Throughout his college years, Toren Volkmann partied like there was no tomorrow, having what was supposed to be the time of his life. Like so many parents, his mother, Chris, overlooked Toren’s growing alcohol problem. But when he graduated, Toren realized he’d become a full-blown alcoholic. And he was not alone. Considered a rite of passage, teenage drinking has skyrocketed to epidemic proportions, fostering a generation of young adults whose lives are already beginning to come apart under the strain. This book, written from the viewpoints of both mother and son, 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’s putting America’s future at risk. “An important book for every parent of a teenager.  This fearless and searching diary brings the reality home that alcohol does not care who it conquers.  From Binge to Blackout offers honesty, hope and hands-on guidance for parents and teens to make empowering choices.”—Marci Shimoff, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul “I recommend this book to parents, students, and anyone interested in the current alcohol culture in which many of today's young people have become so entrenched. The dangerous attitudes and behaviors towards alcohol that many are exhibiting are a threat to the future of our children. I admire the courage it took Toren to recognize and overcome the devastation that alcohol was having on his life before it was too late. We challenge each of you to be aware of alcohol abuse and to educate yourselves and your children about the potential deadly consequences. It cost our family the ultimate, as our daughter, Samantha, died in September, 2004 of acute alcohol poisoning. Our goal is to prevent another family from having to endure the pain of losing a child in such a senseless and preventable manner.”—Patty Spady, mother of 19-year-old Samantha Spady, a student who died of alcohol poisoning at Colorado State University Chris Volkmann, a former classroom teacher, lives in Olympia, Washington. Chris stepped away from her career to parent three sons. She attended Toren’s college graduation having no clue her son was part of a not-so-hidden epidemic. She shares what every parent thinks but cannot always say. Toren Volkmann (BA in psychology, former Peace Corps volunteer) lives one day at a time after successfully completing rehab and a six-month residence in a Florida halfway house. Chris p. 10- The End at the Beginning When I left for the market earlier that day, my son was living in Paraguay working for the Peace Corps. By the time I returned home to put the groceries away, he’d become an alcoholic headed for rehab. So what happened between the produce aisle and my driveway? Toren p. 21- My Drink Even more disturbing are the terrible physical reactions, depending on the amount of alcohol I consumed and my eventual detox. This is the big problem. During detox, inside the unsettled body, a nervous and sometimes nauseous sense begins…an anxiety and almost a fear, like being too alone. You see yourself and everything differently. Like a sudden collapse of the stock market in your brain and every single nerve ending throughout your body wants to turn inside out and puke out some unidentifiable pain or itch. You sweat, and you sweat increasingly when you let unreasonable thoughts trick you into feeling like whatever you are thinking must be true, like for example, “this is normal,” “this will never end,” “I deserve this,” or “hhhhmm…maybe another drink will solve the problem.” Chris p. 79- Put on Your Beer Goggles and Don’t Ask Why Binge drinking looks fun and blurs the reality of what really happens when thousands of kids drink way too much. And all the while, we parents are blind. Maybe that’s because we’re busy sipping wine as we bid at fund-raisers, or we’re knocking back a few tall cold ones at our alumni tailgate parties, or maybe we’re out to a two-martini dinner with intimate friends while our successful kids are tucked away on campuses where fun can’t be categorized as dangerous. Or progressive. Or addictive. Toren p. 132-133 –Party My Face Off Were all these classy visits to other campuses rehearsals for my behavioral outbursts during my college freshman year? Hell no. I was just getting my green feet wet and still learning the ropes. There was no problem. I was still in high school. Relax. (And don’t think, Gee, man, it sure is surprising that no one ever pulled you aside and said, ‘You know, I think some of these things are pretty scary. Maybe you have a problem and should think about getting help.’) No, it’s not surprising that never happened, because most of these things went under the radar of any counselor, authority, and more important, the parents. You think I went home, and when asked, “Hey, Toren, how was your night last night?,” that I responded, “Oh, it was great. I dra