Last week, I went to see my doctor about something minor. I’ve been very fortunate to have had the same GP for the past 30 years. We first started together in the very early days of my recovery from addiction, so he has seen me grow from being emotionally despondent and very physically ill (Crohn’s Disease)—as I tried to stay away from the various prescription medications and pot I’d been using for years—into the very different person I am today. As I sometimes tell my clients, you wouldn’t have … [Read more...] about Loving an Addict: Are You Enabling or Ennobling?
Setting boundaries with addicted loved ones
How to Enjoy the Holidays When You or Your Loved One Has an Addiction
This post was originally published in December 2014. Another year has gone by and “The Holidays” are fast approaching—although if you’re anything like me, you’re still wondering where September went! The time has come when we are once again seeing commercials on TV and in magazines about how wonderful the Christmas season is, that it is better to give than to receive, and how warm and loving families are, especially at this time of year. But the reality is that, for many of people, this is … [Read more...] about How to Enjoy the Holidays When You or Your Loved One Has an Addiction
Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone: Recovery from Addictive Behaviors
This post was originally published in June of 2013. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone—so true. I love this saying, and wish I could take credit for thinking it up. In my humble opinion, whoever came up with it is a genius—and when I saw it on a fridge magnet many years ago, I bought several of them to give as gifts to people I recognized as being entrenched in their comfort zones. (Sometimes it really does take one to know one.) Having given most of them away, I am now down to just … [Read more...] about Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone: Recovery from Addictive Behaviors
How to Enjoy the Holidays When You or Your Loved One Has an Addiction
This post was originally published on December 12, 2014 Another year has gone by and “The Holidays” are fast approaching—although if you’re anything like me, you’re still wondering where September went! The time has come when we are once again seeing commercials on TV and in magazines about how wonderful the Christmas season is, that it is better to give than to receive, and how warm and loving families are, especially at this time of year. But the reality is that, for many of people, this is … [Read more...] about How to Enjoy the Holidays When You or Your Loved One Has an Addiction
The Journey of Recovery for an Addict’s Loved Ones: Are You Going Upstream or Downstream?
The Journey of Recovery for a Loved One As anyone who loves an addict knows, the journey along the way can be quite arduous. There are many trials and tribulations that we never see coming. Try as we might, there are times when it feels like things will never get better; in fact, until some type of therapeutic intervention is invited in, these situations generally just get worse and worse over time, and loved ones are left picking up the pieces as best they can. The damage can be … [Read more...] about The Journey of Recovery for an Addict’s Loved Ones: Are You Going Upstream or Downstream?
