The Fifth Vital

The Fifth Vital

USA TODAY BESTSELLING BOOK! #1 AMAZON BESTSELLER! ***PAPERBACK EDITION ON SALE NOW*** Mike Majlak was a seventeen-year-old from a loving, middle-class family in Milford, Connecticut, when he got caught up in the opioid epidemic that swept the nation. For close to a decade thereafter, his life was a wasteland of darkness and despair. While his peers were graduating from college, buying homes, getting married, having kids, and leading normal lives, Mike was snorting OxyContin, climbing out of cars at gunpoint, and burying his childhood friends. Unable to escape the noose of addiction, he eventually lost the trust and support of everyone who had ever loved him. Alone, with nothing but drugs to keep him company, darkness closed in, and the light inside him--the last flicker of hope--began to dim. His dreams, potential, and future were all being devoured by a relentless addiction too powerful to fight. Despair filled him as he realized he wasn't going to survive. Somehow, he did... HE NOT ONLY SURVIVED, HE THRIVED. Now he's a social media personality with millions of followers, and an entrepreneur, marketer, podcaster, YouTuber, and author who hopes to use his voice to shine a light for those whose own lights have grown dim. This is his story. "Amid a constant stream of addiction-related news, huge numbers of people are desperately searching for answers when faced with an addiction crisis. Mike Majlak's 'The Fifth Vital,' an unflinching new memoir, is a must-read for anyone who is caught in the struggle or is close to someone who is." -- Heather R Hayes, MEd, LPC - A&E's Intervention, Internationally Certified Hostage Negotiator, and intervention, addiction and mental health treatment pioneer, Founder and CEO of Heather R. Hayes and Associates "In 'The Fifth Vital,' Mike Majlak shares his journey to the brink of death and back. Littered with bodies, lessons, and opportunities, Majlak's book is something everyone familiar with the word addiction must read. Hang on for the ride of your life and a reminder that even the most troubled addict can become a beacon of hope in the blink of an eye." -- Bob Forrest, addiction and treatment legend, Host of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, and Founder of Alo House "Mike Majlak's 'The Fifth Vital' is a must-read for any individual or family struggling to get answers, find insight, and take a realistic look under the hood of addiction in America. Everyone needs a copy of this if you're remotely interested in hearing the truth about addiction and the potential for miracles." -- Dr. Robin Barnett, Ed.D., L.C.S.W., L.C.A.D.C., CSAT, CCS - Behavioral health and addiction expert for MTV, CNN, HLN, NBC, FOX, ABC (20/20, Nightline), Former CEO of Park Bench Group Counseling and treatment, and acclaimed author of Addict In The House: A No-Nonsense Family Guide Through Addiction and Recovery. "In his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, Mike Majlak has stumbled, staggered, and started over again. With a story that is truly stranger and more jarring than fiction, Mike takes us on a journey that we didn't know we needed in 'The Fifth Vital.' Hang on for the ride of your life and an eye-opening look at what lurks beneath the opiate epidemic." -- Leonard Buschel is a California Certified Substance Abuse Counselor with decades of experience working with people struggling with addiction. Mr. Buschel is the founder of Writers In Treatment whose primary purpose is to promote 'treatment' as the best first step solution for addiction, alcoholism and other self-destructive behaviors. Leonard is the director of the twelve-year-old REEL Recovery Film Festival & Symposium®, and for seven years has been the editor/publisher of the weekly Addiction/Recovery eBulletin®. He also produces the annual Experience, Strength and Hope Awards® in Los Angeles. The audiobook version of this book is now available! Mike Majlak is a USA TODAY bestselling author who currently lives in Los Angeles, where he is the co-host of  IMPAULSIVE   and the host of  THE NIGHT SHIFT . He has millions of followers on YouTube and Instagram. Instagram: @HeyBigMike YouTube: Mike Majlak Vlogs Twitter: @MikeMajlak Riley J. Ford is a  NEW YORK TIMES  and  USA TODAY  bestselling author and UCLA graduate represented by Creative Artists Agency. She writes under multiple pen names and has sold more than one million copies of her novels worldwide. One of her books has been adapted into an upcoming movie for Netflix. rileyjford.com Instagram: @RileyJ.Ford Facebook: Riley J. Ford Twitter: @RileyJFord