Little Girl Lost, released in 1990, is the memoir of 15 year old Drew Barrymore, who had, quite frankly, lived more than most of us ever will. Written by Drew Barrymore along with Todd Gold, it’s her story of how she rose to fame and began struggling with drug addiction.
Even working in the field, it’s hard for me to come to terms with many of the things she writes in the book. She had her first drink at 9 years old, started smoking marijuana at age 10, and used cocaine at 12. It would be easy to blame her parents or her Hollywood lifestyle, but she does neither. She admits that work was her salvation, and the problem was that she never felt good enough, something many children struggle with.
So why do some kids turn to drugs and alcohol while others don’t? I think that we all find our answers in something, and sometimes those answers are healthy, while other times, they’re not. More often though, they’re a combination of both. None of us get a manual for living, and to be honest, how many of us would follow it even if it were given? I wouldn’t have at that age.
This book is over 20 years old, but I think it’s still worth reading if you’re interested in the path of addiction in adolescents. I think it’s an honest, raw account; it brought tears to my eyes at times. Even though the book ends on a less than upbeat note, we can all see that Drew Barrymore eventually found more stable footing, and while not perfect, is living her life in a way that seems to suit her.
Doree Weller 