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Thursday 19 May 2011

Beautiful boy: A fathers journey through his sons addiction

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction is an extremely emotional memoir written by David Sheff's about his elder son Nic. Sheff's teenage son Nic is an addict to alcohol and drugs issues which puts the author on a compelling life full of challenges. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The story told is harrowing: David and his first wife who is Nic's mother divorce. However, this tough decision of devoice seemed not to disturb the young Nick. In high school, Nick was very active and showed stunning talents in swimming and writing. His creativity coupled with unmatched swimming and writing skills made him join swimming team .He was an excellent student who wrote and edited the paper and above all he attracted admission to several prestigious universities in America.

Nick being bright, creative and athletic, he succeeded in school activities and he depicted r great signs of success. The end of his magnificent childhood success ushered in different character trait all together. Nic was engulfed in the illicit world of drugs and alcohol. This particular situation caught up with him and he got addicted. David Sheff is has defied all odd and myths by y honestly coming out and talk extremely on the pain a parent goes through when his beloved child is consumed by illicit drugs. In most cases, many parents respond to drug addiction on the part of their children by silence and sorrow. However, in the case of David Sheff, he faces the menace head on since he has opened up his personal and family wounds so as to create awareness to the problem.

Davis had great hope for his son and admired his talents while he was young but he had no idea that Nic was on a dangerous path to illicit drug addiction. Drug addiction made young, brilliant and creative Nic live on the streets while trying to avoid his parents. In addition, he made visits to multiple rehab hospitals as a long road of his father trying to get him off drugs.

Nic confess that he started drinking at age 11and began smoking pot daily. This led him to quickly graduate to harder drugs, such as methamphetamine and heroin. This problem compounded and made him embrace other undesirable behaviors of stealing. He stole from his parents and his little brother so as to facilitate his drug addiction desires.

     As an experienced author and reporter, David Sheff chronically documented a great piece of work which not only a memoir of his struggled with his son’s addiction but a great guide on how parents should approach drug addiction among the youth. He sought the advice numerous experts in the field of drug addiction so as to get the insight on how to face and mange this menace which got its root in his son.

He moved from one place to another so as compare available treatment and efficacy of different rehabilitation facilities. In the book, one can never resist tear when a father narrates his feeling for instance, Sheff, (2008) writes, “every call [from Nic] fed my growing obsession with the promise of reassurance that Nic was all right or confirmation that he was not. My addiction to his addiction has not served Nic or me or anyone else,"

This memoir is a stunningly written and it is intertwined with intense and emotional feature which are tearful while at the same time educative. The book brings out a true parent character of putting a spirited   struggle to help his brilliant, charismatic, and caring son get out of addiction to methamphetamine and other drugs. It is honest and authentic and raw and heart-rending and fascinating. It is unforgettable.

     This book is an excellent resource to everyone even if you have no personal experience of a loved one's addiction. This is because you will be emotionally moved by the struggle of Nic’s father to embrace his son's addiction. Alcoholism and chemical addiction is one of the most dangerous drug addictions across the globe. But amazingly, many of people hardly comprehend a bout it. But Nic’s father, David boldly walks through this compelling emotional journey which makes the reader tightly griped to this memoir.

This excellently written book comprehensively talks about of Nic's life and explains his father’s david Sheff's relentless struggles with his  son addiction .He loved his son the irony is that Nic’s addiction and behavior was a great to the family emotional, spiritual and physical peace and security. Nic’s stealing character gets him in trouble of being arrested.

Although he denies stealing, the funny part is that he sometimes is found with stolen money. Unethical and uncouth character trait of stealing drives emotional problem to his father. His father therefore looks for security measures to keep him off from stealing. However, all the measures put in place turn out unsuccessful. Nic and his father attends several  rehabilitation centers in the entire memoir showing he long journey of both the father and his son towards the fight of drug addiction.

During this rehabilitation moments, one of the longest periods of non-usage of drug Nic had, before he went for the last relapse as accounted in the memoir was two years. However he relapsed afterwards and went into treatment. In this memoir, Sheff accounts that Nic has been sober one year and he hopes this will be the last time he is addressing his son addiction problem. He knows that a relapse will be a great problem to the whole family although it is a realiy which he has to leave with.This books comprehensively addresses the theme of parental problem in the face of drug addiction.

Throughout the memoir, Sheff has carefully brought out the concept of mental and emotional problem parent face in the struggle to hold their family together. It is a challenging but a meaningful responsibility to carry out with all the due respect.

As the story is told, inroads are being made into alcohol consumption, smoking rates and  attention is drawn towards the negative effect  alcohol, bhang have on individuals  health, behavior and safety in the society. In this case, when one takes a look to what is happening to Nic, the picture is not a pretty one and it is prudent for everyone to take responsibility to save the situation before it reaches addiction point.
David Sheff, who is the author of this memoir, shares with readers in this book a story which is rear to come by due to the silence of such issues in the society. He takes us in the long, winding and labyrinths of trying to help Nic get out from methamphetamines addiction. The book is an extension of Sheff earlier publication on the topic of drug addiction in New York Times Magazine.

In this book, it is tearfully griping to learn how the author suffers in the process of helping his elder son out of drug. It is quite  seems to shoulder much of the blame for his son’s addiction believing that it was his divorce from Nic’s mother that led to his son’s unhappiness, and ultimately, his drug abuse.

      Parents and people who have first hand information adolescent addiction will automatically attest to the fact that it is really an uphill task which requires patience and a big heart. In this book you will find yourself emotionally driven with continuous migration of different feelings such as frustration, anger, sadness, pity and hope. This is brought about by unending and desperate struggle of David sheff in trying to hold his family together and prevent this drug addiction from causing emotional damage not only to his Nic, but also to Nic’s young half-siblings. This is a great book with exceptional account of how parents struggle with the problem of addiction among their children. It is a must read for everyone due to its educative, griping and emotional drive it showers on the reader.


References
Sheff, D. (2008). Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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