Jared Klickstein barely survived his many years as a drug addict, using meth, crack, heroin and whatever else he could get his hands on. He tried rehab several times, got sober and relapsed, and ended up in jail more than once before the severe consequences of his lifestyle forced him to get clean for good.
Jared lived to tell the (harrowing) tale, and published a book about it. Crooked Smile: What It Took to Escape a Decade of Homelessness, Addiction, & Crime is a thoroughly enjoyable read, despite it's dark content, and offers important insight into the realities of addiction, the brain of an addict, what really helps people get clean and what doesn't.
I spoke with him about his life, his book, and the mistakes he sees progressives making in terms of approach to addiction and homelessness.
'I woke up missing part of my face'—Jared Klickstein barely survived addiction, and wrote a book about it