At 17, Joshua Bennett-Johnson was working restaurant shifts while carrying a dangerous secret. In Part I of his memoir excerpt, a phone call, a threat, and a familiar detective lead him to a meeting that changes everything that comes next.

DSM-5-TR does not list polysubstance use disorder as a standalone diagnosis, yet the label remains common in some treatment settings. Sandy Rivers explains how one broad term can obscure specific substances, trauma, mental health needs, pain, and treatment options - and why person-centered assessment matters.

John Makohen argues that the first use of heroin is often not the beginning of addiction. Years of trauma, stress, loneliness, mental health symptoms, prior substance use, pain, and learned relief may already have shaped the brain's coping patterns - which means prevention must begin much earlier than the drug itself.