Eilene B. Zimmerman's Blog: Reader's Stories

I recently went through a similar experience and needed to thank you for writing such a poignant, intelligent and heartfelt memoir. Reading your book has been a cathartic and insightful experience.

My husband is a partner at [Am Law 100 firm] and when your NYT article came out in 2017, the firm’s manager partner emailed it to every single partner (worldwide) with a message that read “If you are struggling, please get help.” Although my husband is not an addict (to my knowledge) so much of your book could have been about us. I wish I could say that there has been a shift in the firm’s culture since 2017, but there hasn’t. I have never related to anything as much as I did your story, which to some might seem odd, since addiction is at its core and we’re not dealing with that…. Nevertheless, there are many similarities between y husband and Peter, and between our relationships. I made my husband listen to part of Chapter 12 yesterday and he told me that, “some of it resonated” but he thinks a lot of what you had to say was “probably geared toward litigators.” Perhaps your book will spark a deeper conversation.

I am an MSW/LCSW in private practice in [southeastern state in the US] and though I don’t treat substance abuse (due to my own trauma with a parent), I learn so much through the memoirs of those with a story tell, including Fall to Pieces, Beautiful Boy and now, Smacked.
I have a similar story, including the “autoimmune” disease part.


My jaw dropped when I read your memoir summary. I felt a small piece of relief to read that I’m not the only one in the world [to have experienced this].

I am a 55 year old recovering addict.Got clean and sober at 25, relapsed at 36, lasted 12 years. Got sober again 7 years ago. Heard about the book on NPR the other day. Read it last night. Thank You for writing it. I have been writing a memoir for the past few months and began to stall. The process has been alternately jubilant and soul shredding. You have inspired me to continue. I am deeply sorry for the pain and loss you and your kids suffered. I would like to shake your hand and have you sign my book. Although i never went the IV route, (vanity i suppose), i have been to that dark abyss and know it well. Your writing evoked deep sense memory and emotional recall that made me grateful i have left all that behind.



I lost my beautiful 25 year old son Lucas to the giant monster called addiction. He lost his long and arduous battle to opioid addiction on December 19th, 2016. I am heartbroken. Since then I have thrown myself into recovery for family members addressing the impact on those living with a loved one's substance use.


I went through something so incredibly similar. This story spoke to me on a level and no other book ever has. Thank you so much for writing it.
I was married to my husband for 34 years. An attorney with a cocaine addiction who left me five years ago. It’s taking me so long to have some kind of understanding of what was going on. I’m in the middle of your book now but felt I had to write you. I don’t know if my husband is clean now. He moved across country to New York and is in a new relationship. Your book has allowed me to understand how traumatic it was to live through the years before he left. How completely in the dark I was and how long it took me to admit what was going on. I just want to thank you for looking into this whole lawyer depression life. It is so enlightening to know I’m not the only one who’s gone through this.
I read your outstanding book in one evening. I lost a sister to hep C and never saw it coming because she swore she didn't have it. She was ashamed even though I had told her I did not care. I.V. drug user in the past. Your book spoke to me and I am sure so many others.


[SMACKED] was so much my story. I was lucky to have a happier ending. My husband had been clean and in recovery for 14 years! I cherish each day.


Thank you for being vulnerable and helping to draw the curtain back on several taboo topics. I am truly sorry for your suffering. I can reassure you that Peter did not suffer at death from my own story. I would also like to share that I retired my pristine Federal DEA and my state medical license after 2 unsolicited requests for Oxycontin prescriptions in the last 8 months; and, being told about a rental home where a 30+ YO tenant was found dead. A drug lab was also found in the home along with the dead tenant. [The landlord was callous and did nothing, even though he suspected there was a problem, according to this reader.]


I retired my medical license as I could not accept the societal burden of learning that someone had been injured by the [landlord's] inactions--I can only shake my head in disbelief. There is more to the story, but I am relieved to know that I do not have to face the present growing societal problems of addiction, housing, professional expectations and stories like Peter. Very sad. There is much more that is needed to be done as a society surrounding these taboo topics.