Coming Clean: Diary of a Painkiller Addict

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Coming Clean: Diary of a Painkiller Addict
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Cathryn Kemp
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:320
Dimensions(mm): Height 198,Width 128
Category/GenreMemoirs
Coping with drug and alcohol abuse
ISBN/Barcode 9780749958077
ClassificationsDewey:362.29092
Audience
General
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Professional & Vocational

Publishing Details

Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Imprint Piatkus Books
Publication Date 2 February 2017
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

What if the drugs that were meant to cure you slowly started to kill you? After falling dangerously ill with acute-on-chronic pancreatitis, Cathryn Kemp left hospital with a repeat prescription for fentanyl, a painkiller 100 times stronger than heroin. Within two years she was taking almost ten times the NHS maximum daily dose - all on prescription - and her life began to spiral out of control. Cathryn discovered she had just three months to live, unless she gave up the drug she clung to so desperately. After selling everything she owned and checking into rehab, Cathryn was told by the doctors that recovery was highly unlikely. Yet to everyone's amazement, she proved them wrong. COMING CLEAN is a poignant, vivid and honest memoir of a woman's struggle with, and subsequent victory over, her demons. It is a love story, a horror story, a survival story, and one that shows the very real dangers of the over-prescription of painkillers.

Author Biography

Cathryn Kemp is a journalist and travel writer. She was a journalist for The People, News of the World, The Sunday Mirror and the Mirror for seven years before falling ill literally overnight in 2004. She has written several Lonely Planet books, including Romania and Moldov;, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; Eastern Europe, and Europe on a Shoestring.

Reviews

Seeringly honest and courageous, an absolutely brilliantly written book about the descent into painkiller addiction that can so easily occur when someone is dealing with unbearable physical and emotional pain. This book should be read by every doctor and mental health practitioner for its unwavering insights into the psychology of addiction. A brave, heartfelt and extraordinary book Compelling and highly topical - Bookseller A brilliantly written book . . . It's not only an inspirational addiction recovery story but also a deeply moving book about recovering from loss on many levels - health, love, independence, career, dignity, trust, optimism . . . Cathryn's story gripped me at gut level from page one - Gael Lindenfield