Free Refills

A Doctor Confronts His Addiction

By: Peter Grinspoon MD

Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Free Refills is the harrowing tale of a Harvard-trained medical doctor run horribly amok through his addiction to prescription medication, and his recovery.

Dr. Peter Grinspoon seemed to be a total success: A Harvard-educated MD with a thriving practice; married with two great kids and a gorgeous wife; a pillar of his community. But lurking beneath the thin veneer of having it all was an addict fueled on a daily boatload of prescription meds. When the police finally came calling - after a tip from a sharp-eyed pharmacist - Grinspoon's house of cards came tumbling down fast. His professional ego turned out to be an impediment to getting clean as he cycled through recovery to relapse, his reputation, family life, and lifestyle in ruins. What finally moves him to recover and reclaim life - including working with other physicians who themselves are addicts - makes for inspiring listen.

©2016 Peter Grinspoon (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Great story to have yelled at you

The story is great, especially if you have any personal experience with substance abuse.

The performance, however, is tough for me to enjoy. It sounds like a jock yelling at you. Probably a nice guy, but it is so intense.

Enjoy at low volumes.

Over rated...

Disappointed overall in the story, and the narrator, it’s unfortunate when you see a book with 4+ stars one would think it would be worth the almost 20 dollars but sadly not the case here. It’s 3 stars at best and I’m being generous.

Would love to hear his ex wife's side of the story

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Too much ranting about his uncaring ex wife. There are three sides to every story...his, hers, and the truth. I am sure living with an addict must be extremely hard

Any additional comments?

It was a great story that needs to be told. I just got fed up with how much time was spent berating his ex wife. While I do not know who she is, and she is referred to by a letter in the story, many people must know who she is so I feel bad for her. He said himself he left the house to go to his office to use many evenings. Guess that wasn't much fun for her!

Fabulous!!!!

First just let me say that the narration was awesome...I say that first so I don't forget. Addicted doctors are not something I didn't know about, but this story goes into such detail about the entire experience including his personal life. If I was asked to re-name this book it would be "Doctors are People Too". The high standards to which they are held after being caught are in my opinion, Ridiculous! You may think I'm crazy but listen and see if you don't feel the same at the end. What a great listen, I am actually going to see if Doctor Grinspoon has written anything else. It's pretty hard to shock me having been an addict myself but I found myself picking up my jaw more than once..oh and get ready to laugh out loud even in the midst of this injustice. Please don't get me wrong, I know there must be consequences but how this man didn't throw in the towel is amazing to me. The punishment did not fit the crime!

Thank You!

Thank you for your honesty. It's stories like this that bring those who suffer from addiction out of the shadows and hopefully alleviate the stigma that we face even after recovery. This is a story of perseverance.

Excellent!!!

Dr. Grinspoon offers a humble, honest, and illuminating glimpse into addiction, recovery, and American healthcare. His story is inspiring for recovering addicts or anyone suffering from addiction. It is eye-opening and instructive for those in healthcare, especially the ones fearful and suspicious of their addicted and recovering fellow professionals. His wit and openness are both endearing and refreshing.

Thank you, Dr. Grinspoon, for sharing your vulnerability, struggles, and triumphs with us. May your story forever inspire others to take action.

great book

This book was heartfelt and honest. Any person whos had an addiction or loves an addict can relate. Gritty, real, sad, and humorous at times.

A book that’s good till the end

great story and fluent and told with such excellent descriptions that makes you feel like you are there going through every emotion and feeling yourself. well told. recommend to your friends and colleagues even if they don’t have addictions themselves

What a journey!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. I learned a lot about something I never even knew I didn't know. Doctors, who have addictions.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Free Refills?

Every moment that the author's kids missed him, and the discussion on the couch. Ouch. I cried. Hard.

Which character – as performed by Kiff VandenHeuvel – was your favorite?

The author.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

He never stopped quitting.

Really Capture's what it's like to be addicted to prescription pain killers!

I really enjoyed listening to this book on tape. The narrator did a great job of telling the doctors story. Peter Grinspoon did an excellent job telling his story about his life of addiction. Whether your a doctor or not addiction is addiction and the stories seem to be the same. If you know someone who is addicted to prescription pain killers you should read this book. If you think you might be addicted yourself, you should read this book. If you are clean from your own addiction you will see yourself in this book. It should be available at every treatment center in America!