Foreword. Preface. 1. 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. 2. 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?. 3. The Noose Tightens. A moment of truth, and then denial. First shot