Hi, I’m Jared, and I’m an author of queer books and have several published titles. My memoir “First, Do No Harm: Breaking The Cycle Of Love And Destruction” releases January 27, 2026 (preorders available now).
As a combat medic who graduated training on September 11, 2001, I learned that “do no harm” was more than an oath - it was supposed to be a guiding principle. But when my partner struggled with opioid addiction, I discovered the impossible paradox at its core: What happens when every choice causes harm? When medical protocols and legal requirements contradict each other? When suffering is inevitable no matter what you do?
This is a quiet love story set against the opioid crisis, exploring how two people navigate addiction when the systems meant to help actively work against healing. It’s about the moment-by-moment decisions that define us, the weight of choosing which harm is least harmful, and learning that sometimes love means accepting that you cannot save someone from their pain.
“First, Do No Harm” examines what happens when compassion, duty, and survival collide in a world where legal and medical frameworks don’t align - and where being queer and vulnerable makes those contradictions even more dangerous.
If you’re drawn to memoirs that sit with difficult questions rather than offering easy answers, I’d be honored if you’d check it out. J.T. Thompson
As a combat medic who graduated training on September 11, 2001, I learned that “do no harm” was more than an oath - it was supposed to be a guiding principle. But when my partner struggled with opioid addiction, I discovered the impossible paradox at its core: What happens when every choice causes harm? When medical protocols and legal requirements contradict each other? When suffering is inevitable no matter what you do?
This is a quiet love story set against the opioid crisis, exploring how two people navigate addiction when the systems meant to help actively work against healing. It’s about the moment-by-moment decisions that define us, the weight of choosing which harm is least harmful, and learning that sometimes love means accepting that you cannot save someone from their pain.
“First, Do No Harm” examines what happens when compassion, duty, and survival collide in a world where legal and medical frameworks don’t align - and where being queer and vulnerable makes those contradictions even more dangerous.
If you’re drawn to memoirs that sit with difficult questions rather than offering easy answers, I’d be honored if you’d check it out. J.T. Thompson