Dying for Triplicate: A True Story of Addiction, Survival & Recovery

by Todd A Zalkins

I had been addicted to Vicodin and Norco for almost ten years when I received my first "scrippie" or prescription for Oxycontin. I took two of the little pink beauties and washed them down with a soda. While driving, the Oxycontin hit me like a freight train. A warm rush filled my veins as I pulled my car over due to the intensity of the feeling. My jaw became soft, my temples were ringing with joy, and I was this soft, gummy person that became a fixture in the seat of my car. A teardrop rolled down my eye, and any bit of physical pain I had was gone. Much more powerful than Vicodin or Norco,it was pure religion. I thought, "This is exactly how God and Jesus Christ want me to feel for the rest of my life, nothing should feel this good." I tried rehab facilities, medically supervised detoxifications at home, I even paid $10,000 to have a procedure performed to clean my blood in hopes that it would "fix me." *For the last two and a half years of my addiction I was on a breathing machine to keep me alive. I would stop breathing 40-50 times a night due to the depth of my insanity with the drug use. *I checked myself into rehab on February 16th, 2007 and near certain death. Dr. Daniel Headrick, Medical Director at South Coast Hospital in Laguna Beach, Ca said, "I have worked with and detoxified more than 12,000 patients, and your case is probably the worst I have ever seen. *I didn't sleep for the first 44 days of my recovery. I made a deal with myself that if I didn't sleep by day 50 that I was going to end my life. *I shook physically for close to nine months as the years of opiate pain pill addiction slowly exited my system. I love my life today, but it wasn't that way for a very long time. In order to be built back up I had to be completely torn down. "Dying for Triplicate" is an inside glimpse of a horrific story of addiction, and proof that we can change, and break free of something that we never dreamed possible.

384 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2010

Reviews

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for an epic piece of literature, this book isn't for you. But, if you are looking for a raw, real look into the life of an extreme addict, then this is one heck of a story. Todd Zalkins doesn't write like any author I have read before. He writes like people talk. There is a lot of curse words in this book, but that is what makes it realistic. His descriptions of the amount of drugs and alcohol he was ingesting were so horrific, it is a miracle he is alive.
I moved from Nor Cal to Long Beach in 2000, and currently live in Orange County, so I was familiar with all of the places Zalkins described in this book. I was also familiar with the detox and rehab centers he went to, because I worked at a rehab facility, and we sent some of our clients to the ones he was in. That also made the book very interesting to me, because I could relate to the places he was talking about.
Aside from some grammatical errors, which I'm very particular about being an English teacher, Zalkins' book was a really good, very real read. He puts it all out there, without shame and with a lot of heart. I even found myself tearing up at several parts of the book, one being the description of Brad Nowell's death. He is the lead singer of Sublime, my all-time favorite band, and one of the main reason's I moved to Long Beach in the first place.
Kudos to you Todd. Thank you for telling your story.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first met Z-Man (Todd Zalkins) in 1999 apparently in the middle of his addiction and he couldn't have been a nicer guy, he hooked my and my friend up with CD's, Shirts, and Stickers from his back Corn Doggy Dog & the 1/2 lb. He truly was an amazing and warm person, and this was when he was sick. Reading this book really explains how horrible addiction is and his lifelong struggle with it from his teen years until his 40's. There are a lot of funny stories to make this book not so serious when it doesn't need to be, but he brings it back to make sure you know that addiction is not a laughing matter. If you are struggling with addiction, or you just would like to learn about it, I would highly recommend this book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. It's a true story about addiction and living life in the throes of it. Anyone who has ever battled an addiction can relate to this book, as it is raw,truthful and painful to read about at times but I found myself laughing out loud a lot as well.The absurdity of the situations he got himself into, and the way he makes fun of himself gave it lots of humor and made you feel as if you know the author personally. Loved it!

[Rachael C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is real, from the heart writing. Very inspirational, and a page-turner. Mr. Zalkins has bared his soul for the sole purpose of helping people in the terrible grips of opiate addiction and boosting those who are recovering. Not just touching, this book brings the reader more than a few chuckles.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting, sobering and very powerful INSIDE look at the depths of addiction hell.

[Jeannie Tillery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent depiction of severe drug addiction..Awesome!

[Tara M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good story of recovery but terribly written.

[Alex Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! A must read for anyone who is in recovery