Richard McKenzie Neal chronicles the repetition of his son’s seemingly endless addiction to heroin
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 18, 2009 — “The Path to Addiction … ‘and other troubles we are born to know’” (published by AuthorHouse) is a sequel that Richard McKenzie Neal had hoped never to write. Neal’s first book, “Fridays With Landon,” was driven by his son Landon’s heroin addiction and was written while Landon was in jail. “The Path to Addiction” was necessitated by Landon’s devastating relapse after two and a half years of sobriety.
“[Landon] had been clean and sober for 30 months (18 months in prison and 12 months back home) before his regression was triggered by a legal, prescription pharmaceutical that was written by his doctor,” explains Neal in the book. “Minor tailbone surgery was performed to drain an abscess. Vicodin was then prescribed and we were off to the races. Once the Vicodin was consumed, the next step was back to the streets for methadone and from there it was just a matter of time before reconnecting with his old friend … heroin.”
Landon’s meltdown and the mind-numbing ugliness of the fallout are documented in-depth — and in real-time — in the early chapters of “The Path to Addiction.” For 25 years the Neal family has endured the emotional highs and lows associated with the chaotic, frustrating and, more often than not, heartbreaking task of rescuing one of their own from the always ebbing and flowing tide of addiction.
In an effort to better understand the profound difficulties that addicts struggle with, and why they seem so powerless to control their lives, Neal devotes the mid-section of the book to research. Neal also covers addictions in general, the history of worldwide drug usage, the pros and cons of the various treatment programs, the debate over the difference of opinion regarding the numerous models, the causal triggers and of course, pharmaceutical companies with highly promoted –and highly addictive — opiate-derived pain pills.
“The Path to Addiction” is for readers who are seeking a better understanding of addiction and the addict. Neal believes that every addict has two personalities — but the general public only sees the manifestation of the unsightly one, and the good one goes unnoticed, even when clean and sober. The indistinguishable one is no different than any of us but he’s just overpowered by an unwanted tenant, addiction. Neal points out that “no one wants to be an addict.”
The intent of “The Path to Addiction” is to bring closure. Neal advances several possible scenarios for the ending of this, his last book. But only one of those possibilities is favorable.
About the Author: Richard McKenzie Neal is the author of two books, “Fridays With Landon” and “The Path to Addiction,” both of which chronicle the repetition of his son’s seemingly endless nightmare of heroin addiction. Both books were written after Neal retired from a very rewarding 36-year career in the oil industry. For more information, visit www.ThePathToAddiction.com.
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