The belly of the whale

This is a first-person account of the relentlessly downward tailspin of an unwell, addicted surgeon and the initial stages of his recovery. It is an intensely real, personal and harrowing narrative, which is not for the faint-hearted. The narrative also expands on the reasons and mechanisms underpinning such addictive illness, latterly explaining how recovery can be addressed effectively. The writing begins as an account, driven by a need to document what had happened; which then aligns with an attempt to understand. It represents a catharsis and proved to be an essential component of eventual recovery. As such, it may help explain this cunning, baffling and powerful illness to the afflicted and those close to them. The tone is a combination of factual description and emotive narrative, but includes a wealth of humour, despite the subject matter.