The holidays are supposed to be a time for family, festivity – and they often also present a full spectrum of emotions. For many, this season marks the first large family gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic began, bringing with it a mix of beautiful reunions and potential challenges. The dynamics of family relationships can be complex, and when addiction is part of the equation, these complexities are magnified. As we step into this new year, it's essential to address the emotional aftermath … [Read more...] about Coping with Family Relationships After the Holidays – When You Love an Addict
Addiction in the family
How Do I Know When I’m Helping and Not Enabling?
Q: My son has suffered from alcohol abuse for 20 years, and he is getting worse. How do I know when to help versus enable him? That's a really good question because it's important to understand the difference between enabling and helping. When we enable an addict, we're doing something for them that they really can and should be doing for themselves and what we know today is that enabled addicts do not recover because they really have no incentive to do so. “Should” is not a word I use often, … [Read more...] about How Do I Know When I’m Helping and Not Enabling?
Navigating Addiction
During the Festive Season
As the year draws to a close and the holiday season rapidly approaches, it's easy to feel like time has slipped through our fingers. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were welcoming September?
Now, everywhere we turn, we're reminded of the joy and warmth that the holiday season is supposed to bring. Advertisements paint a picture of perfect families, generous giving, and festive cheer. But the reality is often far from this idealized image.
This year, like the last, and the one before, has been … [Read more...] about Navigating Addiction
During the Festive Season
How Can “Enabling” Ever Be a Loving Act?
Many loved ones of addicts who are still choosing to be in active addiction know that they have been contributing to that choice by enabling them. They want to stop and practice healthier behaviours with the addicts they love, but they often don’t know how to begin to do that. If that is your situation, please reach out for help – you don’t have to make these important changes all alone. … [Read more...] about How Can “Enabling” Ever Be a Loving Act?
The 2023 CCSA Issues of Substance Conference
After a four-year break from in-person conferences, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use & Addiction returned with its Issues of Substance conference—this time at the Convention Centre in beautiful downtown Vancouver, BC! The event was held from November 20th to 22nd. At Love With Boundaries, we knew that we needed to be a part of this amazing collaboration of research and ideas in the field of Addiction, Mental Health and Recovery, so we packed up our offices and headed down there for … [Read more...] about The 2023 CCSA Issues of Substance Conference
