Retelling meth's challenges
Patrick Durkin, also known by his pen name Boston Bornagain, recently published a book called “Fire & Ice: The Meth Bible” depicting the struggles of a methamphetamine addict and his road to redemption based on his own real-life experiences.
REBECCA PETTINGILL/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
“Fire & Ice: The Meth Bible”, written by Boston Bornagain, is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Crystal meth is one form of methamphetamine. The drug is highly addictive and recovery can be a difficult, though not-impossible process.
EPHRATA - Patrick Durkin, also known by his pen name, Boston Bornagain, recently published a book called “Fire & Ice: The Meth Bible” depicting the struggles of a methamphetamine addict and his road to redemption.
“That book, it's a book I wrote for the kid who’s trying drugs for the first time, (but) it's also a book about people looking for answers,” said Durkin. “I think everybody, even here in Grant County, everybody is affected by methamphetamine substance abuse.”
Durkin also used his pen name to represent the main character in his book. As the story unfolds, Boston lives through a lot of the same or similar experiences that Durkin has had over the last 25 years. As Durkin put it, the story is based on 98% of the truth.
Durkin’s book tells of the bad, the ugly and the scary that comes with illicit drug use. He brings to light what the “meth lifestyle” is really like.
“There’s a whole underworld in the shadows of the places we live and it’s all over this country,” said Durkin.
The book starts off with 13-year-old Boston trying marijuana for the first time. As the story progresses, readers will learn of Boston’s path to becoming an alcoholic, meth user, prisoner and mental health patient before what Durkin calls miracles, free him from the chains of addiction and he is able to turn his life around.
Durkin said only a small percentage of meth addicts get clean and stay clean for the rest of their lives.
“It’s a very low number and you really need to have a spiritual awakening to beat that drug,” said Durkin. “They call it the devil’s drug and it’s by no mistake.”
According to healthresearchfunding.org, the chance of meth addiction recovery without some form of addiction therapy is about 3%. Overall, the national rate of meth addiction recovery is between 16% and 20%, but lifetime recovery rates vary.
Durkin said he hopes to show the real, raw life that people in addiction live and that people can change.
“I personally wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything,” said Durkin. “(All the hardships) were my biggest blessings. I was an unbeliever and I had a lot of self-doubt, a lot of self-image problems and today I don’t. I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world. Now, do I recommend that lifestyle to anybody to get that? Absolutely not, because you’re playing with your life. And I wrote this book so that people can have the spiritual awakening without having to go through all the pain that I went through. That’s what it’s really about.”
While there are many dark and explicit themes, Durkin warns, there are many moments he said that God’s influence shined through.
“I believe, (using) that drug, you walk so close with the devil that sometimes God presents himself to you and he gives you an opportunity,” Durkin said. “And that’s what he did with me.”
Durkin said he has lived a miracle-filled life and he feels it is his mission to use his experiences to help people break the chains of addiction.
Durkin said he is already writing a second book called “Deep Washington” which is a sequel to “Fire & Ice: The Meth Bible”. The second book will depict his journey after release from a mental health institution in Texas to Ephrata, Wash. where he has now built a successful life for himself.
“That’s going to be the total transformation of what God can do in recovery,” said Durkin.
A book signing for “Fire & Ice: The Meth Bible” will be held at The Bookery, 1 Basin St NW in Ephrata, on Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a select number of books available for purchase during the signing but it is also available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Rebecca Pettingill may be reached at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.
Methamphetamine
What is it?
A stimulant that speeds up the body’s system and comes as a pill or powder. Available in prescription as Desoxyn® to treat obesity and ADHD. Crystal meth resembles glass fragments and is an illegally altered version of the prescription drug that is cooked with over-the-counter drugs in meth labs.
What does it look like?
Regular meth is a pill or powder. Crystal meth resembles glass fragments or shiny blue-white “rocks” of various sizes.
Common street names include:
Batu, Bikers Coffee, Black Beauties, Chalk, Chicken Feed, Crank, Crystal, Glass, Go-Fast, Hiropon, Ice, Meth, Methlies Quick, Poor Man’s Cocaine, Shabu, Shards, Speed, Stove Top, Tina, Trash, Tweak, Uppers, Ventana, Vidrio, Yaba, and Yellow Bam
How is it used?
Powder, pillSmoked, snorted, injected to intensify the effects, users may take higher doses of the drug, take it more frequently, or change their method of intake
How does it affect the body?
Highly addictiveAgitation, increased heart rate and blood pressureIncreased respiration and body temperatureAnxiety, paranoiaHigh doses can cause convulsions, cardiovascular collapse, stroke or death
SOURCE: DEA
