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].