Publisher's Synopsis
Maureen Cavanaghs gripping audiobook memoir is the story of a mother who suddenly finds herself on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic as her daughter battlesand ultimately reckons withsubstance use disorderFast-paced and heartwarming, devastating and redemptive, Maureens incredible odyssey into the opioid crisisfirst as a parent, then as an advocateis ultimately a deeply moving mother-daughter story. When Maureen and her ex-husband Mike see their daughter Katies needle track marks for the first time, it is a complete shock. But, slowly, the drug use explains everythingKaties constant exhaustion, erratic moods, and all those spoons that have gone missing from the house. Once Mike and Maureen get Katie into detox, Maureen goes to sleep that night hoping that in 48 hours shell have her daughter back. Its not that simple.Like the millions of parents and relatives all over the countrysome of whom she has helped through her nonprofit organizationMaureen learns that recovery is neither straightforward nor brief. She fights to save Katies life, breaking down doors on the seedy side of town with Mike, kidnapping Katie outside a convenience store, and battling the taboo around substance use disorder in her picturesque New England town. Maureen is launched into the shadowy world of overcrowded, for-profit rehabilitation centers that often prey on worried parents. As Katie runs away from one program after another, never outrunning her pain, Maureen realizes that even while she becomes an expert on getting countless men and women into detox and treatment centers, she remains powerless to save her own daughter. If You Love Me: A Mother's Journey Through Her Daughter's Opioid Addiction brings the opioid crisis out of the shadows and into the house next door.
