Everyone is aware of the damage caused by illegal drugs like cocaine, ice, or heroin. But not many people know that a staggering number of ordinary men and women are in the throes of a terrible addiction to seemingly harmless pain tablets. In I Am Fifty, and I Don't Want to Die , author Abby Liveringhouse, a fifty-year-old mother and enrolled nurse, tells how she became hooked on over-the-counter codeine painkillers. Desperate to get better, she began writing a diary to help her beat her addiction. Her secret habit began insidiously almost a decade ago when she started taking this medication for pain and stress and to help her cope with fatigue during night shifts. She became hooked on these innocent-looking tablets because she didn't realize how addictive they were. By sharing her experience, Liveringhouse hopes to help other people in the same predicament. Relating her numerous attempts to overcome the addiction I Am Fifty, and I Don't Want to Die offers insight into the mind of an ordinary mom who became addicted without knowing it.