By David Sheff
Houghton Mifflin
Well, I'm screwed; that was my first reaction upon finishing this book. I was on a plane when I read the last page of this heart wrenching story. Per my norm, I immediately picked up another book to begin to read (one I was very excited about) and I couldn't even get through the prologue. My mind was still processing David Sheff's story. I put my iPod on, looked out the window, and my eyes filled with tears. Parenting is hard and scary; it certainly does not come with a manual. Everyday I worry that at this very moment I am doing something wrong that will, in the end, mess my kids up. Paranoid? Maybe...and reading this book did not help relieve these thoughts.
Drug addiction is such a scary thing and the thought of watching your child go through it is unthinkable…unthinkable, that is, until reading this insider account. I read so many personal memoirs of addicts and although they may mention what their addiction did to their family, it never quite gives the scope of the family's experience. Why this book struck me as one of the best I read this year, is the simple fact that this could be anyone's child…this could be my child. Frankly, it scared the shit out of me…a sure sign of a great book. Basically, my first reaction was accurate. I am so lost now about how to protect my kids, because apparently there is no clear path to steer your kids away from drugs. It is basically a crap shoot. Sheff described visiting his son in rehab and looking around the room and realizing that everyone there had a different background, different circumstances; rich, poor, parents married, parents divorced, country, city…whatever, it doesn't matter. It affects anybody in any walk of life. I guess I should know that from personal experience, because I was a good kid growing up, always did the right thing, but alas even I succumbed to experimenting and was a borderline addict. I say borderline mainly because as far as I fell, I was always able to simply decide to stop and not think twice about it…not at all a common thing. What if my kids do not have that mechanism? What if they experiment with something that wipes out all reason and ability to be in control, like meth? What do I say about my history? How honest am I? How do I answer their questions? How do I protect them? After all, that is my main function as a parent…that is my purpose on this earth, right? Sheff offers no answers, just more questions. This is not to his fault, it is the God's honest truth. There are no answers, just the sharing of personal experience. Sheff really opens your eyes to the effects of drug use on the family of the addict. Maybe you will be lucky, maybe this will not happen to your family, but I recommend reading this book just because you are human.
