The End of My Addiction

By Olivier Ameisen

Subjects: Personal Narratives, Alcoholics, biography, Alcoholics, Physicians, biography, Physicians, Alcoholism, Biography, Chemotherapy, Autoexperimentation, Therapeutic use, Drug therapy, Baclofen, Mental health

Description: What if you there were a cure for addiction--a medication that eradicates the need for a fix? This is the story of Olivier Ameisen, a brilliant physician and cardiologist who developed a profound addiction to alcohol. He broke bones with no memory of falling and nearly lost his kidneys. He gave up his flourishing practice and invested himself in Alcoholics Anonymous and, later, rehab. Nothing worked. So he took his treatment into his own hands. Searching for a cure, he discovered baclofen, a muscle relaxant that had proven effective in curing rats addicted to every substance from nicotine and alcohol to cocaine and heroin. Ameisen prescribed himself the drug and, over a two-year period, experimented with the dosage until he reached a level high enough to leave him free of any craving for alcohol. This is both a memoir of Ameisen's own struggle and a groundbreaking call to action.--From publisher description.