Beside an Addict
Most health classes in American schools cover lessons about drugs, and the effects some of the more notorious ones can have on an individual. With this background information, I was able to read beautiful boy: a father’s journey through his son’s addiction with some knowledge on the drugs that were discussed. Published in 2008, this memoir by David Sheff covers his son’s, Nic, addiction to drugs. The reader is taken through a personal account about Sheff’s struggle as a father to try and help his son’s drug abuse. He does everything from researching the drug, to threatening Nic to get him to stop using meth, to attending therapy with him. His actions makes him feel “aghast at so much of what [he] did and… what [he] did not …show more content…
His ignorance to the effects of methamphetamine reminds me of my old friend, who believes that marijuana does no harm and only has health benefits. Peer pressure undoubtedly caused her to start smoking marijuana, much like how Nic is introduced to drugs by his friends. She often fights with her parents, thus her relationship with them may have also influenced her to smoke as a way of release. Similarly, Sheff blames “difficult events” (Sheff 146) such as his divorce with Vicki, and his relation with Nic as possible causes for his son’s addiction and as a consequence Nic is sent to recovery programs. He initially denies he is an addict, and this reminded me of my father, who denies he is addicted to smoking and drinking. I did not have the perseverance that Sheff had to continuously try to persuade him more to quit while I was growing up. Nic’s parents send him to another program at a hospital called St. Helena after his sessions at the Ohlhoff house ends, but both my mother and I have not tried to help my father. His addiction is not like stories of the other people affected by an addict in their lives that Nic and his family hear at the sessions, as my father is dealing with drugs easily accessible at stores. For this reason, his smoking and alcoholism have not appeared as serious problems to us, but has caused a rift to form between him and me. The rehab program has an obvious effect on …show more content…
Beautiful boy: a father’s journey through his son’s addiction demonstrates this with the relationship between Sheff and his son Nic. Since Sheff has personally experimented with drugs in the past, he writes about his own experiences, along with the information he has learned from studying them. From this any reader is able to understand what addiction can do to a loved one and can learn how to help a loved one by using Sheff’s actions and his regrets as advice. It has also helped me come to my own conclusions about what to do for my father and old friend, who have become addicts. For this reason, I believe Sheff has fulfilled and accomplished the purpose of this book to act as guidance to those dealing with an addict or addiction
Most health classes in American schools cover lessons about drugs, and the effects some of the more notorious ones can have on an individual. With this background information, I was able to read beautiful boy: a father’s journey through his son’s addiction with some knowledge on the drugs that were discussed. Published in 2008, this memoir by David Sheff covers his son’s, Nic, addiction to drugs. The reader is taken through a personal account about Sheff’s struggle as a father to try and help his son’s drug abuse. He does everything from researching the drug, to threatening Nic to get him to stop using meth, to attending therapy with him. His actions makes him feel “aghast at so much of what [he] did and… what [he] did not …show more content…
His ignorance to the effects of methamphetamine reminds me of my old friend, who believes that marijuana does no harm and only has health benefits. Peer pressure undoubtedly caused her to start smoking marijuana, much like how Nic is introduced to drugs by his friends. She often fights with her parents, thus her relationship with them may have also influenced her to smoke as a way of release. Similarly, Sheff blames “difficult events” (Sheff 146) such as his divorce with Vicki, and his relation with Nic as possible causes for his son’s addiction and as a consequence Nic is sent to recovery programs. He initially denies he is an addict, and this reminded me of my father, who denies he is addicted to smoking and drinking. I did not have the perseverance that Sheff had to continuously try to persuade him more to quit while I was growing up. Nic’s parents send him to another program at a hospital called St. Helena after his sessions at the Ohlhoff house ends, but both my mother and I have not tried to help my father. His addiction is not like stories of the other people affected by an addict in their lives that Nic and his family hear at the sessions, as my father is dealing with drugs easily accessible at stores. For this reason, his smoking and alcoholism have not appeared as serious problems to us, but has caused a rift to form between him and me. The rehab program has an obvious effect on …show more content…
Beautiful boy: a father’s journey through his son’s addiction demonstrates this with the relationship between Sheff and his son Nic. Since Sheff has personally experimented with drugs in the past, he writes about his own experiences, along with the information he has learned from studying them. From this any reader is able to understand what addiction can do to a loved one and can learn how to help a loved one by using Sheff’s actions and his regrets as advice. It has also helped me come to my own conclusions about what to do for my father and old friend, who have become addicts. For this reason, I believe Sheff has fulfilled and accomplished the purpose of this book to act as guidance to those dealing with an addict or addiction