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 -- 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.