From Binge to Blackout by Chris Volkmann: Book Cover

    From Binge to Blackout: A Mother and Son Struggle With Teen Drinking by Chris Volkmann, Toren Volkmann, Toren Volkmann, Cardwell C. Nuckols (Foreword by)

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    • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
    • Pub. Date: August 2006
    • ISBN-13: 9780641891472
    • Sales Rank: 2,878
    • 432pp
    • Edition Description: Bargain

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    Synopsis

    ALCOHOL: The number one drug of choice for America's youth.

    Throughout his college years, Toren Volkmann partied like there was no tomorrow. And like so many parents, his mother, Chris, overlooked Toren's growing alcohol problem. But when he graduated, Toren realized that he had become a full-blown alcoholic with a college diploma.

    Written from the viewpoints of both mother and son, this is a riveting, enlightening, and heartbreakingly true story of a family that was able to confront the fear, pain, and denial that threatened to destroy them-and survive the epidemic of teenage drinking that is putting America's future at risk.

    New York Times

    From Binge to Blackout: a Mother and Son Struggle with Teen Drinking is an especially gripping cautionary tale on this subject. And it is unusual in that it does not follow the standard story template, from downfall to miracle cure. Instead this account is divided between two narrators: Toren Volkmann, who slid with scary ease from fun-loving party guy to desperate alcoholic, and Chris Volkmann, his mother, who bought Toren's assurances that he was fine. He had a secret, and she hadn't a clue.

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    Biography

    Chris Volkmann is a former classroom teacher and recipient of the 2001 Washington State Artist Trust GAP Literary Grant.

    Toren Volkmann is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.

    Customer Reviews

    From Binge to Blackout: A Mother and Son Struggle With Teen Drinkingby Anonymous

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    August 01, 2008: This book was incredibly helpful to me. Not only a compelling story to someone who is going through a very similar situation with her own 20 year old son, but the additional facts and information were also invaluable. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your story Chris and Toren!

    From Binge to Blackout: A Mother and Son Struggle With Teen Drinkingby Anonymous

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    October 21, 2007: I think it would be safe to say that, for the majority of teens at least, drinking (and by this I mean consuming alcoholic beverages) is something that will come up sooner rather than later. Seen by many as a 'right of passage,' teens and alcohol are things that seem to go hand in hand. Although I know this isn't true for every teen--I myself never had a drop of alcohol until I was twenty-one, due to a strict upbringing--what I remember from my high school years, and what I see today among teens, shows that teen drinking is on the rise. What many teens don't realize, and quite possibly don't even understand, is that due to their actual adolescence and the changes that brings, their bodies are actually at risk to suffer greater negative effects from alcohol. Sure, it can give you a buzz, and in some social circles there are even those who will say it makes you look cool. The problem is, that just like with the nicotine in cigarettes and the unhealthy substances in marijuana and other illegal drugs, that the changing bodies of teens can be harmed to a greater extent than those of full-grown adults. FROM BINGE TO BLACKOUT is the story of Toren Volkmann and his mother, Chris. Toren was like any teen, one who experimented with alcohol in ways that didn't, at first, prove to be a problem. Unfortunately, this experimentation later led to full-blown blackouts and an eventual stay in a rehab center for alcohol addiction. This is a book that is part autobiography, part scientific text, part guidebook. You'll find the warning signs of teen drinking, references to places that can help you both as a drinker and a family member affected by someone who is a drinker, and questions that can help you talk about alcohol dependency. This is the perfect book not just for parents, but also for teens who struggle with an alcohol problem--or even those who don't yet, but realize they could be on that path. This is a touching, heartwarming story that ended, thankfully, with recovery. Unfortunately, many more teens might not be as lucky as Toren Volkmann was, and those are the ones who really need to pick up a copy of FROM BINGE TO BLACKOUT. **Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka 'The Genius'


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