one life lesson out from the book Tweak by Nic Sheff

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A Life Lesson from Tweak by Nic Sheff
Tweak is a novel that recounts the journey of the author, Nic Sheff, as he battles with addiction involving multiple drugs. Sheff begins drinking at the age of 11 and continues to descend into further drug use from then on. Sheff explains that when he is on drugs “It is a different world man, heightened, exciting…The waves of the drug keep sweeping through me, and my palms turn sweaty, and I grit my teeth” (13). His new life is characterized by theft, deceit, and a never-ending need for more drugs. Sheff also teams up with another addict to distribute methamphetamine (Sheff 25). Tweak discourages the readers from drug use by narrating how drugs can ruin the life of the user.
One way that drugs can ruin a person’s life is by alienating them from the people they love. Sheff is raised by loving parents, but his relationship with them becomes estranged when he keeps stealing from them. He does not want them to find out so he sneaks in when they are away: “I yank it open breaking the bases of the door where it had been secured to the floor” (Sheff 15). Sheff begins to lose touch with his siblings and he steals their personal effects, like his sister’s diary, and his younger brother’s money. He also encourages his friends to relapse after they try quitting their drug habits (Sheff 96). His reputation causes their families to dislike him which further alienates Sheff.
Additionally, an addict leads a dangerous and unpredictable life.

His life as a drug dealer is dangerous especially when he begins to keep the company of a group of other dealers who are violent. He adapts to their lifestyle and even once plans to hurt a man who has stolen from him during a drug transaction. Bullet trains Sheff on how to use a screwdriver to hurt people by instructing him to “swing it and use the handle side first” (Sheff 52). Moreover, Zelda, an addict Sheff is having an affair with, tries to kill him. Sheff is awakened by her screams as she aggressively hurts him, and is unable to stop her because of the drugs she has taken (Sheff 166). Consequently, these instances of violence motivate Sheff to cease his destructive habits and try to get clean.
In summary, Tweak is a book that explains Sheff’s life as an addict and the events surrounding his risky lifestyle. The story cautions the audience from drug use because it leads to negative consequences in the addict’s life. Sheff becomes alienated from his family and childhood friends because he loses his moral perspective once he begins abusing drugs. His life is also always in danger because of the people he associates himself with after leaving his parents’ home.

Work Cited
Sheff, Nic. Tweak: Growing up on methamphetamines. Simon and Schuster, 2009.