professor at Columbia University and former chair of the Department of Psychology, is one of the world's preeminent experts on the effects of so-called recreational drugs on the human mind and body. Dr. Hart is open about the fact that he uses drugs himself, in a happy balance with the rest of his full and productive life as a researcher and professor, husband, father, and friend. In Drug Use for Grown-Ups, he draws on decades of research and his own personal experience to argue definitively that the criminalization and demonization of drug use--not drugs themselves--have been a tremendous scourge on America, not least in reinforcing this country's enduring structural racism. Dr. Hart did not always have this view. He came of age in one of Miami's most troubled neighborhoods at a time when many ills were being laid at the door of crack cocaine. His initial work as a researcher was aimed at proving that drug use caused bad outcomes. But one problem kept cropping up: the evidence from his research did not support his hypothesis. From inside the massively well-funded research arm of the American war on drugs, he saw how the facts did not support the ideology. The truth was dismissed and distorted in order to keep fear and outrage stoked, the funds rolling in, and Black and brown bodies behind bars. Drug Use for Grown-Ups will be controversial, to be sure: the propaganda war, Dr. Hart argues, has been tremendously effective. Imagine if the only subject of any discussion about driving automobiles was fatal car crashes. Drug Use for Grown-Ups offers a radically different vision: when used responsibly, drugs can enrich and enhance our lives. We have a long way to go, but the vital conversation this book will generate is an extraordinarily important step.

Download or read book We Are the Family of a Heroin Addict written by T. I. Ridic and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2018-07-20 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of a family in a small community whose journey of life took a severe turn when the eldest child discloses her nine-year heroin addiction. This disclosure sets into place a whirlwind change in all family dynamics as each member tries to acknowledge their emotions and new roles to support staying strong and connected to one another. It is also a book that illustrates the difficulty of staying together as a family in the face of the lack of being in sync with one anothers emotional and intellectual reactions. We have tried to be as real as possible with our anger, frustration, disappointment, happiness, pride, and amazement on how this part of our lives has turned out. It is not something we asked for, but it is something we have conquered. This is a story of losing and winning the pathway of recovery from both a family and individual perspective. Each chapter talks from an individual family members reality of what is going on, and it ends with the daughter who has/had the heroin addiction and her perspective of the family. We have added updates at the end to try to create an ending of sorts, knowing we will still be here over the next years fighting the good battle of sobriety as a family who has made it and stayed together through the addiction storm.

Download or read book Christiane F written by Christiane F. and published by . This book was released on 1982-01-01 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Mask of a Suburban Heroin Addict written by Matthew Morris and published by . This book was released on 2017-01-20 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you or a loved one addicted to heroin or opiates? If so you are not alone.I have been down that rocky road and also been fortunate enough to recover.I can't promise you or your loved one sobriety, but I can promise that there is hope!After spending many years in the suburbs of Dallas addicted to Heroin and other drugs, I finally ended up in rehab and sober living. The first half of my story gives an insightful look into the behaviors and patterns that led me to heroin addiction. I have experienced most of the ups and downs heroin addiction has to offer, and been fortunate enough to survive.The second half of the book is where I feel that the best education lies. I cover my first stay in rehab, my life in the sober community I ended up in, and the many successes and failures of my 3 years of recovery. One of the main purposes of this section is for me to give an honest look at addiction treatment, rehab, recovery and sober living. My stories and facts are taken from my life, as well as the many addicts I tried to help as a sober house manager.I conclude the book with a chapter where I discuss my thoughts on addiction and recovery, based on what my experiences were over the last 10 years. I am not a professional or a counselor, but I have written this book to be an informative as possible.Because I am just an addict myself, this book will give you a unique perspective on drug addiction and recovery.If you are a drug addict I cannot promise that my book is going to get you sober. I can promise that, if you are interested in addiction, and ESPECIALLY if you are a family member or loved one of an addict, my book will provide a look at heroin addiction like nothing else!

Download or read book High Achiever written by Tiffany Jenkins and published by Harmony. This book was released on 2019-06-18 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An up-close portrait of the mind of an addict and a life unraveled by narcotics—a memoir of captivating urgency and surprising humor that puts a human face on the opioid crisis. “Raw, brutal, and shocking. Move over, Orange Is the New Black.”—Amy Dresner, author of My Fair Junkie When word got out that Tiffany Jenkins was withdrawing from opiates on the floor of a jail cell, people in her town were shocked. Not because of the twenty felonies she’d committed, or the nature of her crimes, or even that she’d been captain of the high school cheerleading squad just a few years earlier, but because her boyfriend was a Deputy Sherriff, and his friends—their friends—were the ones who’d arrested her. A raw and twisty page-turning memoir that reads like fiction, High Achiever spans Tiffany’s life as an active opioid addict, her 120 days in a Florida jail where every officer despised what she’d done to their brother in blue, and her eventual recovery. With heart-racing urgency and unflinching honesty, Jenkins takes you inside the grips of addiction and the desperate decisions it breeds. She is a born storyteller who lived an incredible story, from blackmail by an ex-boyfriend to a soul-shattering deal with a drug dealer, and her telling brims with suspense and unexpected wit. But the true surprise is her path to recovery. Tiffany breaks through the stigma and silence to offer hope and inspiration to anyone battling the disease—whether it’s a loved one or themselves.

Download or read book Heroin written by Julie O'Toole and published by Maverick House . This book was released on 2015-01-08 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Julie grew up in the heart of Dublin’s north inner city, in Sheriff Street. Living in this tough area, she was exposed to crime and drugs. She started using heroin when she was 16. By the time she was 18 she was a chronic addict. This story details how she spent the next four years living on the streets of Dublin; dealing drugs and stealing to feed her habit. It is a snapshot of how a young girl became a victim of circumstances. It happened in Dublin, but it could have happened anywhere in the world. Her life was saved by a chance encounter with a drugs counsellor who brought her to first to London, and then to America where she de-toxed and slowly began to rebuild her life.

Download or read book White Out written by Michael W. Clune and published by Hazelden Publishing. This book was released on 2013-03-19 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: White Out

Download or read book Painkillers Heroin and the Road to Sanity written by Joani Gammill and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-06-10 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recovery from prescription painkiller or heroin addiction can feel impossible, with low numbers of people sustaining recovery. But there is hope. With guidance from those in long-term recovery, along with new approaches to treatment, a healthy, drug-free life is possible. Recovery from prescription painkiller or heroin addiction can feel impossible, especially considering that those who have gone through typical twenty-eight-day treatment programs often experience relapses and sometimes even fatal overdoses. But there is hope.In Painkillers, Heroin, and the Road to Sanity, recovering addict and prominent interventionist Joani Gammill offers a radically effective approach for those struggling with opiate addiction, sharing sometimes controversial tips that have worked for others who are in long-term recovery. Gammill examines the science behind the low numbers of people sustaining recovery from the disease of opiate addiction. Tapping the pioneering work of treatment professionals whose new approaches are changing the way we think about opiate addiction, she offers practical steps for creating a realistic and effective recovery plan.Gammill affirms that recovery from opiate addiction is a process, not an event. This honest and trustworthy guide reveals that, although it may not happen in one detox or treatment experience, a healthy, drug-free life is possible.

Download or read book Who Says I m an Addict written by David Smallwood and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2014-06-02 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you worry that you drink too much? Or perhaps you fear that your dependence on drugs, food, sex, or some other vice is spiralling out of control, and taking your quality of life with it? In Who Says I'm an Addict?, David Smallwood looks at the issue of addiction with compassion, clarity, and wisdom that comes not only from his own difficult journey with addiction, but from his considerable experience overseeing treatment programmes in rehabilitation clinics. David looks in detail at all areas of addiction, from denial, hitting rock bottom, and dealing with shame and guilt, to how our family of origin and the traumas we go through in childhood influence us in later life. He then explores the road to long-term recovery, guiding the reader on how to do the emotional work necessary to ensure that they avoid relapse and can finally lay their demons to rest and get on with re-building their life.

Download or read book I Am Your Disease written by Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis and published by Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis. This book was released on 2006-10 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Mom, nobody wakes up one day and decides to be an addict." The stories contained in this book are about people from every walk of life, socioeconomic levels, religious and ethnic backgrounds whose lives were intertwined with people who didnt "decide to be an addict." They all share one common bond - living with, and loving an addicted person. Contained within the pages of this book are stories by bereaved parents who have suffered the ultimate loss: The loss of their precious child. Read how addiction, whether it be drugs, alcohol or gambling, destroys not only the addicted person, but their entire circle of friends and family. No one escapes the tentacles of addiction. Like an octopus it reaches its deadly arms around us and squeezes the very life out of all of us. Our society is affected in ways we never imagined. Read excerpts from middle school students on the peer pressures they face today. Read about "pharming" and other code words used by kids. Read the stories of parents who have gone through hell, sacrificing their very sanity trying to save their child. The profiles of these children will change your mind about what kind of people do drugs. GOOD KIDS DO DRUGS TOO! And theyre dying by the thousands from high profile celebrities to the boys and girls next door. It isnt always heroin or cocaine thats killing them. Prescription pill abuse is growing at an alarming rate and parents need to know about this.

Download or read book Memoirs of an Addicted Brain written by Marc Lewis and published by Doubleday Canada. This book was released on 2011-10-04 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gripping, ultimately triumphant memoir that's also the most comprehensive and comprehensible study of the neuroscience of addiction written for the general public. FROM THE INTRODUCTION: "We are prone to a cycle of craving what we don't have, finding it, using it up or losing it, and then craving it all the more. This cycle is at the root of all addictions, addictions to drugs, sex, love, cigarettes, soap operas, wealth, and wisdom itself. But why should this be so? Why are we desperate for what we don't have, or can't have, often at great cost to what we do have, thereby risking our peace and contentment, our safety, and even our lives?" The answer, says Dr. Marc Lewis, lies in the structure and function of the human brain. Marc Lewis is a distinguished neuroscientist. And, for many years, he was a drug addict himself, dependent on a series of dangerous substances, from LSD to heroin. His narrative moves back and forth between the often dark, compellingly recounted story of his relationship with drugs and a revelatory analysis of what was going on in his brain. He shows how drugs speak to the brain - which is designed to seek rewards and soothe pain - in its own language. He shows in detail the neural mechanics of a variety of powerful drugs and of the onset of addiction, itself a distortion of normal perception. Dr. Lewis freed himself from addiction and ended up studying it. At the age of 30 he traded in his pharmaceutical supplies for the life of a graduate student, eventually becoming a professor of developmental psychology, and then of neuroscience - his field for the last 12 years. This is the story of his journey, seen from the inside out.

Download or read book I was a Drug Addict written by Leroy Street and published by Arlington House Publishers. This book was released on 1973 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Pathways from Heroin Addiction written by Patrick Biernacki and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: