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

Once and for all, people must understand that addiction is a disease. It’s critical if we’re going to effectively prevent and treat addiction. Accepting that addiction is an illness will transform our approach to public policy, research, insurance, and criminality; it will change how we feel about addicts, and how they feel about themselves. There’s another essential reason why we must understand that addiction is an illness and not just bad behavior: We punish bad behavior. We treat illness.

Wherever you be, wherever you may, seek the truth, strive for the beautiful, achieve the good.

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

Through Nic's drug addiction, I have learned that parents can bear almost anything....I shock myself with my ability to rationalize and tolerate things once unthinkable. The rationalizations escalate....It's only marijuana. He gets high only on weekends. At least he's not using hard drugs.

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

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