theme analysis
The author, Richard, implies the message that people who are enduring any kinds of problems should have someone to talk to. They should have someone who they can express everything that is going on and confide in them. Richard states multiple times throughout the book saying how much he wanted to tell about everything his mother had done to him but he could not. He feared of the rejection and the disbelief of the people who he would tell. This explains the severity of how keeping in all the emotions and problems can lead to addictions down the road. Richard says that if he had someone to talk to earlier that the probably would not have gone down a long spiraling road of drugs and alcohol. Having someone to confess one's feelings is extremely important for someone's growth mentally and spiritually.