Eilene
Zimmerman
Psychotherapist, Journalist, Author
“Heart-wrenching...a chronicle of trying to make sense of a loved one’s struggles with addiction.”
— The New York Times
Something was wrong with Peter. Writer Eilene Zimmerman noticed that her ex-husband had lost weight and always seemed sick; he was distracted, confused and frequently late or absent from family activities. Although he needed to see a doctor, his life in other ways seemed pretty perfect: a senior partnership at a prominent law firm, a beautiful house by the beach, children who loved him, and the income to buy anything he wanted. But after a three-day stretch in July 2015 when Peter could not be reached, Eilene went to his house to make sure he was okay. He wasn’t.
So begins the memoir Smacked, starting with a shocking discovery, and an investigation into how Peter wound up with a hidden injection drug addiction, hiding it so well no one in his life suspected what was happening. Eilene also embarks on a journey to recreate her life in the wake of loss, both of the person—and the relationship—that profoundly defined the woman she had become.
Reviews
“A heartbreaking, illuminating memoir.”
— People Magazine
An unvarnished and wrenching exploration of opioid abuse in a wealthy, white-collar world that resonates across class and cultures.
— NEWSWEEK, MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2020
[A] moving and intimate memoir...Zimmerman’s wrenching story and her extensive research into the hidden crisis of white-collar drug addiction will resonate with many readers.
— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
FEEL BETTER, MOVE FORWARD
Psychotherapy Services
I help clients navigate a range of mental health challenges, including difficult life transitions and the complicated feelings that come with that.
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