The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I have just finished reading Beautiful Boy by David Scheff. The author and his son were on Oprah which is one reason I read the book.
I think this is a great book if you are in early al anon. The author is a great writer and talks earnestly and passionately about the pain and anxiety of being involved with an active addict. I highly recommend it. He does detach but doesn't get that explicit about how he does it but nevertheless there is some excellent hands on use of al anon techniques that might help some people in early recovery.
I have read this book, and I knew and understood every gut wrenching emotion he (the author) had, this book is a story of a journey no parent wants to take, but we didn't have a choice in it.
I wish I had seen them on Oprah, I hope the son is doing well.
The son wrote a companion book to it called "Tweak". I thought both were extremely hard to read--mainly for the emotional content. "Tweak" gets pretty graphic, but I felt it gave me some insight into what it's like to be on drugs. Ick.
As far as I heard, the son relapsed after the book came out. It's so hard seeing someone gain sobriety, only to go back out repeatedly.
I think its a success that the son is still alive.
I'm not really that focused on the son I do think the author (the father) went through a process and got a lot out of it including insight into his own issues which were there prior to his son being born.
