Sheff- \"Beautiful Boy\" Sheff, David.

Sheff- "Beautiful Boy"

Sheff, David. Beautiful Boy. Houghton-Mifflin, 2008.

David Sheff, a professional journalist, wrote a series of articles for the New York Times Magazine on his son Nic's spiral into substance addition, and the effect that had on David, his family, and Nic. The articles were then expanded into the book, Beautiful Boy, which chronicled Nic's life from a bright, happy child into the experimental stage of illicit substances and alcohol at age 17. In just a few months, Nic's use became abuse, and the entire family was pulled into the drama of addiction/recovery cycles. David himself is an addict, and his book reflects the doubts, fears, and pain he suffers while watching his oldest son struggle with demons no other person can imagine. At once, the book is an intimate snapshot into the Sheff family, and at the same time a brutal testament to the power and ravages that come with any addiction -- particularly the power mind and body altering methamphetamine.

Meth, or on the street such names as ice, crystal, glass, crank, or jib, is quite unlike many other illegal substances. It is a pscyhostimulant that causes a raging release of dopamine, serotonin and norepinehrine in the brain, and is one of the most addictive substances available. By stimulating the brain's reward pathways, meth produces intense euphoria, enhanced mood and energy, sexual pleasure, and at first, alertness and ability to concentrate. Many users report days of productivity followed by days of sleeping and depression. Particularly when used by younger people, who have not yet developed their prefrontal lobes, meth is even more addictive and more difficult to detoxify (Lee 1-14)

The true power of Sheff's confessions is not as much a chronicle of Nic, but of the way substance abuse interweaves with every aspect of family life; from simple tasks to Holiday dinners -- the anxiety, the worry, the continual uncertainty of establishing issues of trust and intimacy, and ultimately, the constancy of doubt and realization that a loved one may not survive the day.

Another passionate admission in the book surrounds David's brain hemorrhage, causing even more angst for the family. "Did the son's addiction and recidivism contribute to the father's health crisis? In the words of one of the many therapists who drift through the book, often to frustratingly little effect for the Sheffs, 'Well, it sure didn't help'" (Maslin). This is an example of the overlapping story lines that makes this book so powerful -- unlike a simple chronicle, Sheff shows the reader that life continues, that adults grieve, and that imperfection and doubt follow us throughout our cycle on hear. Sheff writes, "When I am alone, I weep in a way that I have not wept since I was a young boy" (Ibid).

The idea that love is never enough when dealing with an addict is another major theme; when Nic is sober, he is hopeful if tenuous, when he relapses, he steals for his next "high." But the power of Nic, whether in the room or not, juxtaposes with the addictions we all face in life; "We do not talk about Nic. it's not that we're not thinking about him. His addiction and his twin, the specter of his death, permeate the air we breathe" (Fong). Yet, this brutally honest admission, too, shows the vulnerability everyone shares when dealing with addictions of any type -- the permeation of life, almost as if we walk around imitating ourselves, while spending our energy dealing with the addictive behavior.