A world of contradictions, wherein everything is gray and almost nothing is black and white.

Openness is the first step toward recovery... addiction remains a secret because of the overwhelming shame associated with it.

I am becoming used to an overwhelming, grinding mixture of anger and worry.

Along with the joy of parenthood, with every child comes a piercing vulnerability. It is at once sublime and terrifying

When I transformed my random and raw words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into chapters, a semblance of order and sanity appeared where there had been only chaos and insanity.

Here's a note to the parents of addicted children: Choose your music carefully...There are millions of treacherous moments.

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.