--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict…" description: "\"I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict. What does this mean about me?\" — 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" --- # I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict. What does this… ![“I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict. What does this mean about me?” quote by David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e43/david-sheff-7087_about_i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-wh_23827.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e43/david-sheff-7087_about_i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-wh_23827.jpg) [Open 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?” [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A parent feels guilt and self‑judgment when a child struggles with addiction, questioning their own worth and responsibility. **In simple terms:** Parental shame over a child's addiction. Key Takeaway Self‑blame can obscure support for the child. Themes guilt parental identity addiction self‑worth family dynamics Mood sadness concern hope Type personal reflection question When to use this quote - family counseling - support groups - parent‑child therapy - community outreach Key Concepts stigma responsibility empathy Practical Applications - educational workshops for parents - peer‑support networks Questions to Reflect On - How can parents separate self‑judgment from constructive help? - What resources can reduce stigma for families? A Different Perspective Blame is often misplaced; addiction is a complex disease not solely reflecting parenting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [An alcoholic will steal your wallet and lie to you. A drug addict will steal your wallet and then help you look for it.](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/) > [I remember having my father stand over me when I had driven over my own foot; one leg was out of the car and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-bachman/i-remember-having-my-father-stand-over-me-when-i-had-driven-over-my/) [Randy Bachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-bachman/) > [I have never one day been ashamed of my son. Even when he was not right, that's ok.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afeni-shakur/i-have-never-one-day-been-ashamed-of-my-son-even-when-he-was-not/) [Afeni Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afeni-shakur/) > [ \[T\]he truth is that drug addicts have a disease. It only takes a short time in the streets to realize that out-of-control addiction is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/t-he-truth-is-that-drug-addicts-have-a-disease-it-only-takes-a-short/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [I found myself being more and more involved with people who were rejected by society - with drug addicts, alcoholism, battered this, battered that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-diana/i-found-myself-being-more-and-more-involved-with-people-who-were/) [Princess Diana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-diana/) > [I placed myself in amongst the animal kingdom so that I would be able to confront myself actually. It did not start out as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-treadwell/i-placed-myself-in-amongst-the-animal-kingdom-so-that-i-would-be-able/) [Timothy Treadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-treadwell/) > [The interesting thing about Sherlock is that he is himself a reflection of that very English duality. As a drug addict, he is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-everett/the-interesting-thing-about-sherlock-is-that-he-is-himself-a/) [Rupert Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-everett/) > [I've been playing a lot of really strong, able woman, but I think it would be really fun to play a crazy drug addict,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-bell/i-ve-been-playing-a-lot-of-really-strong-able-woman-but-i-think-it/) [Catherine Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-bell/) > [People that don’t know and hear about it, they start to think that all the people that do jiu-jitsu smokes pot, is a drug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/royce-gracie/people-that-don-t-know-and-hear-about-it-they-start-to-think-that-all/) [Royce Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/royce-gracie/) > [Nobody can become a drug addict if they're hip. Because it's obvious that if you're hip then you've got to make it. The buzz…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/nobody-can-become-a-drug-addict-if-they-re-hip-because-it-s-obvious/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [… an outlaw gulch, a haven for draft resisters, struggling artists, and drug addicts…a camp for semi-demented adults… Venice is like the legendary Phoenix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-davidson/an-outlaw-gulch-a-haven-for-draft-resisters-struggling-artists-and/) Sara Davidson > [It doesn't have the ability to think rationally this economic model. It thinks like a drug addict: 'Where can I get my next fix?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-doesn-t-have-the-ability-to-think-rationally-this-economic-model/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [So many kids are fat drug addicts these days, it's almost as if Rush Limbaugh had puppies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/so-many-kids-are-fat-drug-addicts-these-days-it-s-almost-as-if-rush/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [When we think carefully, we see that the brief elation we experience when appeasing sensual impulses may not be very different from what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/when-we-think-carefully-we-see-that-the-brief-elation-we-experience/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [They said a drug addict needs rehabilitation, they never said what a broken heart needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satyajit-chhotaray/they-said-a-drug-addict-needs-rehabilitation-they-never-said-what-a/) [Satyajit Chhotaray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satyajit-chhotaray/) ## More by 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/) > [A world of contradictions, wherein everything is gray and almost nothing is black and white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/a-world-of-contradictions-wherein-everything-is-gray-and-almost/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) [Explore all 95 David Sheff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict. What does this mean about me?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Sheff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-what-does-this-mean-about-me/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-what-does-this-mean-about-me/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e43/david-sheff-7087_about_i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-wh_23827.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e43/david-sheff-7087_about_i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-wh_23827.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e43/david-sheff-7087_about_i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-wh_23827.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict. What does this mean about me?” — David Sheff", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Sheff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was ashamed. My son is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-what-does-this-mean-about-me/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-what-does-this-mean-about-me/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```