David Sheff's Life Analysis

David Sheff, a husband and father of three, never would have guessed that he would have to surrender his life to his methamphetamine addicted son, Nic. Sheff, an author and writer, reflects on Nic’s entire life, searching for a possible motive for why his young, youthful son would want to try meth. Sheff takes the reader through his long detrimental journey of his son’s addiction and truly illustrates the struggles experienced by families and friends of addicts. Nic, described to be a lively, earnest young boy, is sent to live with his father in San Francisco, California after a grueling custody battle between his parents. He shows the endeavors of a single father and the difficult choices made for the well-being of his son. He soon remarries where he not only meets the love of his life but a woman who shares a strong connection with his
Sheff expresses his great pride in his astounding son who loves and actively participates in school and is not like the “stoners” that he is surrounded by. Nic works well in straying from the burnout crowd and strives in school in which he is on the swim team, water polo team as well as the school newspaper.
Nic soon takes an unexpected turn for the worst when he is caught buying drugs on school property. He begins to spiral out of the control and starts skipping classes and smoking marijuana on a daily basis. He then moves to a much stronger drug of choice, which would be known as meth.
Nic’s drug abuse intensifies and follows him into college where then he drops out and enters several rehab facilitation centers, against his will.
Sheff spends countless years reflecting on how he was the cause of Nic’s addiction. He never truly comes to the realization that there was nothing he could’ve done to prevent his son’s addiction but rather accepts that it is his son’s job to end his addiction, not