Sydney Womack
Dr. Joe Dixon
Sociology 4506
3 April 2023
Beautiful Boy and the role of support in addiction recovery Felix Van Groeningen’s 2018 film, Beautiful Boy, is the true story of a father and son. The film follows David Sheff and his son, Nic Sheff’s relationship as Nic grows older and begins experimenting with different drugs. As Nic endures an expectedly rocky road to recovery, his father David simultaneously endures the heartbreaking journey of supporting someone in active addiction and recovery. An at times helpless David still attempts to help and support his son from afar. David enlists the help of professionals to try and garner a better understanding of what his son is experiencing. He learns about how drugs have altered Nic’s
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The viewer essentially gets a glimpse into the impact of addiction on someone who is in addiction, Nic, and the loved one of someone in addiction, David. Beyond being a film detailing the lengths that a parent will go for their child, Beautiful Boy also addresses the importance that support plays in recovering from addiction. Being based off of a true story, Beautiful Boy’s depiction of addiction is an accurate one that doesn’t shy away from the gruesome realities of it. Support for someone in addiction, from family especially, can be significant toward their path to recovery. It can, however, take a lot of investment from family as well. Especially if addiction isn’t a problem that they have experienced before. In a study about the role of familial support in addiction recovery, it discusses this, writing, “Most families of drug addicts share the same problems: lack of knowledge about how to deal with the recovered drug addict member” (Gideon 218). This is shown throughout the film as David Sheff goes to great lengths to try and better understand what his son is experiencing. Sheff goes to medical professionals to ask questions, he is constantly doing research, and as stated earlier he even goes so far as to try some substances himself to understand what his son felt while using them. Throughout the film, viewers can almost feel the frustration and helplessness felt by David Sheff as he …show more content…
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“Effects of social support and 12-Step involvement on recovery among people in continuing care for cocaine dependence.” NCBI, 19 July 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6803054/. Accessed 3 April 2023.
“Family Roles in Addiction & the Importance of Family Support in Recovery.” Laguna Treatment Hospital, 14 April 2022, https://lagunatreatment.com/family-resources/addiction-and-family/. Accessed 3 April 2023.
Gideon, Lior. “Family Role in the Reintegration Process of Recovering Drug Addicts.” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, vol. 51, no. 2, 2007, pp. 212-226. Sage Pub,