Customer Reviews

I Am Your Disease: The Many Faces of Addiction

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I Am Your Disease is a book structured as a series of vignettes, yet, with a twist. Each story is was authored by the loved one(s) of a person who died of a drug overdose. Some of the pieces are longer than others, but almost inevitably, the resounding common thread was that of the parents left stunned saying, "I never thought it would/could happen to my child".

Most of the children featured were of above average intelligence, very creative and particularly sensitive. And most had above average good-looks. They were raised by committed, loving parents, some highly educated. How could this possibly be a recipe for an early demise due to drug abuse?

Actually, there does not seem to be a pattern. What is so terrifying is that there seems to be no social class, background, or educational deficiencies that could explain or predict who becomes addicted. Sometimes early intervention may have prevented the spiral toward progressively harmful drugs, but other times it seemed to make little difference.

What is presented in I Am Your Disease are the facts and perceptions of the families most affected by drug abuse and the hideous aftermath of life after losing a child to addiction. It is a must read for every parent.

Eventually your child will be confronted with an opportunity to participate in drug abuse. How they are prepared for these confrontations can be a life or death decision. As a parent, I for one want to ensure that my child is as well prepared to go onto the battlefield of peer pressure as well equipped as I can possibly prepare him. Don't you want your child prepared? Read the book and discuss it with your children. If they are old enough, give it to them to read for themselves after you've completed it. Give out kids a fighting chance for survival.

This book is powerful and eye-opening. Truly, it is a "must have" for ANYONE who might EVER come into contact with a drug-addicted individual or their distraught families. That would include EVERY parent, EVERY doctor, EVERY minister, EVERY counselor, EVERY teacher, EVERY nurse, EVERY school nurse, and EVERY police officer, etc.

As one of the grieving moms who contributed my story to this book, I honestly feel that it should also be REQUIRED READING for every 5th or 6th grade student in our country, as well as world-wide.

But, it should also be REQUIRED reading for every police officer, teacher, counselor, doctor, nurse and minister, for these are the people most likely to form the "first line of defense" against addictive illnesses. For they are the ones most likely to see addictive illnesses when they are just beginning. And, with the incredible insight gained from reading this book, they just might be able to intervene before the lure of drugs to a young person becomes deadly.

If it were within my means, I would personally buy & donate a copy of this book to every parent in this country, which should include many people who, besides being parents, work in fields that deal with our young people. If I were to win the lottery tomorrow, that is what I would do with my winnings, for I feel that this book is THAT important.

Sherry's compilation of stories really highlights how universal our epidemic of drug addiction has become - it crosses ALL boundaries and NO ONE is "immune" to it. Unfortunately, until it hits our own family, that is what we all think. WRONG! Read the book and you will see.

I LOVE the way this book begins - "Could this be YOUR child?" No! No way! That is EXACTLY what all of us had thought! Our kids were too loved, too smart, too athletic, too beautiful, too talented, etc., etc. We ALL thought that.

Well, guess what? When you read this book the one thing that I can just about GUARANTEE you is that you will come away with the realization that this can happen to ANYONE, for our stories are all different. We came from all different places, all different situations, all different backgrounds. Yet, still, it happened to us, despite our convictions that this could NEVER happen to "our" kids! But, it did.

One of the common themes that comes across in the assorted stories is our desire, as parents who lost children to drugs, to keep our children's memories alive and to honor them by trying to spare other parents the unspeakable and unbearable pain that all of us now suffer. For, if we can prevent that, perhaps our children's' deaths will not have been in vain.

I, for one, have been going into area schools and presenting the stories of the many young people from our area, who have been lost to drugs. Invariably, there will be kids who need tissues or who need to be escorted away to see a counselor.

Even though it is not my goal to bring pain or suffering to any student, I do believe that reaching the hearts and the emotions of our young people when it comes to the issue of drug experimentation, is VERY important.

There are all kinds of hard, cold "statistics" out there, there are scare tactics showing graphic images of drug addicted or dead people. While I cannot guarantee what approach works best, I do tend to believe that involving the hearts and the emotions may well be our best defense against losing even more of our next generation than we already have.

This book does that in spades. Please! If you have ANY CONTACT with young people, whatsoever, regardless of HOW, BUY this book, read it, and share it. Tell others about it.

When I got my copy of this book and began to read, I just could not put it down. The stories of the heartbreak that these families have endured and their current day to day struggle just to try and deal with such a loss is profound. These stories are written from first-hand experience and are so thought-provoking and eye-opening. They really make you understand that the pain and loss that they have experienced crosses ALL walks of life and that addiction destroys so much more than just the person who lost their life. These stories are well-written and down to earth. I explained to my 12-year-old, 6th grader grandson what the book was about and he started reading it and understood what he was reading. Parents and children alike would benefit from this book. It touched me deeply like no other book I have ever read. My heart goes out to these families.

Terrorism, youth violence, and warfare are frequently in the headlines. Concerns are raised over and over again about youth killing youth and a myriad of other issues that confront our society daily. What I found poignant about the book, I Am Your Disease: The Many Faces of Addiction, is that it describes, from the perspective of a parent, the horrific nature of drug addiction in America.

Through their eyes you connect with the pain, anguish and bewilderment they confront, asking themselves what they could have done to prevent this from happening to their child. However, if you quickly step back you realize that while each specific instance is the result of a particular set of circumstances, drug addiction has become a vast silent killer, in many ways inflicting a more devastating impact than any terrorist group could have on our society. In fact, it is unusual to find a friend, family member, or loved one who is not aware of at least one individual who is suffering from substance abuse.

It is because of the way in which each parent describes her child that the reader quickly realizes that no parent can guarantee that they will not have a similar experience. The children come from all social and ethnic backgrounds, all upbringings and environments. Some were scholars and others athletes - all offering no discernable evidence that they were drug users - but yet, they were.

What will it take for America to wake up and sound the alarm about the devastating nature and dire consequences of drug addiction, to our families, communities and country? I found it difficult to read the book without stopping to think about my children, and what it is that I can do to raise the public awareness and recognition of this significant problem.

This is a book that I recommend for parents, grandparents, youth, college students, educators and business leaders. There is a message for all of us on its pages. If we take heed, addiction will no longer be "silent," we will have taken action! It is my hope that all who read the book will involve others so that the topic may be raised and discussed over and over again - and move us closer to reducing the number of lives lost and lessened due to drug addition. The authors have succeeded in creating a volume that is alarming, realistic, informative and, hopefully, an impetus for change!

Dr. David G. Carter, Sr. is the Chancellor of the Connecticut State University System. As former President of Eastern Connecticut State University and past Chair of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Dr. Carter has published numerous articles and edited volumes on urban society and education.

I sent this book to my son in jail for drug related crimes. He loved it. The other inmates are waiting their turn to read it. My son actually has a list of them. Unfortunately most are in jail on drug related crimes and this is a real eye opener for them. Hopefully this will help them understand their addiction a little better and be one step closer to becoming sober.

I Am Your Disease is a book filled with emotion. It's about real families that lost a child to this disease called addiction. Each parent had to relive their childs death, so they could tell their story. The only hope they have left is that maybe they can save someone else's child. This book should be read by every Parent and Child. Lynne Copeland (Bristol Pa )

This book tells the true story about the disease of addiction. Parent's don't want to believe it could happen to their family. This books proves that the disease strikes any family and doesn't discrimnate. These were the kids next door. The football, baseball, basketball sports jocks, cheerleaders, the honor students, nurses, musicians, artists, college graduates, teachers... yes, it can happen in your family and this book tells each parent and child's story with such raw, true emotion that it is a must read for every parent and child. [...]

"I AM YOUR DISEASE", IS A SERIES OF STORIES ABOUT CHILDREN WHOSE LIVES WERE LOST TO THE DISEASE OF ADDICTION. WRITTEN BY PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO OPENLY AND TRUTHFULLY SHARE THE LIVES, TRAGEDIES, STRUGGLES AND ULTIMATE UNTIMELY DEATH OF THEIR LOVED ONES RELATED TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE. FAMILIES WHOSE LIVES ARE NOW SHATTERED WITH INTOLERABLE PAIN AND GRIEF. AFTER READING THIS BOOK IT IS MY HOPE THAT ADDICTION ISN'T TAKEN LIGHTLY AS A "PHASE" NOR WILL DENIAL CONSUME THE PARENT OR CHILD OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE. IT IS REAL, THESE VICTIMS ARE REAL AND THE PAIN AND HEARTACHE PARENTS NOW ENDURE IS REAL. DRUGS ARE POISON, ADDICTION IS A DISEASE NOT A CHOICE.

SO MANY OF THE STORIES HAVE SIMILARITIES ABOUT THE EARLY STAGES OF THE DISEASE. WOULD ANYONE READING THIS BOOK WHO HAS HAD ONE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE THINK FIRST.........WILL I BECOME AN ALCOHOLIC? NOT LIKELY.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK, NOT ONLY FOR PARENTS BUT FOR KIDS LIVING IN OUR SOCIETY WHERE PEER PRESSURE CAN CONTROL AND CONVINCE EVEN THE MOST EDUCATED, LOVED, INDIVIDUAL. DRUGS DO NOT DISCRIMINATE, PLEASE DON'T BE THE NEXT TO WRITE YOUR OWN TRAGIC STORY!

There are alot of book available that explain the clinical effects of addiction but NONE are as gripping and touched me like this book did.

This book shows addiction and addicts in a different light.

It shows how Addiction doesnt discriminate, It knows NO boundaries.

The rich the poor, the educated the Noneducated alike.

Addiction touches all of us and leaves a mark on society.

I hope that every school, law enforcement agency and everyone else reads it to understand that good people become addicted.

Its everyones disease.

This is a very sobering book detailing the lives of real people who are dealing with addictions and the devastation it creates in their lives. Highly recommended for anyone who is trying to come to terms with addiction and how it affects not only you but everyone we come in contact with. This disease is contagious and takes people down. I think this book would be very good in middle and high school settings to teach young people the danger of any kind of substance abuse.

I also think that all parents should read this as soon as their children reach middle school. A hard emotional read but well worth it.