As Needed for Pain

A Memoir of Addiction

By: Dan Peres

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

In the vein of Mary Karr’s Lit, Augusten Burroughs’ Dry, and Sarah Hepola’s Blackout, As Needed for Pain is a raw and riveting - and often wryly funny - addiction memoir from one of New York media’s most accomplished editors which explores his never-before-told story of opioid addiction and the drastic impact it had on his life and career.

Dan Peres wasn’t born to be a media insider. As an awkward, magic-obsessed adolescent, nothing was further from his reality than the catwalks of Paris or the hallways of glossy magazine publishers. A gifted writer and shrewd cultural observer, Peres eventually took the leap - even when it meant he had to fake a sense of belonging in a new world of famed fashion designers, celebrities, and some of media’s biggest names. But he had a secret: opiates.

Peres’ career as an editor at W magazine and Details is well known, but little is known about his private life as a high-functioning drug addict. In As Needed for Pain, Peres lays bare for the first time the extent of his drug use - at one point a 60-pill-a-day habit.

By turns humorous and gripping, Peres’ story is a cautionary coming-of-age tale filled with unforgettable characters and breathtaking brushes with disaster. But the heart of the book is his journey from outsider to insecure insider, what it took to get him there, and how he found his way back from a killing addiction.

As Needed for Pain offers a rare glimpse into New York media’s past - a time when print magazines mattered - and a rarefied world of wealth, power, and influence. It is also a brilliant, shocking dissection of a life teetering on the edge of destruction, and what it took to pull back from the brink.

©2020 Dan Peres (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Get Ready to Pull an All Nighter

Wow! Dan’s book is quite a nail biter. I can’t believe that he’s living to tell his story. It takes such courage to tell it. It’s a not a pretty one by any means. Highly recommend this novel. Get ready to pull an all nighter.

Fantastic!

The performance was spot on. I forgot it was being read by someone other than the man who wrote it.

So Sad

Sad, tragic, and all too true. It is a gut wrenching look into the depth of addiction. Eating urine soaked extra strength Vicodin from under the urinal in the Waldorf. The disgusting juxtaposition of addiction and the need to maintain the facade normalcy. I had an overwhelming feeling that I’d just like to give Dan a beating, just like the one Sonny Corleone gave Carlo. That’s justice!

Loved it!

An honest and forthright story. Actually left me wanting more...Who was the rock star??

for all you addicts out there who love to live the drama of getting clean

our pal Dan commits to opioids for back pain and takes us through till the end

Full of stories…not much recovering

One of the things that interest me about memoirs regarding addiction is hearing about the process of recovery. Addiction is very similar for a lot of people in that it progresses, a lot of damage occurs and pain is caused, and most of the time the addict doesn’t realize that they’re as addicted as they are. The “rock bottom” or the point of finally wanting to change and the recovery process, though, is very personal.

This memoir has hours of stories during the author’s addiction, and as important as those are to look at, the author only covers his recovery in the last couple of chapters. This was disappointing. I felt as if the author himself didn’t see the importance of this incredibly hard and brave step that he took. I would’ve really liked to know more about how that journey was for him. Yes he did a lot of terrible things and he made a lot of awful choices and he let situations get very out of hand. But when he was ready, how did he change that, how did he fix that, how did he get better? These, I feel are some of the more important aspects an addict’s journey and the parts that tend to give hope. When you write about addiction, you never know who is reading your book. You never know who is looking to relate and who is looking for hope… don’t be afraid to share the hope.

Average

Although this book is important in that it documents the perils of drug addiction, the author came across as glib and vulgar, especially when referring to women. Oh, and by the way, lots of incredibly gorgeous, brilliant and amazing women were drawn to him time and time again. They were way too gorgeous for him, he humble brags. The narrator had a nice voice but sounded very cheery and blasé despite the fact that his life was going to hell. If the author actually had sober moments, I didn’t pick that up from the narration. I seldom like audible biographies not narrated by the author. Too often, the narrator is just reading a story (careful not to use a droning monotone) but without the feelings that should go with the words.

Another romp through drugs

Hard to imagine how Dan Peres is still alive. Quite a story. But the ending was very unsatisfactory. Too much left unsaid, and not enough personal in it. I also thought the reader had strange intonations that made Peres sound snotty at times and hurt the empathy

As Needed For Sleep

I couldn’t even finish this bloated, self serving and uninteresting memoir. It’s no wonder Details will be remembered for its great design and writing because this unapologetic pos had nothing to do with it. The narrator? Just like Dan Peres skipped work, they must have skipped auditions.

The Epitome of Male Privilege

"As Needed for Pain" disappoints on various fronts. The author's self-centered narrative unfolds throughout the story with a lack of awareness, making it both cringe-worthy and perplexing.

Dan Peres was handed a lucrative position as an editor at a prestigious magazine, lacking qualifications and showing no interest in performing well. Holding onto this well-compensated role, filled with incredible luxury and perks, despite openly admitting to never doing much work or even showing up, is particularly offensive to those who work hard to earn such rewards. However, he seems oblivious to this concept, or perhaps he takes pleasure in flaunting his privilege. Effortlessly coasting through life, avoiding responsibilities, he disrespects hardworking individuals and exemplifies unchecked privilege. Despite this, he likely sees himself as a victim.

Peres never engages in self-reflection regarding his issues or the reasons behind his descent into drug addiction. People repeatedly ask him, "What's wrong with you?" Regrettably, the question remains unanswered, suggesting an incapacity for any form of self-reflection on his part. One would anticipate someone in the writing business to acknowledge that a well-crafted book surpasses mere anecdotal stories, involving some form of realization or learning derived from experiences.

In addition, the book's portrayal of women is disturbing. His crude depiction and unnecessary sexualization of women reveal a disturbing mindset. He seems to find it amusing or cool, but it's not.

This book comes off as a self-centered memoir more focused on showcasing the author's supposed successes than on meaningful self-reflection. The lack of depth and self-reflection, coupled with the troubling portrayal of women, make this book a definite no for me.