Author: David SheffType or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Meth, Methamphetamines, Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse
Year of Publication: 2008
Publisher & Location: Houghton Mifflin Co
ISBN#:
- ISBN-10: 0618683356
- ISBN-13: 978-0618683352
# of Pages: 326
Quality of Illustrations: N/A
Brief Summary: Expanding on his New York Times Magazine article, Sheff chronicles his son's downward spiral into addiction and the impact on him and his family. A bright, capable teenager, Nic began trying mind- and mood-altering substances when he was 17. In months, use became abuse, then abuse became addiction. By the time Sheff knew of his son's condition, Nic was strung out on meth, the highly potent stimulant. While his son struggles to get clean, his second wife and two younger children are pulled helplessly into the drama. Sheff, as the parent of an addict, cycles through denial and acceptance and resistance. The author was already a journalist of considerable standing when this painful story began to unfold, and his impulse for detail serves him personally as well as professionally: there are hard, solid facts about meth and the kinds of havoc it wreaks on individuals, families and communities both urban and rural. His journey is long and harrowing, but Sheff does not spare himself or anyone else from keen professional scrutiny any more than he was himself spared the pains—and joys—of watching a loved one struggling with addiction and recovery. Real recovery creates—and can itself be—its own reward; this is an honest, hopeful book, coming at a propitious moment in the meth epidemic.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: The book does great at addressing current medical research related to meth addiction and recovery. Great for parents of children with substance abuse (particularly meth) issues.
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