Drugs, Lies & Docs: A Doctor's Memoir of Addiction, Recovery and More

"Look after yourself. Look after each other."

In 1986, Dr. I. Michael Kaufmann asked for help with his addiction to opiates. That life-changing call altered the course of his medical career, ultimately leading him to help thousands of others struggling with the same issues, including doctors, residents, and health professionals and their families. Drugs, Lies & Docs is his story-and so much more.

"You either get help, or bad things happen."

Drawing from a distinguished career that spans decades, Dr. Kaufmann explores addiction and recovery in the twenty-first century. Drugs, Lies & Docs provides a rare glimpse into educating health care workers on how to help each other rise to meet the unique demands of addressing addiction in the medical profession. In the classroom of Drugs, Lies & Docs you'll gain wisdom and valuable insights while real-life testimonies, including Dr. Kaufmann's personal journey, steep each lesson in authenticity and compassion.

"When we tell our stories, we are not alone. We join-we heal."

Dr. Kaufmann knows stigma and shame kill as surely as a lethal overdose. He also knows firsthand that sharing honest stories about addiction and recovery is the most powerful way to reach those already suffering and help them break through to long-term wellness.

Authentic, compassionate, raw, and real, Drugs, Lies & Docs addresses addiction with dignity. It offers hope. With a commitment to education and a heartfelt call to action, Dr. Kaufmann's memoir champions recovery and the enduring humanity required to sustain it in the high-stakes world of medical practice.

PRAISE FOR "DRUGS, LIES & DOCS"

“In Drugs, Lies & Docs, author and family physician Dr. I. Michael Kaufmann tells the unvarnished truth about his own journey from addiction to recovery to relapse and back again. It's a story patients and fellow health professionals need to hear because it's about an all too common aspect of the human condition. Kaufmann's story is not pretty. Neither is addiction. That's why you need to read it.”

—Brian Goldman, MD, Host of White Coat, Black Art on CBC Radio One, and author of The Power of Teamwork: How We Can All Work Better Together

“Bravo! Michael Kaufmann has hit the ball out of the park with Drugs, Lies & Docs and gained a hard-earned entry into the pantheon of wounded healer narratives. Dr. Kaufmann leaves no stone unturned in his detailed exposition of his becoming addicted to opioids, the years of use and deception, his eventual reckoning with a life off the rails, successful (and lifesaving) treatment, and the long journey of healing and redemption. His prose is raw and gripping, always engaging and intimate. His use of humor is deft and welcome, even when self-directed, because this offsets the immense pain and loss he has experienced in his childhood and early life. But this memoir is more than a story of a doctor who recovers from a severe substance use disorder. It is a human story—it is my story, many readers’ stories—of having to confront our personal vulnerabilities, with courage, honesty and self-care. And it is a beautiful love story, Michael and Judy, partners through thick and thin. A must read.”

—Michael F. Myers, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, and author of Becoming a Doctors’ Doctor: A Memoir

“An amazing biography which tells in great detail the journey of a physician as he transforms his life from one of addiction and despair to recovery and transformation. Whether you are a health care professional or a human being facing life challenges, you will be inspired and transformed by reading this incredible memoir.”

—Mel Borins, MD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, and author of A Doctor's Guide to Alternative Medicine and An Apple a Day: A Holistic Health Primer

“Discover the Power of Recovery: Dr. Michael Kaufmann’s moving memoir reveals the hidden struggles of addiction within the medical profession and offers readers a raw and insightful journey into the lives of those who heal others, but must also heal themselves. Dr. Kaufmann has both lived through addiction and recovery and dedicated much of his career to help others navigate this difficult journey.”

—Dr. Nicholas Pimlott, Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, and Editor of Canadian Family Physician

“As a pioneer and leader in physician wellness and addictions, Dr. Michael Kaufmann invites us into a 

medical school class and into his personal life to share his expertise and lived experience with addictions. The book aims to break the stigma, isolation, fear and shame that unfortunately surround addictions in the House of Medicine. It is a story of strength and hope. If one conversation can save a life, it is hoped that this compelling book will save many.”

—Caroline Gérin-Lajoie, eVP Physician Wellness and Medical Culture, Canadian Medical Association

“A brutally honest, transparent and all too human narrative of a physician’s journey of addiction and recovery. Dr. Michael Kaufmann’s lifetime memoir is ultimately about the courage to heal, leaving the reader inspired and hopeful that the disease of addiction can ultimately be overcome and controlled.”

—Sandy Buchman, MD CCFP (PC) FCFP, Freeman Family Chair in Palliative Care, Medical Director at the Freeman Centre, NYGH, and Professor of Palliative Care, University of Toronto

“As I was reading Dr Michael Kaufmann's memoir I laughed and I cried. I was given the privilege of peering into the mind of a physician with an addiction disorder that was able to become healthy and live a solid life of recovery. It was funny; it was sad; it was scary , and it was uncomfortable to follow along and witness his truly inspiring transformation and growth. As an addicted physician myself, I feel Dr. Kaufmann has done a stellar job in shedding light on what it's like to walk our path. Keep coming back Mike; love you, man!”

—George Photopoulos MD, CCFP, FCFP, Graduate of the PHP program that Dr. Kaufmann founded; Family Doctor; Caduceus Facilitator; Grateful dad of Boo Boo and Wee Wee