by Drew Pinsky
First published 2009
Dr. Drew Pinsky works at a major Southern California treatment facility where he encounters the most severe cases of drug dependency and mental health crises. Between his radio show Loveline duties, Pinsky treats patients battling alcohol, marijuana, Ecstasy, heroin, speed, cocaine, and prescription drugs. His patients include a sexually compulsive model and a BMW-driving soccer mom, each carrying histories of emotional trauma and sexual abuse. Pinsky throws himself into his work with passionate intensity that borders on obsession. Through rapid-fire vignettes, he exposes the true reach of addiction across all social classes and backgrounds. The stories reveal how chemical dependency intersects with psychiatric breakdown, showing addiction as a widespread epidemic that crosses every demographic line. At its heart, this is Pinsky's unflinching examination of human suffering and the complex path to recovery.
Genres: addiction, medical, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: true-story
Setting: Southern California
288 pages · ebook · HarperCollins e-books
Content warnings: addiction, mental-illness, substance-abuse