Whereas Jim Carroll's The Basketball Diaries painted a chilling picture of a drug addict's world, An Officer and a Junkie crosses all boundaries. It is the memoir of Michael Winder, a West Point cadet who took so many mind–altering substances that he came to believe he was Frida Kahlo.
Winder tells his story chronologically, weaving from month to month across the four basic stages of the substance abuse and recovery cycle (use, abuse, rehabilitation, relapse), as it narrates his disastrous spiral into drug and alcohol abuse. An Officer and a Junkie shows what drug–induced psychosis looks like from the inside. It's a startling glimpse at a promising life that becomes a train wreck and then gets even worse.
When Michael finally does give up drugs and embraces sobriety, he's medically required to take strong antipsychotic medication for the rest of his days. But his fine intellect remains, as does his brutal honesty and his riveting and unforgettable account of his drug–fueled descent into madness. The strength in the author's redemption is inspiring, as he moves into recovery and eventually is able to go off his anti–psychotic drugs prescribed by his psychiatrist.
