Not Those People

Book excerpt: Not Those People is the true story of one man's journey battling drug addiction and mental health challenges in a small Pennsylvania town. In this unexpectantly transparent account of falling into addiction as a teenager and the spiral toward a total loss of control that followed, Zak Maiden shines light on the hidden battles that are being fought by everyday Americans across the nation. The book offers a raw and intimate view into the complexities of addiction and the road to recovery by dismantling the stigmas that surround those who deal with these things. Through the eyes of an everyday, small town boy comes a story shining a spotlight on the war that countless people wage every day in silence, because they are afraid to be honest about their struggles with the labels that society has attached to them. No one wants to be those people. The depressed people. The addicted people. The suicidal people. The people who are society’s failures and misfits. Through Zak's acutely relatable story, comes a path toward a new wave of transparency and opens up conversations around topics of addiction and mental health. This book is equal parts story, diary, and invitation to bring the hidden struggles of people all over America out of the shadows and into the light. To abolish stigmas and normalize conversations around topics of mental health and drug recovery. To prove that we are all just human. That we all face challenges. That we are not outcasts and misfits. We are Not Those People.