"This inspiring and penetrating new book by Dr. Sinor shows how we gather the courage and the force of will to make a transformational change."--Mark Thurston, Ph.D.

Short stories of Addiction, Recovery, and Loss that detail what it's like living in shoes of a family that is afflicted with the disease of addiction.

Up from Down is not a book about gloom and doom, but an inspirational book that offers hope to all who have faltered. Strung out on heroin, Ted Adamson began his journey with a SWAT team descending on a pharmacy to stop his wild rampage in search of drugs. From the cruelty in the county jail to race riots in state prison, the hard, gritty life of a drug addict is portrayed in all its real-world ugliness and despair. Join Ted as he gives us a picture of what the life of a junkie is really like. Look inside the dark side of drug treatment programs. From the bizarre therapies of the Synanon-like Family to the modern twelve-step programs, you will see what passes as treatment in the modern recovery movement. Up from Down takes readers to the depths of human degradation then brings them back through a journey of redemption.

The team of nurses that Tilda Shalof found herself working with in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a big-city hospital was known as “Laura’s Line.” They were a bit wild: smart, funny, disrespectful of authority, but also caring and incredibly committed to their jobs. Laura set the tone with her quick remarks. Frances, from Newfoundland, was famous for her improvised recipes. Justine, the union rep, wore t-shirts emblazoned with defiant slogans, like “Nurses Care But It’s Not in the Budget.” Shalof was the one who had been to university. The others accused her of being “sooo sensitive.” They depended upon one another. Working in the ICU was both emotionally grueling and physically exhausting. Many patients, quite simply, were dying, and the staff strove mightily to prolong their lives. With their skill, dedication, and the resources of modern science, they sometimes were almost too successful. Doctors and nurses alike wondered if what they did for terminally-ill patients was not, in some cases, too extreme. A number of patients were admitted when it was too late even for heroic measures. A boy struck down by a cerebral aneurysm in the middle of a little-league hockey game. A woman rescued – too late – from a burning house. It all took its toll on the staff. And yet, on good days, they thrived on what they did. Shalof describes a colleague who is managing a “crashing” patient: “I looked at her. Nicky was flushed with excitement. She was doing five different things at the same time, planning ahead for another five. She was totally focused, in her element, in control, completely at home with the chaos. There was a huge smile on her face. Nurses like to fix things. If they can.” Shalof, a veteran ICU nurse, reveals what it is really like to work behind the closed hospital curtains. The drama, the sardonic humour, the grinding workload, the cheerful camaraderie, the big issues and the small, all are brought vividly to life in this remarkable book.

Candid, shocking, and unforgettable, Broken is a haunting and clear-eyed tale that offers hope for all those wrestling with addiction Unlike some popular memoirs that have fictionalized and romanticized the degradations of drug addiction, Broken is a true-life tale of recovery that stuns and inspires with virtually every page. The eldest son of journalist Bill Moyers, William Cope Moyers relates with unforgettable clarity the story of how a young man with every advantage found himself spiraling into a love affair with crack cocaine that led him to the brink of death-and how a deep spirituality allowed him to conquer his shame, transform his life, and dedicate himself to changing America's politics of addiction. "William Cope Moyers's lucid, measured tale of his own plunge into crack-addled hell [is] frightening in its very realism." -USA Today

Voices from the Fallen takes us on an intimate journey inside the lives of people who have experienced the hell of addiction, the relentless defeat of relapse, and hope of recovery. Listen to them speak about fear and desperation, hope and optimism. Sit with them in solitary misery, feel their grief over a lost family member, and share their joy with the promise of a renewed life. Listen closely, for these courageous voices come from those all around us, and can help rebuild shattered families, restore broken hearts, and save lives. "If, like so many others, you've lost sight of your own life in the drama of tending to someone else's addiction, you may find yourself in this book. Fantastic job taking us into the mind of the addict." - Dean Cain, Actor, Producer "This was amazing. I didn't just read these stories, I intensely felt them. My heart was pulled out and put it through the wringer. I seriously was broken reading this." - Jason Campbell, President, JC Films "Voices from the Fallen opens the eyes to the rollercoaster ride for the addicted, as well as the impact on loved ones that must anguish through the daily battle. Mike Tourville illuminates the importance of this problem, which permeates every level of our society. A must-read..." - Paul Connor, West Springfield Chief of Police "These hard-hitting experiences have the potential to save lives. The extraordinary courage of these individuals and family members goes above and beyond normal expectations. This book is essential reading for those who are at risk or know anyone who may be." - William Sapelli, Mayor of Agawam, Massachusetts "...a must-read for anyone looking for insight and understanding into the life of an addict and those affected by it. If you are an addict or love someone who is, reach out. You are not alone. There is HOPE!" - George and Marilyn Ekimovich Ministry Leaders, LifePoint Church, Chicopee, MA Bonus: An excerpt from Michael K. Tourville's A Promise to Astrid included inside!

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Empathy Exams comes this transformative work showing that sometimes the recovery is more gripping than the addiction. With its deeply personal and seamless blend of memoir, cultural history, literary criticism, and reportage, The Recovering turns our understanding of the traditional addiction narrative on its head, demonstrating that the story of recovery can be every bit as electrifying as the train wreck itself. Leslie Jamison deftly excavates the stories we tell about addiction -- both her own and others' -- and examines what we want these stories to do and what happens when they fail us. All the while, she offers a fascinating look at the larger history of the recovery movement, and at the complicated bearing that race and class have on our understanding of who is criminal and who is ill. At the heart of the book is Jamison's ongoing conversation with literary and artistic geniuses whose lives and works were shaped by alcoholism and substance dependence, including John Berryman, Jean Rhys, Billie Holiday, Raymond Carver, Denis Johnson, and David Foster Wallace, as well as brilliant lesser-known figures such as George Cain, lost to obscurity but newly illuminated here. Through its unvarnished relation of Jamison's own ordeals, The Recovering also becomes a book about a different kind of dependency: the way our desires can make us all, as she puts it, "broken spigots of need." It's about the particular loneliness of the human experience-the craving for love that both devours us and shapes who we are. For her striking language and piercing observations, Jamison has been compared to such iconic writers as Joan Didion and Susan Sontag, yet her utterly singular voice also offers something new. With enormous empathy and wisdom, Jamison has given us nothing less than the story of addiction and recovery in America writ large, a definitive and revelatory account that will resonate for years to come.