32nd Annual Student Research Conference
Looking at Two Memoirs: David and Nic Sheff’s Family and Drug Addiction
Emily B. Schaeffler
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
This paper looks at the effects of addiction and sobriety on family dynamic. It focuses on the experiences of the Sheff family, who had to cope with son, Nic’s addiction and attempts to achieve sobriety. Using father and son, David and Nic Sheff’s memoirs as my framework, it explores their experiences with methamphetamine addiction. Both memoirs show how their family dynamic changes from Nic’s addiction and how drugs can affect those who are addicted and their families. Through Nic’s perspective, it analyzes the demographics of drug addiction and questions how did he fall into drug addiction. From David’s perspective, it examines coping mechanisms that he and the other members of the Sheff family needed to survive their experiences with Nic’s addiction. By using the Sheff family as a lens, the paper explores the impact of drug addiction on families.
Keywords: drugs, addiction, family , father , son, Beautiful Boy , Tweak, Sheff
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 105-6
Location: BH 241
Time: 9:45