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[one_half_last]Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Blog RoundUp this week. Here are the links to this week’s interesting posts.
Addiction, Alcoholism, Your Child And 5 Steps To Take
What do you do when you have a child (or spouse or friend or family member) who is struggling with a Substance Use Disorder or addiction? What do you do if that person goes to rehab? This article by Eliza over at Parent Pathway this week outlines some good ideas for individuals who are affected by secondhand addiction. The first four suggestions [/one_half_last]apply whether the individual is in rehab or not and the final one is applicable to someone who does make a choice to go to rehab. I especially like number 4: “Focus on your own recovery”. Individuals who are affected by secondhand addiction must begin to take the focus off others, put it on themselves, and learn how to move forward regardless of what others choose to do or not do. Family recovery is a critical piece of beginning to regain a healthy family system.
Addiction, Parenting And Fear
Veronica Valli is talking about fear and parenting mistakes this week. She asks the question about how to keep kids from going down the addiction path. Her thought is: “…to ensure they have a really strong attachment to us and (that) we model emotional intelligence.” It is critically important for kids (and adults who did not previously learn) to learn how to deal with feelings, emotions, and thoughts. Those coping skills are certainly something that they will use every day of their lives. Will those skills help to prevent children from going down the addiction path? I don’t think anyone knows at this point, but it certainly is one step on the prevention path.
Get Your Advice From Nature
While I don’t necessarily agree with everything in this post by Charlie over at The Privileged Addict, I think it has a good message for those dealing with secondhand addiction: “Let go and forgive yourself, because nothing about you, nothing you do, and nothing you could do differently makes an addict use, will make an addict better, or will prevent an addict from getting better.” This of course, is a difficult reality to acknowledge and certainly it takes some time to wrap your head around that idea. However, ultimately, you must stop focusing on others and take care of yourself to promote your own healing. Your healing just might be the catalyst for others.
Stopping a Slip From Becoming a Relapse
I talk quite frequently to clients about the difference between a slip and a relapse. A slip is a one time, or brief, episode of drinking or using where the individual will return to focusing on recovery fairly quickly. A relapse tends to be a longer, more drawn out period of use where it is difficult for the individual to even consider recovery again. This post over at the Smart Recovery blog is talking about that very issue this week. I love where Julie says: “After a slip, you have not unlearned all that you have learned. You have not unchanged all that you have changed in your life to support your recovery.” If you have a slip, you find yourself at a fork in the road. You can choose to stop and focus on your recovery again or you can choose to continue down the slippery slope of drinking or using drugs. But you do get to choose.
Some Benefits Take A Long Time To Emerge….
Last but not least this week, Mrs. D. is writing over at Living Sober about the benefits of recovery, some that emerge fairly quickly and some that take a bit longer. The ones that take a bit longer often involve the most significant relationships in our lives. She says: “And we need to respect that those around us take as much time to adjust to our sobriety as we do.” I would agree and note that sometimes, individuals who are affected by secondhand addiction often take longer to adjust given the broken trust, resentments, and false communication that has occurred in the past. But just like Mrs. D, I too believe that it can come…with great patience.
That is some of the best I found this week. I hope something here has inspired you! Have a good weekend.
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