When Brienne Joelle began attending a new mommies group, she was simply an overstressed mother who was trying to keep up with all the other supermoms around her. But when a fellow mommy took her aside one day and made an incredible proposition, Brienne could not believe her ears. We all do it, said the mommy who had just offered Brienne cocaine. In her poignant and honest memoir, Brienne shares the story of her real-life journey through the pressures of parenthood and into the darkness of drug addiction, the shame and guilt of divorce, and eventual rehabilitation. As she accepts the gift of cocaine with the hope she will gain energy to propel her through the hectic days, Brienne narrates how she soon found herself on a painful roller coaster ride that took her from the depths of hell to a new path where she learned to embrace her imperfections, build her self-esteem, and heal her emotional wounds. Cupcakes and Cocaine is the story of a girl who tried too hard and used too much to have too much; but, by losing it all, she found herselfand became the woman she was destined to be.

Cocaine, Cupcake - A satirical crime novel. How far would you go for some attention? Frustrated that he can't get his book published, a young writer crafts a twisted plan to generate some buzz. There's a park across the street from his apartment where a drug dealer frequents. He'll gather some evidence and get him arrested. #Hero. He can even put the whole thing on social media. He'll be an inspiration to all. But what starts out as a simple plan to rat on the guy quickly escalates into a terrible mess. When he finds himself lying blindfolded atop a blood-stained mattress with the cartel standing over him, he realizes he may have made a very big mistake.

Memoir.

This pioneering book explores the notion of 'radical decadence' as concept, aesthetic and lived experience, and as an analytical framework for the study of contemporary feminist textile art. Gendered discourses of decadence that perpetuate anxieties about women's power, consumption and pleasure are deconstructed through images of drug use, female sexuality and 'excessive' living, in artworks by several contemporary textile artists including Orly Cogan, Tracey Emin, Allyson Mitchell, and Rozanne Hawksley. Perceptions of decadence are invariably bound to the negative connotations of decay and degradation, particularly with regard to the transgression of social norms related to femininity and the female body. Excessive consumption by women has historically been represented as grotesque, and until now, women's pleasure in relation to drug and alcohol use has largely gone unexamined in feminist art history and craft studies. Here, representations of female consumption, from cupcakes to alcohol and cocaine, are opened up for critical discussion. Drawing on feminist and queer theories, Julia Skelly considers portrayals of 'bad girls' in artworks that explore female sexuality - performative pieces designed to subvert and exceed feminine roles. In this provocative book, decadence is understood not as a destructive force but as a liberating aesthetic.

From Berkeley to the Bronx, teenage addiction has reached epidemic levels. Parents may suspect their teen’s substance use, but often don’t know if their teen is addicted or what to do about it. Dr. Laurence Westreich, an addiction expert and the father of two teenagers, helps parents navigate the fraught addiction landscape in A Parent’s Guide to Teen Addiction. Divided into three sections, this book—based on the author’s decades of experience evaluating and treating teenagers who use substances—guides parents from the moment they suspect their teen has a substance abuse problem to the steps families must take after intensive treatment. Dr. Westreich: • Lays out the facts of teen addiction and explains how to recognize a problem with a teen • Details what parents need to know about the substances that teenagers commonly use • Provides information on what to do about the substance abuse, including how to find good one-on-one addiction therapy, how to encourage a teen to enter an outpatient program or inpatient facility, and how to line up aftercare treatment Best of all, he includes “tough talk” dialogues that parents can tailor to their specific situation with their teen. This practical, hopeful, and reassuring book helps parents put their teen on the healthy and life-affirming road to recovery.

This book provides information on the dangers of cocaine and crack cocaine, a stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. Use of the drug can result in sudden death, even upon first time use. Within this book, readers will learn about the long and short-term effects of cocaine and crack cocaine which include physical addiction, emotional addiction, expense, health problems, arrest for drug possession, and for other drug-related crime and overdose. Personal stories of teens who used drugs and the realities they faced invite the reader to understand the effects of the drug on a personal level. These stories seamlessly unfold along with advice on how to deal with peer pressure when choosing to say no. Most importantly, there is an entire chapter devoted to getting help. This book is an essential resource and provides concise information about a difficult topic.