James Patterson

Hal Friedman

A nonfiction account by the best-selling suspense author follows a family's decades-long struggle with their son's mysterious medical disorder that from the age of five induced violent physical tics and prompted traumatic treatments, a nightmarish situation that also pitted the family against a disheartening medical establishment.

One Family's Struggle with an Agonizing Medical Mystery

Against Medical Advice

Cory Friedman was an ordinary fun-loving little boy. That fateful March morning in 1989 started just like any other but later that day, he started to feel very different and the course of his life was set to change. It started with an irresistible urge to shake his head, and before long, his body became a volatile, explosive and unpredictable force. Overtaken by physical urges, tics and compulsions, the bright young boy started to feel and look like a puppet on a string. Cory had developed a rare combination of Tourette Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety Disorder and other neurological conditions. The life he knew had been torn apart and his family was left watching him suffer. Desperate to help and hopeful of a cure, they embarked on a fifteen year plight which took them beyond breaking point. Cory was seen by thirteen doctors who in total prescribed sixty potent medicines. He was mistakenly sent to a psychiatric ward and. On the brink of utter despair, he and his family decided to try a form of intervention that had never been tried in cases such as Cory's: he was sent to a wilderness survival camp in a bitter, unforgiving snowy Utah winter. This felt like their final chance. Throughout his young life, Cory struggled to have the same childhood and adolescence as his friends. From time to time an overwhelming anger and frustration overcame him when one doctor after another and an unprecedented number of medicines continually failed him. Still, throughout it all, Cory battled against the extraordinary events that were unfolding, and would take him on one of the most terrifying personaljourneys ever recorded. Torn Apart is a true story of one family's courage, heartbreak, sacrifice and ultimately, triumph.

The Heartbreaking Story of a Childhood Lost

Torn Apart

A teen edition of the inspiring true story, Against Medical Advice, follows the struggles of adolescent Cory Friedman, a patient with Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, describing how his symptoms defied traditional treatments and isolated him from others. Original.

My Knock-down, Drag-out, Drugged-up Battle with My Brain

Med Head

Discover the story of one teenager's struggles with OCD and Tourette's Syndrome-and how he was able to overcome extraordinary setbacks. Cory Friedman knows how it feels to have a body that won't stop moving, to be really different from everyone else, to be made fun of every day, to be totally reckless, to never relax, to be shut out of everything, to break free and take control. James Patterson's Against Medical Advice riveted adults with the page-turning drama of one teenager's courage, sacrifice, and triumph in confronting an agonizing medical condition. Now this deeply personal account of Cory Friedman's intense struggles with Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder-as well as depression, anxiety, and alcohol addiction-is available for teen readers.

MedHead

This first-person account of Cory Friedman's intense struggles with Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is available for teen readers.

Hal Friedman

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