Notes

Adolescent mental health initiative "The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania "Plus the latest information of substance abuse and its treatment, tips on managing daily life in recovery from substance abuse"--Cover Table of contents: The history behind Chasing the high -- What to expect from this book -- Crash and rescue -- Above the city, steeped in misery -- Back from the edge -- Substance abuse and addiction defined -- Addiction is a disease -- A hellish journey -- The early days of using -- My not-so-shady past -- A forbidden sip -- One puff leads to another -- My uncertain future -- Heroin -- A rite of passage versus the slippery slope to addiction -- The ride down that slope -- Who becomes addicted, who does not, and why? -- The noose tightens -- A moment of truth, and then denial -- First shot at detoxification -- Learning the life of an addict -- Desperate moves -- Returning to an unfamiliar home -- "This is your brain on drugs" -- Different types of drugs of abuse -- Trying to get help -- Overconfidence and denial : do not mix -- A minor arrest -- A major arrest -- Up, down, up, down : the saga of addiction continues -- A crucial turning point -- Substance abuse treatment : what to expect -- Treatment of co-occurring mental disorders -- Recovery -- What does recovery mean for you? -- If a relapse occurs-- -- Looking back, looking ahead -- "Real" recovery is whatever works for us Summary: Like many teenagers, Kyle Keegan experimented with alcohol and drugs. His substance abuse grew into an addiction to heroin that nearly destroyed him, leading him into a life of crime and homelessness. Keegan uses his own experiences to give guidance to other young people who may be struggling with substance abuse