Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines

by Nic Sheff

So at work each day I ask God to be with me as I fold the towels, or answer the phones, or even just talk with the girls. Spencer has told me to always pray in the affirmative, as though the prayer has already been answered. I should say, “Thank you, God, for helping me be kind and patient.” As opposed to, “Please, God, help me be patient.” Affirmative prayer reinforces that you have already received the guidance, therefore you are able to focus on the solution. Saying that I need help just reinforces the problem—helping me wallow in it.

When I read Tweak, I was learned for the first time about how bad it got for Nic when he was on the streets, using every drug he could find, and nearly dying. As much as I knew it was horrible, the reality was worse than I imagined. That’s all I could focus on – I was in tears on every page. Later I read the book again. Of course it was still hard and it broke my heart, but I also was able to see the wisdom Nic learned over the course of his addiction and recovery. Many people don’t survive drug use and addiction. There’s no hope for them and their families are devastated forever. Those who do survive, though, can have lives better than they ever could have imagined. One reason is the truth of the old adage: That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And it can make you wiser, too.