Drug Abuse In Beautiful Boy

David Sheff’s Beautiful Boy is a heart breaking story about the struggles of raising a teenage addict. Raising a teenage addict comes with its ups and downs. No one wants to see their child hit rock bottom. On the brighter side, everyone wants to see their child succeed. Parents of teenage addicts go back and forth through these ups and downs; as a result they start to lose hope. People should become aware of the seriousness of the situation. Teenage drug abuse is becoming more common in households around America. In the novel Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, Sheff and his family show the struggles of teenage drug abuse by facing the beginning phases of drug abuse, the effects on the family and friends, and the recovery process. There
Parents have to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse. There could be physical warning signs, psychological warning signs, and behavioral signs of abuse. Some signs are easier to identify than others. The article Drug Abuse and Addiction gives examples of what could develop as it states, “Behavioral signs of drug abuse… Drop in attendance and performance at work or school” (Robinson, Saison, Smith). The statement gives an example of one of many behavioral signs of drug abuse. In Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, Nic starts to display certain behavioral changes. His behaviors start to become secretive. An example of this is when Sheff receives a phone call. It states, “The telephone rings. It is the freshman dean, who tells me that that Karen and I have to come in for a meeting to discuss Nic’s suspension for buying marijuana on campus… Nic had not told us” (Sheff74). The statement shows the changes in Nic’s behavior. He and his parents usually are very communicative and open. In this situation he does not even inform his parents of his suspension. The signs and symptoms of teenage drug abuse vary. In Nic’s case some signs were more obvious than others. Different drugs cause different symptoms. Nic’s drug of choice is