50 Miles

• Opiate overdoses are the leading cause of accidental deaths among those under 50. • Memoirs about substance abuse are overwhelmingly about recovery. It is the rare memoir that ends in death. • There are many books about recovery but there are no literary books that the author knows of that addresses what it is like to lose a family member or other to drugs. • No memoirs or scientific books discuss the possibility of later drug abuse related to the prescribing of Ritalin or Adderall for ADHD. • It includes, as a secondary aspect, the recovery of the mother and her methods of coping and grieving the loss of her son. Video games feature prominently in the longest essay in the book, as a form of connection and solace.