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.