Author: Anna Lembke
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421421402
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 187
Book Description
The disturbing connection between well-meaning physicians and the prescription drug epidemic. Three out of four people addicted to heroin probably started on a prescription opioid, according to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the United States alone, 16,000 people die each year as a result of prescription opioid overdose. But perhaps the most frightening aspect of the prescription drug epidemic is that it’s built on well-meaning doctors treating patients with real problems. In Drug Dealer, MD, Dr. Anna Lembke uncovers the unseen forces driving opioid addiction nationwide. Combining case studies from her own practice with vital statistics drawn from public policy, cultural anthropology, and neuroscience, she explores the complex relationship between doctors and patients, the science of addiction, and the barriers to successfully addressing drug dependence and addiction. Even when addiction is recognized by doctors and their patients, she argues, many doctors don’t know how to treat it, connections to treatment are lacking, and insurance companies won’t pay for rehab. Full of extensive interviews—with health care providers, pharmacists, social workers, hospital administrators, insurance company executives, journalists, economists, advocates, and patients and their families—Drug Dealer, MD, is for anyone whose life has been touched in some way by addiction to prescription drugs. Dr. Lembke gives voice to the millions of Americans struggling with prescription drugs while singling out the real culprits behind the rise in opioid addiction: cultural narratives that promote pills as quick fixes, pharmaceutical corporations in cahoots with organized medicine, and a new medical bureaucracy focused on the bottom line that favors pills, procedures, and patient satisfaction over wellness. Dr. Lembke concludes that the prescription drug epidemic is a symptom of a faltering health care system, the solution for which lies in rethinking how health care is delivered.
Drug Dealer, MD
Author: Anna Lembke
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421421402
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 187
Book Description
The disturbing connection between well-meaning physicians and the prescription drug epidemic. Three out of four people addicted to heroin probably started on a prescription opioid, according to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the United States alone, 16,000 people die each year as a result of prescription opioid overdose. But perhaps the most frightening aspect of the prescription drug epidemic is that it’s built on well-meaning doctors treating patients with real problems. In Drug Dealer, MD, Dr. Anna Lembke uncovers the unseen forces driving opioid addiction nationwide. Combining case studies from her own practice with vital statistics drawn from public policy, cultural anthropology, and neuroscience, she explores the complex relationship between doctors and patients, the science of addiction, and the barriers to successfully addressing drug dependence and addiction. Even when addiction is recognized by doctors and their patients, she argues, many doctors don’t know how to treat it, connections to treatment are lacking, and insurance companies won’t pay for rehab. Full of extensive interviews—with health care providers, pharmacists, social workers, hospital administrators, insurance company executives, journalists, economists, advocates, and patients and their families—Drug Dealer, MD, is for anyone whose life has been touched in some way by addiction to prescription drugs. Dr. Lembke gives voice to the millions of Americans struggling with prescription drugs while singling out the real culprits behind the rise in opioid addiction: cultural narratives that promote pills as quick fixes, pharmaceutical corporations in cahoots with organized medicine, and a new medical bureaucracy focused on the bottom line that favors pills, procedures, and patient satisfaction over wellness. Dr. Lembke concludes that the prescription drug epidemic is a symptom of a faltering health care system, the solution for which lies in rethinking how health care is delivered.
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421421402
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 187
Book Description
The disturbing connection between well-meaning physicians and the prescription drug epidemic. Three out of four people addicted to heroin probably started on a prescription opioid, according to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the United States alone, 16,000 people die each year as a result of prescription opioid overdose. But perhaps the most frightening aspect of the prescription drug epidemic is that it’s built on well-meaning doctors treating patients with real problems. In Drug Dealer, MD, Dr. Anna Lembke uncovers the unseen forces driving opioid addiction nationwide. Combining case studies from her own practice with vital statistics drawn from public policy, cultural anthropology, and neuroscience, she explores the complex relationship between doctors and patients, the science of addiction, and the barriers to successfully addressing drug dependence and addiction. Even when addiction is recognized by doctors and their patients, she argues, many doctors don’t know how to treat it, connections to treatment are lacking, and insurance companies won’t pay for rehab. Full of extensive interviews—with health care providers, pharmacists, social workers, hospital administrators, insurance company executives, journalists, economists, advocates, and patients and their families—Drug Dealer, MD, is for anyone whose life has been touched in some way by addiction to prescription drugs. Dr. Lembke gives voice to the millions of Americans struggling with prescription drugs while singling out the real culprits behind the rise in opioid addiction: cultural narratives that promote pills as quick fixes, pharmaceutical corporations in cahoots with organized medicine, and a new medical bureaucracy focused on the bottom line that favors pills, procedures, and patient satisfaction over wellness. Dr. Lembke concludes that the prescription drug epidemic is a symptom of a faltering health care system, the solution for which lies in rethinking how health care is delivered.
Dopamine Nation
Author: Dr. Anna Lembke
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1524746746
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 305
Book Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES and LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER “Brilliant . . . riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued.”—Beth Macy, author of Dopesick This book is about pleasure. It’s also about pain. Most important, it’s about how to find the delicate balance between the two, and why now more than ever finding balance is essential. We’re living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting . . . The increased numbers, variety, and potency is staggering. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. As such we’ve all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption. In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain . . . and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives. In essence, Dopamine Nation shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1524746746
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 305
Book Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES and LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER “Brilliant . . . riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued.”—Beth Macy, author of Dopesick This book is about pleasure. It’s also about pain. Most important, it’s about how to find the delicate balance between the two, and why now more than ever finding balance is essential. We’re living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting . . . The increased numbers, variety, and potency is staggering. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. As such we’ve all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption. In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain . . . and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives. In essence, Dopamine Nation shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.
Drug Dealer Part 1
Author: Isadore Johnson
Publisher: Inklife Publishing LLC
ISBN: 0984967427
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Is The Movie You Must Read.. From the moment that fifteen year-old “Ty” (Tyrell Nobles), first ventured out into the streets and started hustling, his life was forever changed from that of the average ghetto youth into one of a seemingly complicated adult. He had placed himself in a direct position to be exposed to all the dangerous violence, influences and negative temptations that the cold drug world had to offer. His choices on a personal and political level would ultimately come to determine the outcome of the freedom, safety and aspirations of his family as well as the people living within the ghettos. –That is, having risen in power and considered to be one of the most controversial and influential “Drug Dealers” in the U.S. You will learn how staying alive while trying to restructure the game itself to benefit those most harmed by it had become his priority.
Publisher: Inklife Publishing LLC
ISBN: 0984967427
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Is The Movie You Must Read.. From the moment that fifteen year-old “Ty” (Tyrell Nobles), first ventured out into the streets and started hustling, his life was forever changed from that of the average ghetto youth into one of a seemingly complicated adult. He had placed himself in a direct position to be exposed to all the dangerous violence, influences and negative temptations that the cold drug world had to offer. His choices on a personal and political level would ultimately come to determine the outcome of the freedom, safety and aspirations of his family as well as the people living within the ghettos. –That is, having risen in power and considered to be one of the most controversial and influential “Drug Dealers” in the U.S. You will learn how staying alive while trying to restructure the game itself to benefit those most harmed by it had become his priority.
Lifestyle Psychiatry
Author: Douglas L. Noordsy, M.D.
Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub
ISBN: 1615371664
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 418
Book Description
Exercise, a healthy diet, stress management, sound sleep: Most practitioners would agree that living well can mitigate the impact of mental disorders. Yet many are unprepared to address lifestyle factors in their care of patients. Lifestyle Psychiatry seeks to instill confidence by collating and analyzing the impressive emerging body of evidence that supports the efficacy of healthy lifestyle practices -- both as the primary intervention and in conjunction with traditional treatments such as psychopharmacology or psychotherapy -- in preventing and managing psychiatric disorders. This volume examines the impact of lifestyle interventions -- from exercise, yoga, and tai chi to mindfulness and meditation, diet and nutrition, and sleep management -- on psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. Readers can readily find data to support the use of specific lifestyle interventions for a patient presenting with a specific disorder. Detailed descriptions of the mechanisms of each lifestyle intervention also prepare practitioners to educate their patients on the specific neurobiological and psychological effects of these interventions to support their recovery. With chapters that focus on developing a robust therapeutic alliance and inspiring patients to assume responsibility for their own well-being, this guide provides a framework for lasting, sustainable lifestyle changes. Additionally, the book discusses the impact of the provider's lifestyle on clinical behavior and the implications of lifestyle medicine and psychiatry for health care systems and population health, offering a broader examination of the important role this new field can play in leading a sophisticated, holistic approach to optimizing wellness.
Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub
ISBN: 1615371664
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 418
Book Description
Exercise, a healthy diet, stress management, sound sleep: Most practitioners would agree that living well can mitigate the impact of mental disorders. Yet many are unprepared to address lifestyle factors in their care of patients. Lifestyle Psychiatry seeks to instill confidence by collating and analyzing the impressive emerging body of evidence that supports the efficacy of healthy lifestyle practices -- both as the primary intervention and in conjunction with traditional treatments such as psychopharmacology or psychotherapy -- in preventing and managing psychiatric disorders. This volume examines the impact of lifestyle interventions -- from exercise, yoga, and tai chi to mindfulness and meditation, diet and nutrition, and sleep management -- on psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. Readers can readily find data to support the use of specific lifestyle interventions for a patient presenting with a specific disorder. Detailed descriptions of the mechanisms of each lifestyle intervention also prepare practitioners to educate their patients on the specific neurobiological and psychological effects of these interventions to support their recovery. With chapters that focus on developing a robust therapeutic alliance and inspiring patients to assume responsibility for their own well-being, this guide provides a framework for lasting, sustainable lifestyle changes. Additionally, the book discusses the impact of the provider's lifestyle on clinical behavior and the implications of lifestyle medicine and psychiatry for health care systems and population health, offering a broader examination of the important role this new field can play in leading a sophisticated, holistic approach to optimizing wellness.
Dopesick
Author: Beth Macy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1788549368
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 495
Book Description
Now a major TV series on Disney+ 'A shocking investigation... Dopesick is essential' The Times 'Unfolds with all the pace of a thriller' Observer 'A deep – and deeply needed – look into the troubled soul of America' Tom Hanks 'Essential reading' New York Times Beth Macy reveals the disturbing truth behind America's opioid crisis and explains how a nation has become enslaved to prescription drugs. This powerful and moving story explains how a large corporation, Purdue, encouraged small town doctors to prescribe OxyContin to a country already awash in painkillers. The drug's dangerously addictive nature was hidden, whilst many used it as an escape, to numb the pain of of joblessness and the need to pay the bills. Macy tries to answer a grieving mother's question – why her only son died – and comes away with a harrowing tale of greed and need.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1788549368
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 495
Book Description
Now a major TV series on Disney+ 'A shocking investigation... Dopesick is essential' The Times 'Unfolds with all the pace of a thriller' Observer 'A deep – and deeply needed – look into the troubled soul of America' Tom Hanks 'Essential reading' New York Times Beth Macy reveals the disturbing truth behind America's opioid crisis and explains how a nation has become enslaved to prescription drugs. This powerful and moving story explains how a large corporation, Purdue, encouraged small town doctors to prescribe OxyContin to a country already awash in painkillers. The drug's dangerously addictive nature was hidden, whilst many used it as an escape, to numb the pain of of joblessness and the need to pay the bills. Macy tries to answer a grieving mother's question – why her only son died – and comes away with a harrowing tale of greed and need.
The Unmaking of a Drug Dealer
Author: Patricia Hopkins
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781098354275
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 314
Book Description
This book follows Dr Hopkins in her journey from physician to healer. After spending the first 20 years of her career providing excellent diagnostic acumen, she realized that the drugs had limited longterm efficacy. As a rheumatologist, challenging patients filled her day however her scientific mind started to look at why so many people were suffering. why in a country of such wealth people were so sick. the data started supporting what she was seeing everyday. Chronically ill patients, autoimmune diseases increasing, and patients spending much of their life and resources trying to get better. in 1988, a pregnancy was complicated by severe Spina Bifida. After losing the child, she began her journey into the land of wellness without drugs. How could the medical community in 1988 not know about the importance of folic acid, a simple vitamin easily accessible. Were our foods no longer adequate sources of nutrition. Why was knowledge of any vitamin or mineral not part of the armamentarium used to bridge people to wellness. Were we just relying on a corrupted food change, watching morbid obesity in our country reach 36%, and liver disease start affecting our adolescent population with many of them having adult diseases in their teen years. Liver transplants from fatty liver, gallbladder disease and type 2 diabetes now plague our population under the age of 20. Chronic diseases that reflect our diet and life styles will be over 50% in the next decade. Like global warming, we can no longer afford to practice medicine the old way, namely, if you have a symptom, I have a drug that will cover up that symptom. We must now teach our your physicians to question WHY would anyone have these symptoms. This is my journey. In 1916, just over 100 years ago, the Flexnor report demanded the closing of most medical schools in the country. The US was facing a world war, starvation and the beginning of the flu season. Infections such has small pox, cholera, the plague, measles, influenza consumed the attention of the medical community. Scientific method was the cornerstone of learning in Paris and Germany. In order to bring our standards up to those in Europe, all naturopathic schools were closed in the USA. Simon FLexnor, MD felt that the USA should take the lead in the world for solving these problems. With the HOPKINS university, and Dr John Welsh, they established the blueprint for research of vaccines and medications. The AMA and the Rockfeller family backed the change from naturopathy to allopathy. Now a century later, we need a new paradigm to address the pandemic of chronic disease that plague people with access to food, clean water, waste management and vaccines. Why is everyone so sick. The pandemic of 2020 has highlighted the dire health of so many in the USA with obesity rates at 40% of the population and vitamin D deficiency, which I will say is a level below 50, is probably close to 90%. It is time that the educators restructure the medical school curriculum to introduce nutrition and lifestyle medicine into the curriculum. Like global warming, we can no longer wait.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781098354275
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 314
Book Description
This book follows Dr Hopkins in her journey from physician to healer. After spending the first 20 years of her career providing excellent diagnostic acumen, she realized that the drugs had limited longterm efficacy. As a rheumatologist, challenging patients filled her day however her scientific mind started to look at why so many people were suffering. why in a country of such wealth people were so sick. the data started supporting what she was seeing everyday. Chronically ill patients, autoimmune diseases increasing, and patients spending much of their life and resources trying to get better. in 1988, a pregnancy was complicated by severe Spina Bifida. After losing the child, she began her journey into the land of wellness without drugs. How could the medical community in 1988 not know about the importance of folic acid, a simple vitamin easily accessible. Were our foods no longer adequate sources of nutrition. Why was knowledge of any vitamin or mineral not part of the armamentarium used to bridge people to wellness. Were we just relying on a corrupted food change, watching morbid obesity in our country reach 36%, and liver disease start affecting our adolescent population with many of them having adult diseases in their teen years. Liver transplants from fatty liver, gallbladder disease and type 2 diabetes now plague our population under the age of 20. Chronic diseases that reflect our diet and life styles will be over 50% in the next decade. Like global warming, we can no longer afford to practice medicine the old way, namely, if you have a symptom, I have a drug that will cover up that symptom. We must now teach our your physicians to question WHY would anyone have these symptoms. This is my journey. In 1916, just over 100 years ago, the Flexnor report demanded the closing of most medical schools in the country. The US was facing a world war, starvation and the beginning of the flu season. Infections such has small pox, cholera, the plague, measles, influenza consumed the attention of the medical community. Scientific method was the cornerstone of learning in Paris and Germany. In order to bring our standards up to those in Europe, all naturopathic schools were closed in the USA. Simon FLexnor, MD felt that the USA should take the lead in the world for solving these problems. With the HOPKINS university, and Dr John Welsh, they established the blueprint for research of vaccines and medications. The AMA and the Rockfeller family backed the change from naturopathy to allopathy. Now a century later, we need a new paradigm to address the pandemic of chronic disease that plague people with access to food, clean water, waste management and vaccines. Why is everyone so sick. The pandemic of 2020 has highlighted the dire health of so many in the USA with obesity rates at 40% of the population and vitamin D deficiency, which I will say is a level below 50, is probably close to 90%. It is time that the educators restructure the medical school curriculum to introduce nutrition and lifestyle medicine into the curriculum. Like global warming, we can no longer wait.
Doctor Dealer
Author: George Anastasia
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 0593097769
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
"Dr. James Kauffman and his wife, April, were the perfect couple: a respected endocrinologist and a beautiful radio host. But under the surface lurked a world of drugs, sex, and biker gangs--and Dr. Kauffman would kill to keep it secret ... Told by two accomplished reporters and authors with exclusive insights and details provided by two principle players, this is the story about one man's descent into evil and the people he took with him. It's a story about a doctor who helped flood the streets with opioids, about a husband who hid dark secrets from his wives, and about a man so consumed with greed and arrogance that he thought he could get away with murder"--
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 0593097769
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
"Dr. James Kauffman and his wife, April, were the perfect couple: a respected endocrinologist and a beautiful radio host. But under the surface lurked a world of drugs, sex, and biker gangs--and Dr. Kauffman would kill to keep it secret ... Told by two accomplished reporters and authors with exclusive insights and details provided by two principle players, this is the story about one man's descent into evil and the people he took with him. It's a story about a doctor who helped flood the streets with opioids, about a husband who hid dark secrets from his wives, and about a man so consumed with greed and arrogance that he thought he could get away with murder"--
How to Be a Drug Dealer
Author: 673126
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781505728798
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 110
Book Description
Are you tired of working all day and night without having anything to show for it? Would you like to be able to afford a vacation, or just be your own boss? This book will do just that by teaching you How to be a Drug Dealer! Are you already a drug dealer, but want to expand your business? Look no further than this book to help you increase your profits and grow your empire!
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781505728798
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 110
Book Description
Are you tired of working all day and night without having anything to show for it? Would you like to be able to afford a vacation, or just be your own boss? This book will do just that by teaching you How to be a Drug Dealer! Are you already a drug dealer, but want to expand your business? Look no further than this book to help you increase your profits and grow your empire!
Random Family
Author: Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439124892
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 436
Book Description
Selected as One of the Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times Set amid the havoc of the War on Drugs, this New York Times bestseller is an "astonishingly intimate" (New York magazine) chronicle of one family’s triumphs and trials in the South Bronx of the 1990s. “Unmatched in depth and power and grace. A profound, achingly beautiful work of narrative nonfiction…The standard-bearer of embedded reportage.” —Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted In her classic bestseller, journalist Adrian Nicole LeBlanc immerses readers in the world of one family with roots in the Bronx, New York. In 1989, LeBlanc approached Jessica, a young mother whose encounter with the carceral state is about to forever change the direction of her life. This meeting redirected LeBlanc’s reporting, taking her past the perennial stories of crime and violence into the community of women and children who bear the brunt of the insidious violence of poverty. Her book bears witness to the teetering highs and devastating lows in the daily lives of Jessica, her family, and her expanding circle of friends. Set at the height of the War on Drugs, Random Family is a love story—an ode to the families that form us and the families we create for ourselves. Charting the tumultuous struggle of hope against deprivation over three generations, LeBlanc slips behind the statistics and comes back with a riveting, haunting, and distinctly American true story.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439124892
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 436
Book Description
Selected as One of the Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times Set amid the havoc of the War on Drugs, this New York Times bestseller is an "astonishingly intimate" (New York magazine) chronicle of one family’s triumphs and trials in the South Bronx of the 1990s. “Unmatched in depth and power and grace. A profound, achingly beautiful work of narrative nonfiction…The standard-bearer of embedded reportage.” —Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted In her classic bestseller, journalist Adrian Nicole LeBlanc immerses readers in the world of one family with roots in the Bronx, New York. In 1989, LeBlanc approached Jessica, a young mother whose encounter with the carceral state is about to forever change the direction of her life. This meeting redirected LeBlanc’s reporting, taking her past the perennial stories of crime and violence into the community of women and children who bear the brunt of the insidious violence of poverty. Her book bears witness to the teetering highs and devastating lows in the daily lives of Jessica, her family, and her expanding circle of friends. Set at the height of the War on Drugs, Random Family is a love story—an ode to the families that form us and the families we create for ourselves. Charting the tumultuous struggle of hope against deprivation over three generations, LeBlanc slips behind the statistics and comes back with a riveting, haunting, and distinctly American true story.
American Pain
Author: John Temple
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493019597
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
* Finalist for the Edgar® Award in Best Fact Crime * New York Post, “The Post’s Favorite Books of 2015” * Suspense Magazine’s “Best True Crime Books of 2015” * Foreword Reviews’ INDIEFAB Book of the Year in True Crime * Publishers Weekly, Big Indie Book of Fall 2015 The king of the Florida pill mills was American Pain, a mega-clinic expressly created to serve addicts posing as patients. From a fortress-like former bank building, American Pain’s doctors distributed massive quantities of oxycodone to hundreds of customers a day, mostly traffickers and addicts who came by the vanload. Inked muscle-heads ran the clinic’s security. Former strippers operated the pharmacy, counting out pills and stashing cash in garbage bags. Under their lab coats, the doctors carried guns—and it was all legal… sort of. American Pain was the brainchild of Chris George, a 27-year-old convicted drug felon. The son of a South Florida home builder, Chris George grew up in ultra-rich Wellington, where Bill Gates, Springsteen, and Madonna kept houses. Thick-necked from weightlifting, he and his twin brother hung out with mobsters, invested in strip clubs, brawled with cops, and grinned for their mug shots. After the housing market stalled, a local doctor clued in the brothers to the burgeoning underground market for lightly regulated prescription painkillers. In Florida, pain clinics could dispense the meds, and no one tracked the patients. Seizing the opportunity, Chris George teamed up with the doctor, and word got out. Just two years later Chris had raked in $40 million, and 90 percent of the pills his doctors prescribed flowed north to feed the rest of the country’s insatiable narcotics addiction. Meanwhile, hundreds more pain clinics in the mold of American Pain had popped up in the Sunshine State, creating a gigantic new drug industry. American Pain chronicles the rise and fall of this game-changing pill mill, and how it helped tip the nation into its current opioid crisis, the deadliest drug epidemic in American history. The narrative swings back and forth between Florida and Kentucky, and is populated by a gaudy and diverse cast of characters. This includes the incongruous band of wealthy bad boys, thugs and esteemed physicians who built American Pain, as well as penniless Kentucky clans who transformed themselves into painkiller trafficking rings. It includes addicts whose lives were devastated by American Pain’s drugs, and the federal agents and grieving mothers who labored for years to bring the clinic’s crew to justice.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493019597
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
* Finalist for the Edgar® Award in Best Fact Crime * New York Post, “The Post’s Favorite Books of 2015” * Suspense Magazine’s “Best True Crime Books of 2015” * Foreword Reviews’ INDIEFAB Book of the Year in True Crime * Publishers Weekly, Big Indie Book of Fall 2015 The king of the Florida pill mills was American Pain, a mega-clinic expressly created to serve addicts posing as patients. From a fortress-like former bank building, American Pain’s doctors distributed massive quantities of oxycodone to hundreds of customers a day, mostly traffickers and addicts who came by the vanload. Inked muscle-heads ran the clinic’s security. Former strippers operated the pharmacy, counting out pills and stashing cash in garbage bags. Under their lab coats, the doctors carried guns—and it was all legal… sort of. American Pain was the brainchild of Chris George, a 27-year-old convicted drug felon. The son of a South Florida home builder, Chris George grew up in ultra-rich Wellington, where Bill Gates, Springsteen, and Madonna kept houses. Thick-necked from weightlifting, he and his twin brother hung out with mobsters, invested in strip clubs, brawled with cops, and grinned for their mug shots. After the housing market stalled, a local doctor clued in the brothers to the burgeoning underground market for lightly regulated prescription painkillers. In Florida, pain clinics could dispense the meds, and no one tracked the patients. Seizing the opportunity, Chris George teamed up with the doctor, and word got out. Just two years later Chris had raked in $40 million, and 90 percent of the pills his doctors prescribed flowed north to feed the rest of the country’s insatiable narcotics addiction. Meanwhile, hundreds more pain clinics in the mold of American Pain had popped up in the Sunshine State, creating a gigantic new drug industry. American Pain chronicles the rise and fall of this game-changing pill mill, and how it helped tip the nation into its current opioid crisis, the deadliest drug epidemic in American history. The narrative swings back and forth between Florida and Kentucky, and is populated by a gaudy and diverse cast of characters. This includes the incongruous band of wealthy bad boys, thugs and esteemed physicians who built American Pain, as well as penniless Kentucky clans who transformed themselves into painkiller trafficking rings. It includes addicts whose lives were devastated by American Pain’s drugs, and the federal agents and grieving mothers who labored for years to bring the clinic’s crew to justice.