Friday, June 5, 2009

beautiful boy - David Sheff



I came across this when I looked up 'live through it' on amazon - a different story but equally heart wrenching. This is the story of a young man's addiction to crystal meth as told by his father. It was well-written but painful to read as meth continues to re-take the son, even after numerous rehabs. Meth is truly destructive on Nic and on his entire family and friends.

One of the many facts I learned about methamphetamine was that it was used in WWII by the Germans, Japanese, and Americans to keep the army up for days at a time. From Wikipedia: One of the earliest uses of methamphetamine was during World War II when the German military dispensed it under the trade name Pervitin. It was widely distributed across rank and division, from elite forces to tank crews and aircraft personnel. Chocolates dosed with methamphetamine were known as Fliegerschokolade ("airmen's chocolate") when given to pilots, or Panzerschokolade ("tank chocolate") when given to tank crews. Originally meth was used for various health conditions and today it is still used in some cases of Attention Deficit Disorder, Extreme Obesity, and Nacolepsy.

It is one of the most difficult addictions to treat.

Nic Sheff has also written a book of his experiences as a drug addict. It's titled "Tweak" and I'll be reading it next.

No comments: