From Junkie to Judge
eBook - ePub

From Junkie to Judge

One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction

  1. 284 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

From Junkie to Judge

One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction

Book details
Table of contents
Citations

About This Book

From a junkieaddicted to methamphetaminesto a federaljudge, MaryBethO'Connor'smemoir shares her inspiring journey from rock bottom to resilience as she forged a personal path to recovery from trauma and addiction. Silver Award, 2023 Nonfiction Book Awards Searing, unsettling, and ultimately triumphant, Judge O'Connor's debut memoir takes readers on a wild ride through the rock-bottom underbelly of intravenous drug addiction to the hallowed halls of justice where she rose to the pinnacle of success as a federal judge. With wit and unabashed honesty, O'Connor shares her remarkable three-phase journey: the abuse and trauma that drove her to teenage drug use, the chaos that ensued from her addiction; and how she developed a personalized secular recovery plan that led to twenty-nine years of sobriety. Her story proves any addict can recover and anyone can build a productive and happy life, no matter how low the bottom or how deep the pain. Within a week of being born, O'Connor was dropped off at a convent. When she was brought into her home, her mother focused on her own needs and desires, ignoring her young child. When she was nine, her stepfather kicked her in the stomach for spilling milk, beat her when she didn't clean a plate to his satisfaction, and molested her when she was twelve. A few months later, with her first sip of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill wine, her life changed. She felt euphoric and relaxed. So she got drunk as often as possible, adding pot, then pills, then acid. At sixteen, she found her drug of choice--methamphetamine. With her first snort, she experienced true joy for the first time. When this high was no longer sufficient, she turned to the needle and shot up. During the next sixteen years, she descended into a severe meth addiction, working her way down the corporate ladder, destroying relationships, and shattering her physical and emotional well-being. At thirty-two, she entered rehab, where she was ordered to submit to the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. As an atheist, turning her will and her life over to a higher power was not an option, and she refused to agree she was powerless. Told to comply or fail, she bravely created a new path that combined ideas from multiple programs and even incorporated some AA concepts. Clean and sober now for more nearly three decades, she is proof that anyone can find their sober self, their best self, no matter how far they have fallen. Along with her inspiring story, she offers a comprehensive checklist of questions for readers to ask themselves as they take the brave steps toward recovery, offering a powerful blueprint for personal change.

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Information

Publisher
Health Communications Inc EB
Year
2023
ISBN
9780757324574
Topic
Social Sciences
Subtopic
Social Science Biographies
Index
Social Sciences

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Foreword
  4. Chapter 1: My First Shot
  5. Chapter 2: Conception
  6. Chapter 3: First Kidnapping
  7. Chapter 4: Carving Knife
  8. Chapter 5: Goldfish
  9. Chapter 6: School
  10. Chapter 7: Allan
  11. Chapter 8: Bordentown
  12. Chapter 9: Shift Work
  13. Chapter 10: Protecting the Siblings
  14. Chapter 11: Moving Out
  15. Chapter 12: Molestations
  16. Chapter 13: Alcohol
  17. Chapter 14: Pot
  18. Chapter 15: Sex
  19. Chapter 16: Pills
  20. Chapter 17: Acid
  21. Chapter 18: First Snort
  22. Chapter 19: Addiction for Sure
  23. Chapter 20: Science of Addiction
  24. Chapter 21: Arrested
  25. Chapter 22: Promiscuity
  26. Chapter 23: College and Two Muggings
  27. Chapter 24: Yet Another Kidnapping
  28. Chapter 25: Martin
  29. Chapter 26: Northern California
  30. Chapter 27: Speed Again
  31. Chapter 28: Law School
  32. Chapter 29: Doc
  33. Chapter 30: Down the Corporate Ladder
  34. Chapter 31: Recovery Begins
  35. Chapter 32: Chrysalis
  36. Chapter 33: Atheist Challenges
  37. Chapter 34: NA Year One
  38. Chapter 35: Secular Year One
  39. Chapter 36: Cindy
  40. Chapter 37: Recovery Year Two
  41. Chapter 38: Mom
  42. Chapter 39: Recovery Year Three
  43. Chapter 40: Professional Success
  44. Chapter 41: Gina
  45. Chapter 42: Conclusion
  46. Recovery Guidelines
  47. Recovery Checklist
  48. Acknowledgments
  49. About the Author
  50. Copyright