About Book
About Book
The Tracks Of My Fears
“The Tracks of My Fears: I Overcame Mental Illness and Drug Addiction, and So Can You” is not just a story; it is a lived journey through some of life’s most relentless storms. Prentiss A. Smith opens the door to his past and lets readers walk with him through the shadows of mental illness, the grip of drug addiction, and the crushing weight of community expectations. From the quiet streets of Ruston, Louisiana, to the chaos of personal battles, he shares his life in unflinching detail. This journey is heartbreaking and enlightening, offering a raw glimpse into the human experience.
This is a book about falling, hard, and getting back up. It takes you into moments of despair when hope felt far away, the needle seemed like the only escape, and the mind played tricks that made every day a fight to survive. Yet, interlaced into these pages is something more substantial than the pain: the steady rise toward recovery, healing, and purpose. In these moments of darkness, resilience shines as a beacon of hope.
Smith doesn’t try to make his story perfect. Instead, he makes it real. You will feel the weight of his choices, the heartbreak of lost years, and the triumph of small victories that grew into life-changing transformations. This is a testimony that no matter how far someone falls, there is always a way forward. Through his honesty, Smith inspires readers to confront their own fears and struggles.
This read is a companion, mirror, and guide for anyone struggling or loving someone who is. It reminds us that redemption is possible, healing is real, and no one’s story is over until they choose to write the next chapter. This book serves as a powerful affirmation that we all can write our own narratives of hope and healing.
Why Read It?
The Tracks Of My Fears
Some books you read. This one, you feel. “The Tracks of My Fears” is not entertainment; it’s an experience that pulls you into the heart of what it means to be human.
If you’ve ever wondered how someone finds the strength to rebuild when life has stripped everything away, this book will show you. Prentiss A. Smith doesn’t tell his story to impress; he tells it to help. Every chapter offers an unfiltered look at what it’s like to battle mental illness and addiction, and more importantly, how to come out the other side with your dignity and hope intact.
It’s essential reading because it bridges understanding. For those living the struggle, it offers a voice that says, “You’re not alone, and this can be overcome.” For families and friends, it’s a window into the mind and heart of someone fighting battles you cannot always see.
What makes it powerful is its truth. There’s no glossing over pain here, but there’s also no shortage of hope. You’ll finish these pages knowing that redemption is not a rare miracle; it’s the result of persistence, courage, and believing that the story isn’t over.
This book won’t just touch you. It will stay with you. And once you’ve read it, you’ll want everyone you care about to read it too.
Chapter 01
Whispers of What’s Written
Resilience is developed through persistence. This is something I learned only in the earlier days of my life. I am Prentiss Smith, son of the minister…
Chapter 02
Sidetracks & Family Tracks
September of ’67, Ruston High School opened its doors to me—Prentiss Smith, a young Black boy with a mission beyond textbooks and science labs. I knew I was walking into a landscape that had…
Chapter 03
Dipping in the Dark Pond
After my father passed away, a month after his death, I made a big decision to enlist in the U.S. Air Force in March 1972. Since the Vietnam War was winding down at…
Chapter 04
Homebound Shadows
Four months on top of a mountain in Little Rock, Arkansas, felt like an eternity. While I was in the military mental hospital, away from the world, I knew…
Chapter 05
Beneath the Façade
By the time I was deep into my job at the power plant, my drug use had spiraled out of control. What started as casual experimentation turned into a full-blown addiction. The drugs…
Chapter 06
Tattered Ties
The new plant in Shreveport was still under construction when I started at General Motors. The power plant where I worked was the first part of the facility completed. It was enormous, much larger…
Chapter 07
The Night in the Valley
The day Danielle was born is carved in my memory for many reasons. I spent the entire day at the racetrack. The excitement of the birth made me restless, and I sought distraction…
Chapter 08
Flickers in the Gloom
I was functioning, but I was not functioning. On the outside, I was going through the motions of daily life. Work, home, trying to keep up appearances. However, inside, I was torn…
Chapter 09
In the Mindless Melancholy
In 1990, my life was spiraling out of control. I had a faithful and dutiful wife. On the surface, everything seemed fine. I went to work every day and took care of my family. It was like I had maintained…
Chapter 10
Gloomsday!
When my mother found out that I had been knocked out on the streets of Shreveport, she was beside herself with worry. She was experiencing emotions of relief, anger, and fear, all at…
Chapter 11
Reassembled Dreams
The next day, I went to my supervisor. I told him that I needed to go to EAP because I was a drug addict, and I needed help. I walked into his office feeling both fear and relief…
Chapter 12
Turn Away from Thy Lord
While I was in treatment, I began to question my religious beliefs. I also thought about the relationship between my addictions and my need to be all things to all people. What I mean by this…
Chapter 13
Grievance
I was in my thirteenth year at General Motors. The years were stacking up. I could not be happier with my job. I had seen my progress, and in my opinion, I had come a long way compared to the beginning of my career. I mean…
Chapter 14
A New Phase
I was getting used to being sober and finding things to do in my life. These are things that allowed me to forget some of the bad things I had been through and some of the bad times I had…
Chapter 15
A New Dawn
I was approached in early 1995 by a publisher from the Shreveport Times. They made an offer to contribute a weekly opinion column to the newspaper. The proposition seemed quite exciting to me. At that point, I had recently…
Chapter 16
A Promise Kept
By 2001, I was celebrating my eighteenth/twentieth year at General Motors. I never thought I would make it in my wildest dreams, but I did. I was the whole plant’s senior man, which was a big…
Chapter 17
A Scary Diagnosis
Donating blood was a ritual for me, like a civic duty that had been instilled in all of us at GM. We’d roll up our sleeves and sit in those familiar chairs every six months. There, we would…
Chapter 18
Rising from the Ashes
Sobriety is usually portrayed as a straight path that commences at a certain point and ends at another. It was not like that for me, however, since the road…