--- title: "8 Addict Quotes By David Sheff" description: "8 Addict quotes by David Sheff. Plus more from David Sheff and more Addict sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e43/david-sheff-7087_about_i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-wh_23827.jpg" --- > [I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict. What does this mean about me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-what-does-this-mean-about-me/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e43/david-sheff-7087_about_i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-wh_23827.jpg) > [Anyone who has lived through it, or those who are now living through it, knows that caring about an addict is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/anyone-who-has-lived-through-it-or-those-who-are-now-living-through/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/david-sheff-7087_addict_anyone-who-has-lived-through-it-or-those_546345.jpg) > [Once and for all, people must understand that addiction is a disease. It’s critical if we’re going to effectively prevent and treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/once-and-for-all-people-must-understand-that-addiction-is-a-disease/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6d/david-sheff-7087_accepting_once-and-for-all-people-must-understand_788646.jpg) > [An alcoholic will steal your wallet and lie to you. A drug addict will steal your wallet and then help you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/an-alcoholic-will-steal-your-wallet-and-lie-to-you-a-drug-addict-will/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/david-sheff-7087_addict_an-alcoholic-will-steal-your-wallet-and_900435.jpg) > [“Caring about an addict is as complex and fraught and debilitating as addiction itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/caring-about-an-addict-is-as-complex-and-fraught-and-debilitating-as/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/david-sheff-7087_addiction_caring-about-an-addict-is-as-complex-and_1137241.jpg) > [When, you know, when Nic became addicted, I was completely uneducated, and basically everything I assumed at the time turned out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/when-you-know-when-nic-became-addicted-i-was-completely-uneducated/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/david-sheff-7087_everything_when-you-know-when-nic-became-addicted-i_1571506.jpg) > [If you love someone who's an addict and their use is life-threatening, you don't wait until they hit bottom because that can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/if-you-love-someone-who-s-an-addict-and-their-use-is-life-threatening/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f45/david-sheff-7087_die_if-you-love-someone-who-s-an-addict-and_1910504.jpg) > [At my worst, I even resented Nic because an addict, at least when high, has a momentary respite from his suffering. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/at-my-worst-i-even-resented-nic-because-an-addict-at-least-when-high/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/david-sheff-7087_addict_at-my-worst-i-even-resented-nic-because_2551977.jpg) ## Other authors on Addict ## More by David Sheff > [I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict. What does this mean about me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-what-does-this-mean-about-me/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Elvis Presley's music said, 'Free your body.' The Beatles said, 'Free your mind.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/elvis-presley-s-music-said-free-your-body-the-beatles-said-free-your/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Well, addiction does start with a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/well-addiction-does-start-with-a-choice/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Some parents want to be popular, but that's not their job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/some-parents-want-to-be-popular-but-that-s-not-their-job/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [The war on drugs is a joke. We spend $40 billion a year, and the proof that it's a failure is that any kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/the-war-on-drugs-is-a-joke-we-spend-40-billion-a-year-and-the-proof/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [When I was a child, my parents didn't know anything about drugs. They didn't even drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/when-i-was-a-child-my-parents-didn-t-know-anything-about-drugs-they/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Nick's mother and I were attentive, probably overly attentive - part of the first wave of parents obsessed with our children in a self-conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/nick-s-mother-and-i-were-attentive-probably-overly-attentive-part-of/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Having been hit by drug addiction, knowing how many are hit by it and what a big problem it is in our neighborhoods and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/having-been-hit-by-drug-addiction-knowing-how-many-are-hit-by-it-and/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Here's a note to the parents of addicted children: Choose your music carefully...There are millions of treacherous moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/here-s-a-note-to-the-parents-of-addicted-children-choose-your-music/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/this-stigma-associated-with-drug-use-the-belief-that-bad-kids-use/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [It's hard to find someone who did as many drugs for as long and in such dangerous combinations as Nic - spending years going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/it-s-hard-to-find-someone-who-did-as-many-drugs-for-as-long-and-in/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [I chose a rehab center for Nic that was recommended by a friend who had sent her son there. The program lasted 28 days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/i-chose-a-rehab-center-for-nic-that-was-recommended-by-a-friend-who/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [“In his suicide note, Kurt Cobain wrote, "It's better to burn out than to fade away." He was quoting a Neil Young song about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/in-his-suicide-note-kurt-cobain-wrote-it-s-better-to-burn-out-than-to/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Anyone who has lived through it, or those who are now living through it, knows that caring about an addict is as complex and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/anyone-who-has-lived-through-it-or-those-who-are-now-living-through/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [If a child had another disease, we'd be open about what we were going through, but addiction is stigmatised and comes with shame and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/if-a-child-had-another-disease-we-d-be-open-about-what-we-were-going/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addict/david-sheff/#itemlist", "name": "8 Addict Quotes By David Sheff", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was ashamed. 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I guess the main thing is that I was so blindsided, that I had this idea of, you know, what an addict looks like, and it didn't look like Nic. And I realized that, you know, anybody can become addicted.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Sheff" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/when-you-know-when-nic-became-addicted-i-was-completely-uneducated/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/david-sheff-7087_everything_when-you-know-when-nic-became-addicted-i_1571506.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/david-sheff-7087_everything_when-you-know-when-nic-became-addicted-i_1571506.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/david-sheff-7087_everything_when-you-know-when-nic-became-addicted-i_1571506.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When, you know, when Nic became addicted, I was completely uneducated, and basically everything I assumed at…” — David Sheff", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you love someone who's an addict and their use is life-threatening, you don't wait until they hit bottom because that can mean that they're going to die. You have to do everything you can to get them in treatment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Sheff" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/if-you-love-someone-who-s-an-addict-and-their-use-is-life-threatening/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f45/david-sheff-7087_die_if-you-love-someone-who-s-an-addict-and_1910504.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f45/david-sheff-7087_die_if-you-love-someone-who-s-an-addict-and_1910504.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f45/david-sheff-7087_die_if-you-love-someone-who-s-an-addict-and_1910504.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you love someone who's an addict and their use is life-threatening, you don't wait until they hit bottom…” — David Sheff", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Sheff" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/at-my-worst-i-even-resented-nic-because-an-addict-at-least-when-high/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/david-sheff-7087_addict_at-my-worst-i-even-resented-nic-because_2551977.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/david-sheff-7087_addict_at-my-worst-i-even-resented-nic-because_2551977.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/david-sheff-7087_addict_at-my-worst-i-even-resented-nic-because_2551977.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At my worst, I even resented Nic because an addict, at least when high, has a momentary respite from his…” — David Sheff", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addict/david-sheff/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addict/david-sheff/", "name": "Addict Quotes by David Sheff", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addict/david-sheff/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e43/david-sheff-7087_about_i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-wh_23827.jpg" }, "description": "8 Addict quotes by David Sheff. 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