A journalist pieces together the mysteries surrounding her ex-husband’s descent into drug addiction while trying to rebuild a life for her family, taking readers on an intimate journey into the world of white-collar drug abuse.“A rare combination of journalistic rigor, personal courage, and writerly grace.”—Bill Clegg, author of Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man Something was wrong with Peter. … Man
Something was wrong with Peter. Eilene Zimmerman noticed that her ex-husband looked thin, seemed distracted, and was frequently absent from activities with their children. She thought he looked sick and needed to see a doctor, and indeed, he told her he had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. Yet in many ways, Peter seemed to have it all: a beautiful house by the beach, expensive cars, and other luxuries that came with an affluent life. Eilene assumed his odd behavior was due to stress and overwork—he was a senior partner at a prominent law firm and had been working more than sixty hours a week for the last twenty years.
Although they were divorced, Eilene and Peter had been partners and friends for decades, so when she and her children were unable to reach Peter for several days, Eilene went to his house to see if he was OK.
So begins Smacked, a brilliant and moving memoir of Eilene’s shocking discovery, one that sets her on a journey to find out how a man she knew for nearly thirty years became a drug addict, hiding it so well that neither she nor anyone else in his life suspected what was happening. Eilene discovers that Peter led a secret life, one that started with pills and ended with opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine. He was also addicted to work; the last call Peter ever made was to dial in to a conference call.
Eilene is determined to learn all she can about Peter’s hidden life, and also about drug addiction among ambitious, high-achieving professionals like him. Through extensive research and interviews, she presents a picture of drug dependence today in that moneyed, upwardly mobile world. She also embarks on a journey to re-create her life in the wake of loss, both of the person—and the relationship—that profoundly defined the woman she had become.
more
Wow. Just wow.
This was a disturbing, but realistic, read of how addiction can take hold of a person regardless of how well educated and accomplished they are.
What an education. How drug use in America affects families, regardless of economic standing or edlucation is an eye opener. This is a frightening story.
I’ve read several drug abuse books and this one is from the perspective of the family. I could totally relate. It’s tragic how little coverage the widespread drug abuse epidemic gets. I’m glad the author touched on the statistics of white collar drug abuse at the end. It’s a very sad story that didn’t have to be. But it’s hopeful because the author is trying to let people know drug addiction is everywhere.
SAD TRAGIC STORY OF ADDICTION AND THE DAMAGE IT DOES TO THOSE WHO LOVE THE ADDICT.
A sad book, but I learned a lot. I can’t believe how blind people were to Jack’s addiction, though.
Raw and honest account of one family’s loss and the epidemic of white collar addiction. It was beautifully written as well as informative. The author definitely did her homework.
I’ve been fascinated by the drug abuse that has happened in this country that differs so much from what I learned in the 5th grade in the 80s and early 90s. I appreciated this author’s intellect in how she crafted the construction of her family’s story to present it in such an engaging and informative manner. It really gave me insight into how this can be overlooked. I was intrigued by the machinations of the human brain as I learned of its limits. I was impacted by the inclusion of her children’s stories and the impact their father’s decisions had on their daily in-and-out life. As I’ve made the intention to open my eyes to the difficulties of life and growing up (and am growing up myself, finally), I am so grateful for a book like this that fuels my hunger to know things.
Hello My Fellow Book Dragons! I am back from my sabbatical. It was a lovely break. I found several new Gems to share with you and some new inspiration for tales of my own. This evening’s Gem is quite beautiful. It looks like a pebble, so tiny and pearl like. It is an odd color of pinkish brown. Perhaps sculpted of coral or opal. These may look pretty, but they are meant to resemble Meth. One ingredient in Gem Maker Eilene Zimmerman’s “Smacked”.
This is Eilene’s true account of her ex-husband’s Peter’s death and the last two years leading up to that tragedy. Peter’s addiction to Meth, Cocaine, and a host of other drugs he was taking intravenously and orally, much of the time while having their two children over for his visitation weekends and overnights. Who was Peter? Just some run of the mill junkie? Homeless? Running the streets in a beat up jalopy while purloining poison in back allies? No…far from it. Peter was a brilliant chemist turned high-powered attorney living in a $2 million home with an oceanview and every tech toy one could dream of. A garage filled with a couple of very expensive cars. A job most attorneys would be salivating for. A job he slaved for ten long years to get and lost everything good in the process.
There is nothing flowery here. You will not find her making sad, prolific prose out of all this misery. Ms. Zimmerman tells it like it is. Just the facts, ma’am. The good, the bad and the oh, so ugly. She is not verbose in her description of the ugly and in not being so gets her point across in a way that makes your heart ache and shivers run down your spine.
If you or someone you love is a professional – doctor, lawyer, nurse, EMT, professor, techie, etc and you believe they have an addiction but aren’t sure, get this book and read it. If you or someone you love is a professional or studying to be one, get this book and read it to prepare yourself and then give it to them. IT’S THAT IMPORTANT. Reasonably priced, you won’t regret your decision.
Until tomorrow, I remain, your humble Book Dragon,
Drakon T. Longwitten
I received a review copy of this book from #randomhousebooks . My opinions are my own.
I was immediately sucked into this memoir about a woman married to a lawyer who she eventually divorces, but remains friends with while slowly watching him get sicker and sicker.
I found the first half of the book told in a somewhat “first this happened and then that happened” way. The author chronicles her ex-husband’s lifestyle as she ponders what happened to their marriage and life together. She is still involved in his life, however, as they have two children together and the four often get together for school-related activities. As his illness progresses though, she learns to count on him less and less for being on time or showing up all together.
Thus is the life of an addict, which the author eventually learns all about after her husband’s death. Being a journalist she does a great deal of research and begins to uncover and pursue what lawyers go through and others who work in high-income, high-stress fields. Through her research and talking with experts in the field, such as counselors, therapists, psychologists, etc., she learns about the high levels of anxiety and depression that lawyers and others experience as a result of their stressful careers, which ultimately leads some into drug use and even death.
The end of the book relays what Zimmerman learns, which helps her to cope in some ways with her ex-husband’s death, ultimately helping her and her children understand that there was nothing they could have done to save him. The information she uncovers is up-to-date and extremely interesting as she also gives us information on what is happening with youth who have more and more anxiety as a result of attending high achievement schools in order to partake in high-salaried careers. According to Zimmerman, it is becoming an epidemic that will have far reaching affects.
After finishing this book I continue to think about the author’s personal story, as well as what she has learned about “white-collar ambition and addiction.” It is a read that sticks with readers and I highly recommend it.