A Mother's Journey

About the Book

When twenty-three-year-old Joshua Doppelt committed suicide in January of 2008, his death sent ripples throughout his entire family. In this memoir, his mother, Deborah Doppelt, shares a story of love, anger, and frustration in dealing with the highs and lows of an adolescent with a drug problem while she explores her own grieving process.

Based on a series of journal entries created by Deborah after Joshua’s death, A Mother’s Journey chronicles his life, including his diagnosis and treatment for ADHD at age twelve, his work and school life, his struggles with both legal and illegal prescription drugs, his attempts at rehabilitation, and an eventual spiral out of control.

A Mother’s Journey is intended as a guide for all junior and senior high school students and their parents to help teens understand the consequences of their actions. Suicide, accidental or not, leaves a devastating and permanent scar on the loved ones the victims leave behind.

About the Author

DEBORAH DOPPELT teaches health and physical education in a private, parochial school. She lost her only son at the age of twenty-three to suicide. Doppelt lives in New Jersey. She has a daughter.