Addiction is a choice for her dad-she has figured that out by the age of 17. She has given up caring about the choices he continues to make, while wishing the rest of her family would do the same. She knows her dad's intentions are evil when alcohol is involved, and she believes her family has become only an afterthought to him. She has decided she is nothing like her dad. She will never understand him. So instead of dwelling on things outside of her control, she focuses on foreseeable aspects of her life in Wisconsin. She has school figured out, her closest friends figured out, her boyfriend figured out, and her future mapped out before her. Most importantly, she has herself figured out, trusting entirely that she is the polar opposite of what she has watched her dad become. What she doesn't know, is how easily the tides can turn. What she hasn't figured out, is life can be even more relentless and unpredictable than the very forces of nature. How the Tides Turn is a story about the observable face of addiction, as well as a story about changes in the brain that addiction cunningly perpetrates-a memoir that validates there are two sides to every story.