Coming Clean: Diary of a Painkiller Addict

Review 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 LindenfieldCompelling and highly topical--BooksellerHeart-rending memoir--The BooksellerSeeringly 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 Product Description 'A brave, heartfelt and extraordinary book' Corinne Sweet, author of Overcoming Addiction, psychologist and broadcaster 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. Book Description A heart-rending memoir that lifts the lid on the issue painkiller addiction, showing the price one woman paid and her fight to recover From the Back Cover WINNER OF THE BIG RED READ PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION IN 2013What 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. About the Author 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.