Before Years: 18 to 21 - A Memoir in Three Parts

Before 18: The Untold Stories of Drug Abuse – A Childhood Stained, a Voice Reclaimed By Joseph Behnke At just 19 years old, Joseph Behnke returns with a powerful second memoir - and this one cuts even deeper. Before 18: The Untold Stories of Drug Abuse is a gripping continuation of the journey that began in In Joseph's Footsteps, but it stands on its own as a brutally honest look into the darkest corners of growing up too fast, too rough, and too forgotten. This isn't just another chapter - it's the part most people are too scared to tell. Told in Joseph's signature raw and unfiltered voice, this memoir unpacks the years he spent tangled in addiction - not just to substances, but to escape, to approval, to anyone or anything that made him feel something. He writes candidly about the pills, the powder, the needles, and the moments where rock bottom didn't even feel low enough. And he also writes about the pain that came before the drugs - the childhood trauma, the broken relationships, the deep-seated shame, and the silent battles with identity that no one saw. But this story is not just about drugs. It's about damage - and the slow, imperfect path toward healing. Joseph shares the relationships that broke him and the ones that built him back up. He reflects on the people he lost, the love he chased, and the moments that nearly made him give up. And somehow, through all of it, he finds a way to keep going - not as a hero, but as a human being trying his best. If you've ever felt invisible, misunderstood, or like you were carrying a weight no one else could see, this book is for you. This is not a redemption story wrapped up with a bow. It's messy. It's painful. It's real. And that's exactly why it matters.