I Am a Heroin Addict

I Am a Heroin Addict PDF Author: Ritchie Farrell
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781545319345
Category : Drug addicts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
"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

I Am a Heroin Addict

I Am a Heroin Addict PDF Author: Ritchie Farrell
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781545319345
Category : Drug addicts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
"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

What's Left of Us

What's Left of Us PDF Author: Richard Farrell
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
ISBN: 0806532440
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Get Book Here

Book Description
"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.

Drug Use for Grown-Ups

Drug Use for Grown-Ups PDF Author: Dr. Carl L. Hart
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101981660
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Get Book Here

Book Description
“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.

Heroin

Heroin PDF Author: Julie O'Toole
Publisher: Maverick House
ISBN: 1905379900
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 99

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

Suburban Junky

Suburban Junky PDF Author: Jude Hassan
Publisher: Jude Hassan
ISBN: 193822390X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 195

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

Christiane F.

Christiane F. PDF Author: Christiane F.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780553208979
Category : Drug abuse
Languages : en
Pages : 239

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Biology of Desire

The Biology of Desire PDF Author: Marc Lewis
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610394380
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 175

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

High Achiever

High Achiever PDF Author: Tiffany Jenkins
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0593135938
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

Magnesium in the Central Nervous System

Magnesium in the Central Nervous System PDF Author: Robert Vink
Publisher: University of Adelaide Press
ISBN: 0987073052
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Get Book Here

Book Description
The brain is the most complex organ in our body. Indeed, it is perhaps the most complex structure we have ever encountered in nature. Both structurally and functionally, there are many peculiarities that differentiate the brain from all other organs. The brain is our connection to the world around us and by governing nervous system and higher function, any disturbance induces severe neurological and psychiatric disorders that can have a devastating effect on quality of life. Our understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the brain has improved dramatically in the last two decades. In particular, the critical role of cations, including magnesium, has become evident, even if incompletely understood at a mechanistic level. The exact role and regulation of magnesium, in particular, remains elusive, largely because intracellular levels are so difficult to routinely quantify. Nonetheless, the importance of magnesium to normal central nervous system activity is self-evident given the complicated homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the concentration of this cation within strict limits essential for normal physiology and metabolism. There is also considerable accumulating evidence to suggest alterations to some brain functions in both normal and pathological conditions may be linked to alterations in local magnesium concentration. This book, containing chapters written by some of the foremost experts in the field of magnesium research, brings together the latest in experimental and clinical magnesium research as it relates to the central nervous system. It offers a complete and updated view of magnesiums involvement in central nervous system function and in so doing, brings together two main pillars of contemporary neuroscience research, namely providing an explanation for the molecular mechanisms involved in brain function, and emphasizing the connections between the molecular changes and behavior. It is the untiring efforts of those magnesium researchers who have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mysteries of magnesiums role in biological systems that has inspired the collation of this volume of work.

Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic

Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309459575
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 483

Get Book Here

Book Description
Drug overdose, driven largely by overdose related to the use of opioids, is now the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. The ongoing opioid crisis lies at the intersection of two public health challenges: reducing the burden of suffering from pain and containing the rising toll of the harms that can arise from the use of opioid medications. Chronic pain and opioid use disorder both represent complex human conditions affecting millions of Americans and causing untold disability and loss of function. In the context of the growing opioid problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an Opioids Action Plan in early 2016. As part of this plan, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to update the state of the science on pain research, care, and education and to identify actions the FDA and others can take to respond to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on informing FDA's development of a formal method for incorporating individual and societal considerations into its risk-benefit framework for opioid approval and monitoring.