The patients whose lives I discuss in detail have generously given their permission, and I am completely indebted to each of them. Some of the stories you are about to read also come from people I have known in my personal life. Names and identifying details for all have been changed to protect their privacy. To further disguise the actual patients from my practice, every profile presented in the book is a compilation of at least two, usually three, actual people to ensure that the behaviors of each “book patient” cannot be attributed or linked to any single real, living person. The stories in the book are true and accurate. Nothing in this book should be construed as medical advice, and readers who are wrestling with these issues are urged to seek individualized counseling.