M.T. asks: My daughter is in rehab but is saying she might not stay. I’ve been paying her rent for a while and I’m continuing to do that while she’s there. If she leaves, what do I do? Hi M.T., The main message here is that you will no longer support her addiction but you will support her recovery. If she leaves treatment against the advice of the staff there, then out of a place of love for her, you can tell her you will no longer be paying her rent. If you enable her in any way, … [Read more...] about If my daughter leaves rehab, what do I do?
Helping vs. Enabling
The Serenity Prayer: How it Can Help Your Recovery from Addiction
God, grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. These days, a lot of people have heard of the Serenity Prayer. Anyone who has gone to 12-Step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or Al-Anon knows this prayer as the group recitation at the end of these meetings. But although you may have heard this prayer a number of times, and perhaps recited it yourself many times, have … [Read more...] about The Serenity Prayer: How it Can Help Your Recovery from Addiction
The Name of the Game: How to Revive Your Ailing Self-Respect
Most of us are aware that we want to be treated with respect by other people. You probably find yourself becoming upset, angry or hurt when someone acts in a disrespectful way toward you, because it feels as if that person does not value you enough to treat you well. Self-Respect: What Exactly Is It? Self-respect works in the same way as being respected by others. When you value yourself enough to treat yourself well, you are acting in a self-respecting way. If you take good care of yourself … [Read more...] about The Name of the Game: How to Revive Your Ailing Self-Respect
Be the Change You Want to See
Everything starts with the Self. If our lives aren’t going the way we want them to, we must be willing to look inward to see how we’re contributing to that reality. This is the way to make the changes we want to see. … [Read more...] about Be the Change You Want to See
Yet Another Addiction Strategy from the BC Government: Is This the Best You’ve Got?
I am a proud Canadian and an even prouder Vancouverite. But when I heard that our government was going to “help” drug addicts by making possession of a small amount of opiates and other street drugs legal – ostensibly so that addicts would use together instead of in isolation and somehow, someway, protect each other from overdosing – I felt absolutely enraged. My immediate question for them was “Is this the best you’ve got?” THIS is their solution to the toxic drug overdose epidemic we’ve been … [Read more...] about Yet Another Addiction Strategy from the BC Government: Is This the Best You’ve Got?
