Comments on: NY Times: A Twice-Told Tale of Addiction: By Father, by Son http://saintidesheaven.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/ny-times-a-twice-told-tale-of-addiction-by-father-by-son/ A Seattle chick thinks about addiction. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:52:30 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: sarah http://saintidesheaven.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/ny-times-a-twice-told-tale-of-addiction-by-father-by-son/#comment-46 sarah Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:52:30 +0000 http://saintidesheaven.wordpress.com/?p=5#comment-46 I was intrigued by this combo, and bought them both immediately. David's book is heart-wrenching, and it helped me understand what my mom is going through with my brother, who is a 36 year-old any-drug-he-can-get addict. The rest of us have given up, but she still hopes. I hate him a little more every time he breaks her heart. I honestly believe I may have lost all love for him; he hasn't been the brother I knew for so long, I don't think he is in there any more. David helped me see how the love of a child overrides all of the pain that they can cause you, and why my mother keeps going back for more. Nic's book, honestly, pisses me off. After reading the torment he put his father through, it was difficult to read the selfish, immature, and hurtful thoughts that went through Nic's mind, even in sobriety. Reading about his relapses, I couldn't get his fathers pain and worry out of my mind; yet Nic would barely, if ever, concern himself with the people he was hurting. It is his life, after all. I was intrigued by this combo, and bought them both immediately. David’s book is heart-wrenching, and it helped me understand what my mom is going through with my brother, who is a 36 year-old any-drug-he-can-get addict. The rest of us have given up, but she still hopes. I hate him a little more every time he breaks her heart. I honestly believe I may have lost all love for him; he hasn’t been the brother I knew for so long, I don’t think he is in there any more. David helped me see how the love of a child overrides all of the pain that they can cause you, and why my mother keeps going back for more.
Nic’s book, honestly, pisses me off. After reading the torment he put his father through, it was difficult to read the selfish, immature, and hurtful thoughts that went through Nic’s mind, even in sobriety. Reading about his relapses, I couldn’t get his fathers pain and worry out of my mind; yet Nic would barely, if ever, concern himself with the people he was hurting. It is his life, after all.

]]> By: sharla http://saintidesheaven.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/ny-times-a-twice-told-tale-of-addiction-by-father-by-son/#comment-44 sharla Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:14:19 +0000 http://saintidesheaven.wordpress.com/?p=5#comment-44 I am 41 years old, a meth addict... It is a defining statement, that of your age and the simple fact that addiction is a way of life. I have been meth free for 1 1/2 years, approximately. Isn't it funny how we forget time lines, one event bleeds into another and the span seems to disappear. Okay, I said I had been meth free, I found an alternative drug that is legal if perscribed, aderall. I never thought I could feed my need for the high of meth with such a watered down pharmaceutical drug, but desperation brings new views and acceptance. I know for sure that I can never do meth again... I use so much that I pick myself to death, creating a monster covered in open sores... It is very difficult to work when you look like that and after 10 years , the family is on to me and I could lose the only things which I have left in my life. I have spent the last 10 years getting f***ed up on meth, ice, crystal, pink champagne.... It was my best friend in the beginning, and my worst enemy in the end. How could this substance have destroyed all that I had... My physical appearance, my financial stability, my family and my emotional state... All of these things had been leveled to the ground, leaving behind only destruction and despair in its wake. Crystal is like a F-5 Tornado, destroying my hopes and dreams forever. I have been meth free but I still have the mentality of an addict in the throes of her addiction. I make terrible decisions, I revert to other types of addictive behaviors... Eating, Shopping, having sex, as a matter of fact I can take any normaL ACTIVITY AND TURN IT INTO A SELF DESTRUCTIVE FORCE.... Who would have known that I would end up like this, a shadow of who and what I should have been. I am now reading Beautiful boy and I just read an excerpt of nic's book tweak , online. I will be buying it... Here's hoping you are still sober and well Nic.. I am 41 years old, a meth addict… It is a defining statement, that of your age and the simple fact that addiction is a way of life. I have been meth free for 1 1/2 years, approximately. Isn’t it funny how we forget time lines, one event bleeds into another and the span seems to disappear. Okay, I said I had been meth free, I found an alternative drug that is legal if perscribed, aderall. I never thought I could feed my need for the high of meth with such a watered down pharmaceutical drug, but desperation brings new views and acceptance. I know for sure that I can never do meth again… I use so much that I pick myself to death, creating a monster covered in open sores… It is very difficult to work when you look like that and after 10 years , the family is on to me and I could lose the only things which I have left in my life. I have spent the last 10 years getting f***ed up on meth, ice, crystal, pink champagne…. It was my best friend in the beginning, and my worst enemy in the end. How could this substance have destroyed all that I had… My physical appearance, my financial stability, my family and my emotional state… All of these things had been leveled to the ground, leaving behind only destruction and despair in its wake. Crystal is like a F-5 Tornado, destroying my hopes and dreams forever. I have been meth free but I still have the mentality of an addict in the throes of her addiction. I make terrible decisions, I revert to other types of addictive behaviors… Eating, Shopping, having sex, as a matter of fact I can take any normaL ACTIVITY AND TURN IT INTO A SELF DESTRUCTIVE FORCE…. Who would have known that I would end up like this, a shadow of who and what I should have been. I am now reading Beautiful boy and I just read an excerpt of nic’s book tweak , online. I will be buying it… Here’s hoping you are still sober and well Nic..

]]> By: Terri http://saintidesheaven.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/ny-times-a-twice-told-tale-of-addiction-by-father-by-son/#comment-23 Terri Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:46:05 +0000 http://saintidesheaven.wordpress.com/?p=5#comment-23 My son is a meth addict. He just turned 26. His twin sister brought home “Beautiful Boy” from Starbucks for me. I read that first and then I read Nic’s book. While both helped me a great deal. I appreciated Nic’s honesty for explaining the incredible power this drug has over the addict. That is something I have never understood. While I cannot say I know what my son is fighting against I do have more insight into his battle. My son is also mentally/emotionally ill and learning disabled. While I thought we were protecting him from the ugliness of the world I have learned that is not possible. I appreciated David’s account of the terror parent’s of the addicted encounter. I thought we were the only ones that felt the horror’s of and questioning where we went wrong. Like I told my son, while he was high and “taking a break” from the reality of his life, we never had that option. We were sober the whole time and living the hell this drug and his choices has put the entire family through. Much like Nic my son does not believe in God (even though he was raised going to church every week) and he is having a difficult time with the 12 steps due to that lack of belief. I don’t have any answers only questions. Thankfully my son is 8 months sober. I pray daily he can stay that way. I am sorry for anyone that has felt the pain our family has felt, but thank you both for the honesty of your writing. It has helped me in many ways. My son is a meth addict. He just turned 26. His twin sister brought home “Beautiful Boy” from Starbucks for me. I read that first and then I read Nic’s book. While both helped me a great deal. I appreciated Nic’s honesty for explaining the incredible power this drug has over the addict. That is something I have never understood. While I cannot say I know what my son is fighting against I do have more insight into his battle. My son is also mentally/emotionally ill and learning disabled. While I thought we were protecting him from the ugliness of the world I have learned that is not possible.

I appreciated David’s account of the terror parent’s of the addicted encounter. I thought we were the only ones that felt the horror’s of and questioning where we went wrong. Like I told my son, while he was high and “taking a break” from the reality of his life, we never had that option. We were sober the whole time and living the hell this drug and his choices has put the entire family through.

Much like Nic my son does not believe in God (even though he was raised going to church every week) and he is having a difficult time with the 12 steps due to that lack of belief. I don’t have any answers only questions. Thankfully my son is 8 months sober. I pray daily he can stay that way.

I am sorry for anyone that has felt the pain our family has felt, but thank you both for the honesty of your writing. It has helped me in many ways.

]]> By: Deb http://saintidesheaven.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/ny-times-a-twice-told-tale-of-addiction-by-father-by-son/#comment-21 Deb Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:56:27 +0000 http://saintidesheaven.wordpress.com/?p=5#comment-21 I read David's book first. I couldn't put it down and couldn't go to sleep without tears streaming down my face and onto my pillow. My son is an adddict and at 18 years old will be going to court tomorrow to defend charges of possession with intent to distribute. He is still a baby. My baby. He is better off in jail. I don't want my son to have a felony on his record, but I want my son to be alive for his 19th birthday. Both David's and Nic's books are powerful and frightening and comforting. They are each equally as haunting but I think the perspective is golden and it's very important to read BOTH stories if you want to understand what's happening to our children and why we're losing them to drugs. I'm so glad that David and Nic haven't given up hope, and I'm so incredibly thankful for their brutal honesty. I read David’s book first. I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t go to sleep without tears streaming down my face and onto my pillow. My son is an adddict and at 18 years old will be going to court tomorrow to defend charges of possession with intent to distribute. He is still a baby. My baby. He is better off in jail. I don’t want my son to have a felony on his record, but I want my son to be alive for his 19th birthday.

Both David’s and Nic’s books are powerful and frightening and comforting. They are each equally as haunting but I think the perspective is golden and it’s very important to read BOTH stories if you want to understand what’s happening to our children and why we’re losing them to drugs. I’m so glad that David and Nic haven’t given up hope, and I’m so incredibly thankful for their brutal honesty.

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