SCIENCES

Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction

by Peter Grinspoon
Hachette. Feb. 2016. 240p. ISBN 9780316382700. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780316382687. MEMOIR
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Harvard University-educated physician Grinspoon's first book describes his addiction to prescription painkillers. He describes his childhood, jobs as a young adult, and troubled marriage, and also reflects on his choices and behavior, explaining the origins of his abuse and how he took advantage of the system in order to obtain more pills. The memoir provides an insider's view of the support benefits geared toward health-care professionals who struggle with addiction as well as the ways in which Grinspoon grapples with issues of class and privilege during his visits to court, encounters with his probation officer, and as a member of recovery groups. Once a practicing physician again, he discovers a new skill for identifying and treating addicts such as himself.
VERDICT Enlightening and intimate, this book will hold the attention of medical professionals, addiction counselors, and those affected by substance abuse.
Reviewed by Meghan Dowell, Beloit Coll., WI , Feb 01, 2016
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