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ABOUT THE BOOK

A story of struggle, healing, and the work of finding yourself.

At fourteen years old, Derrick Broze was secretly cutting himself and battling the demon of self-hatred. Within a couple of years, the attacks on his body progressed into abusing his mind with an abundance of drugs and alcohol. On this self-destructive path, he was also doing damage to nearly every young woman he encountered in an attempt to find true love.

After spending the better part of his first two decades of life drowning in depression and desperately desiring to connect with his drug-addicted, imprisoned, and mostly absent dad, Derrick found himself being pulled into the same world of drug dealing and criminal activity that had ensnared his father.

Before he knew it, he was hooked on crystal meth, cocaine, and Xanax, and indebted to a local drug kingpin. As he attempted to navigate the drug business and a maze of lustful relationships, he began to realize that he was not finding happiness in his drug-fueled, chaotic mess of a life.

Soon enough, he would find himself arrested and continuing the family tradition of spending time behind bars. It was in this space of losing his freedom that he began his journey towards healing his trauma, understanding his mental health struggles, and uncovering his spiritual path.

This is Derrick’s story of learning to love himself, forgive his father, and discover his purpose. Follow the ups and downs of his journey as he struggles to become a man of his word.

“This memoir traces the path from chaos to clarity and the work required to rebuild a life with intention. It reflects the experiences that shaped me and the commitment that carried me forward.” — Derrick Broze

Chapter Overview:

Table of Contents


Introduction

Prologue: November 16, 2005

Part 1

Chapter 1: Goodbye Childhood

Chapter 2: “X” Is for Ecstasy

Chapter 3: The Summer of Mayhem and Love

Chapter 4: A Slice of My Heart

Chapter 5: Blacking Out

Chapter 6: Almost, But Not Quite

Chapter 7: Hello, Crystal Meth

Chapter 8: Are You Even Enjoying Yourself?

Chapter 9: Evicted

Chapter 10: Hollow Dreams and Dead Hopes

Chapter 11: In Love and Tweaking

Chapter 12: Final Days

Chapter 13: Sober(ish) But Not Yet Free

Part 2

Chapter 14: Sentenced to Change

Chapter 15: Let the Healing Begin

Chapter 16: Getting to the Root

Chapter 17: Mindfuck

Chapter 18: Free At Last (For Now)

Chapter 19: Mindfuck: The Sequel

Chapter 20: The Summer of Love and Psychedelics

Chapter 21: One More Chance to Change

Chapter 22: It’s Over

Part 3

Chapter 23: Finally, Finally Free At Last

Chapter 24: I’m a Drunk, Again

Chapter 25: Sierra

Chapter 26: Waking Up

Chapter 27: Leaving It All Behind

Chapter 28: Coming Home

Chapter 29: I Forgive You


Epilogue

The Fire Burns Bright

Acknowledgments

Other Books by Derrick Broze:

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