Recovery from prescription painkiller or heroin addiction can feel impossible, especially considering that those who have gone through typical 28-day treatment programs often experience relapses and sometimes even fatal overdoses. But there is hope. In this book, recovering addict and prominent interventionist Joani Gammill offers a radically effective approach for those struggling with opiate addiction, sharing sometimes controversial tips that have worked for others who are in long-term recovery. Gammill examines the science behind the low numbers of people sustaining recovery from the disease of opiate addiction. Tapping the pioneering work of treatment professionals whose new approaches are changing the way we think about opiate addiction, she offers practical steps for creating a realistic and effective recovery plan. Gammill affirms that recovery from opiate addiction is a process, not an event. This honest and trustworthy guide reveals that, although it may not happen in one detox or treatment experience, a healthy, drug-free life is possible.--Back cover.

The road to heaven and hell : a brief history of opiates -- The brain on opiates -- Trauma, psychiatric disorders, and addiction -- Heroin : old enemy with a new face -- Money, money, and more money : the salvation and curse of prescription drugs? -- The door is closed : barriers to addiction treatment and how to overcome them (sometimes) -- Moms with babies and other special groups -- The pain game : real or not? -- Alternative treatments for opiate addiction -- Laws that might help stem the tide of prescription drug deaths -- The disease of addiction and why I hate the word "relapse" -- Dry drunk and a grocery cart -- Hope : real solutions for improving opiate addiction treatment and recovery -- Appendix: Your plan for the first five days sober and drug-free ; The twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.