20+ David Sheff Quotes (Insightful, Empathetic And Engaging)

David Sheff is an American author and journalist who has written extensively about addiction and recovery, parenting, and technology. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction, which was adapted into a feature film in 2018, and Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America's Greatest Tragedy. He has also written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Wired, and other publications.

Anyone who has lived through it, or those who are now living through it, knows that caring about an addict is as complex and fraught and debilitating as addiction itself. — David Sheff

When I transformed my random and raw words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into chapters, a semblance of order and sanity appeared where there had been only chaos and insanity. — David Sheff

This stigma associated with drug use--the belief that bad kids use, good kids don't, and those with full-blown addiction are weak, dissolute, and pathetic--has contributed to the escalation of use and has hampered treatment more than any single other factor. — David Sheff

At my worst, I even resented Nic because an addict, at least when high, has a momentary respite from his suffering. There is no similar relief for parents or children or husbands or wives or others who love them. — David Sheff

How can both Nics, the loving and considerate and generous one, and the self-obsessed and self-destructive one, be the same person? — David Sheff

We deny the severity of our loved one's problem not because we are naive, but because we can't know. — David Sheff

Why does it help to read others' stories? It is not only that misery loves company, because (I learned) misery is too self-absorbed to want much company. Others' experiences did help with my emotional struggle. — David Sheff

Through Nic's drug addiction, I have learned that parents can bear almost anything....I shock myself with my ability to rationalize and tolerate things once unthinkable. The rationalizations escalate....It's only marijuana. He gets high only on weekends. At least he's not using hard drugs. — David Sheff

Wherever you be, wherever you may, seek the truth, strive for the beautiful, achieve the good. — David Sheff

An alcoholic will steal your wallet and lie to you. A drug addict will steal your wallet and then help you look for it. — David Sheff

Along with the joy of parenthood, with every child comes a piercing vulnerability. It is at once sublime and terrifying — David Sheff

Openness is the first step toward recovery... addiction remains a secret because of the overwhelming shame associated with it. — David Sheff

Here's a note to the parents of addicted children: Choose your music carefully...There are millions of treacherous moments. — David Sheff

The hopeful part about that is when you do have that help, you will feel better. It still doesn't make this easy. Nothing makes this easy, but you can make better decisions. — David Sheff

I am becoming used to an overwhelming, grinding mixture of anger and worry. — David Sheff

I didn't cause it. I can't control it. I can't cure it. — David Sheff

I'm not sure if I know any 'functional' families, if functional means a family without difficult times and members who don't have a full range of problems. — David Sheff

A world of contradictions, wherein everything is gray and almost nothing is black and white. — David Sheff

How innocent we are of our mistakes and how we responsible we are for them. — David Sheff

If you subscribe to the idea that #‎ addiction is a disease, it is startling to see how many of these children - paranoid, anxious, bruised, tremulous, withered, in some cases psychotic - are seriously ill, slowly dying. We'd never allow such a scene if these kids had any other disease. They would be in a hospital, not on the streets. — David Sheff

Life Lessons by David Sheff

1. David Sheff's work demonstrates the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. He has shown that it is possible to overcome difficult obstacles and reach success.
2. His work also emphasizes the importance of communication and understanding in relationships, and how open dialogue can lead to growth and healing.
3. Lastly, his work highlights the power of storytelling and how it can be used to inspire and motivate others to make positive changes in their lives.