Chasing the High: A Firsthand Account of One Young Person's Experience with Substance Abuse Book

Foreword     ix
Preface     xiii
The History Behind Chasing the High     xiv
What to Expect From This Book     xv
Crash and Rescue     3
Above the City, Steeped in Misery     4
Back From the Edge     7
Substance Abuse and Addiction Defined     8
Addiction Is a Disease     11
A Hellish Journey     12
The Early Days of Using     15
My Not-So-Shady Past     15
A Forbidden Sip     17
One Puff Leads to Another     20
My Uncertain Future     23
Heroin     25
A Rite of Passage Versus the Slippery Slope to Addiction     27
The Ride Down That Slope     30
Who Becomes Addicted, Who Does Not, and Why?     33
The Noose Tightens     46
A Moment of Truth, and Then Denial     46
First Shot at Detoxification     49
Learning the Life of an Addict     51
Desperate Moves     53
Returning to an Unfamiliar Home     56
"This Is Your Brain on Drugs"     59
Different Types of Drugs of Abuse     73
Trying to Get Help     91
Overconfidence andDenial: Do Not Mix     92
A Minor Arrest     94
A Major Arrest     96
Up, Down, Up, Down-The Saga of Addiction Continues     98
A Crucial Turning Point     99
Substance Abuse Treatment: What to Expect     101
Treatment of Co-occurring Mental Disorders     118
Recovery     122
What Does Recovery Mean for You?     124
If a Relapse Occurs...     136
Looking Back, Looking Ahead     138
"Real" Recovery Is Whatever Works for Us     139
Frequently Asked Questions     141
Glossary     149
Resources     153
Bibliography     159
Index     161