We All Fall Down: Living with Addiction Paperback – April 10, 2012

Well Nic does it again. He writes a very addictive book on Addiction. His writing is human. His writing is truthful. He is not perfect, but then none of us are.This is the book about what happens after he gets the contract for his first book, "Tweak" (which by the way is amazing too..... ) So this book is about what he does in-between getting sober and then going on the book tour for "Tweak" with his dad.... who by the way also wrote an awesome book about addiction called, "Beautiful Boy." Read that book too!!!I think this is a great book that will help ANY and ALL addicts. If you know someone who is suffering from ANY addiction I think Nic's experience and his heartfelt and truthful book will help ANY addict understand that they are not alone and what they need to do NOW to start the healing process.I loved this book. Nic is definitely a writer who's first books are about him. I can expect to see more books or screenplays out of this talented young man.... and I will definitely read them. Bravo Nic. You are an Artist, a Healer and a Soul that strikes to the core of what Addiction can be about.This book is a healing.

I read Tweak after reading Beautiful Boy, by Nic's father, twice. I am the mother of an addict. When I saw Nic had written another book, I instantly read the reviews and kindled it immediately, honestly not expecting to be as moved by it as I was by Tweak. That is not the case. Nic, thank you for writing this book, it was amazing.It may sound odd to call a book about the tortures of someones life amazing, but, this book is. Nic lets us see every twisted, terrible downward spiral by being honest with how he feels and what he thinks, no matter how dirty it sounds. His braveness is unbelievable, letting us see the worst of him. Then, we also get a glimpse of the greatness in him and the hope that lies within. And that hope gives me hope, for him, for my son, for every addict out there.Nic DOES NOT whine about 12 step programs nor does he bash them. He simply doesn't think they are his way. They may work for most, but perhaps not for him, or they are not the be all end all. He does participate in treatment that is not 12 step based, although he said he goes to a meeting once in a while. Since when does one thing make sense for ALL, every single person? That thinking is so off track. There is always a percentage of people that the common cure does not work for. All Nic is saying is that 12 step isn't for him, let's not crucify him for it. If he had cancer, maybe chemo would work for most, but maybe not for him, are we gonna fry him for that? I applaud how he figured out what he is comfortable with, and stayed true to himself. He doesn't say don't do treatment, he says find the treatment that feels right to you.This book is just as good as Tweak, and I sincerely hope Nic keeps writing, because I, for one, will be buying his next one.Be well Nic and thank you, thank you, thank you.

I had to read this, as I had already read Beautiful Boy, then Tweak, so I had to find out how Nic was progressing. I did notice that a lot of the writing was in three'scrying, crying, crying.... or breathing, breathing , breathing. OK, that was all thru the book.But, none the less, I did enjoy this book. Nic seemed to fall in love, or at least he thought it was love at almost any girl he saw.The girl from the airport that came up to him out of no where, and others.Zelda, she was toxic for him.He does admit that while he is at these schools he is not sober.I did like the ending, which i wont spoil for anyone.

Before purchasing this book, I read the reviews on it and was worried it would be a disappointment compared to Tweak and Beautiful Boy. I had read that Nic was completely narcissistic in We All Fall Down, and whined about the recovery process. All that aside, I am very glad I purchased this book.Nic's story is heartwrenching. The way he writes may come off as narcissistic at times, but I honestly read his words as having a sarcastic tone; as though he's looking back at the past and how his mind was working at that point in time and is saying, "oooh no, I have a grip now.. I'm completely dependent on alcohol but hell, I can handle it this time" and then rolling his eyes at his own addict mentality. Nic writes in a very honest way, and I have a ton of admiration for him and his father for having the courage to show the world such destruction.This second book of Nic's shows more of his bipolar (in my opinion). When reading Tweak, I kept wondering if he was bipolar or not (I'm a graduate student in mental health), and was glad to read that he had finally been diagnosed and was having some success with medication. This second book, shows his dark side much more than Tweak and less mania.Personally, I connect very well with Nic and his writing. At times, his writing is a trigger for me and I think those reading this for their own addiction recovery should be aware of that potential. I read a comment on here about how he was whining about being in recovery on his 21rst birthday. Obviously, the writer of that comment had not been an addict, or had not been an addict at such a young age. That was one of my hardest obstacles to face in my own recovery - watching everyone my age experimenting with alcohol and knowing that I simply could not. That was the single most important factor in my relapses. It made me angry that I couldn't be "normal", and reading Nic's words reflected those same feelings back to me. I didn't see him as whining about it whatsoever, just being open and honest about how he was thinking/feeling. Alcohol wasn't his drug of choice, and as any addict knows coming to the realization that the drug doesn't matter so much as the process is difficult, painful and a daily struggle. Realizing that you cannot partake in social events deemed age appropriate, or even just socially appropriate, and AVOIDING those events is a whole process in itself... I think Nic effectively shared this struggle and hope that others connected with it as much as I did.