In a world that sometimes feels too crowded, there is this: “loneliness” is one of America’s newest plagues. Feelings of isolation can lead to other ailments and even trigger premature death. Addiction loves loneliness, thrives on it. Like an insidious infection, it envelops abusers quickly and lethally – and those around them, too. After that …
My father used to call it a “Chamber of Commerce” event. He always said Mother’s Day was drummed up to boost candy sales and restaurant reservations. Father’s Day, too Growing up I sometimes wondered if he said that to take pressure off my brother and me from digging into our allowance to come up with …
The young man casts his eyes downward. He is seated in a folding chair, one of about twenty that form a large circle in the small church basement. His eyes seem to stare at the slogans pasted on tiny placards resting on the floor. Do others see him, too? He has been here before. He …
If a recovered addict is not in your life, you’re missing out. There was a time when my son said I would be grateful for his addiction – or some such nonsense. I didn’t laugh, but at the time it seemed laughable. He’d had about four months sober. We were sitting at an outdoor coffee …
Even writing the word brings a whisper of calm in a chaotic time. No wonder it opens a prayer that’s the watchword in addiction recovery. 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 …
At a meeting recently a father shared this: “I don’t like feeling like a warden around my son.” The word startled me. His son, now in his thirties, has a history of addiction and recovery and was living on his own for years. But a serious injury forced his move back into his parents’ home …
Certainly not kindergarten. And certainly nothing I learned there prepared me to help a child with addiction. What did – and still does – are the friendships and shared experiences of friends in Al-Anon. But just when I think I’ve got this, something happens to test my resolve. After spending a month visiting with Jacob …
A freight train thunders behind us, so close it shakes the folding chairs where we sit. All conversation stops. For several seconds – as 5 or 6 cars rumble by – we are silent. My husband, Jacob and I are seated at a small table that’s been set up for us in the front yard …
What parent doesn’t wish for their children that they will have close, cherished friends for their lifetime? In the immortal lyrics of Carole King (and James Taylor): You just call out my name/And you know wherever I am/I’ll come runnin’ to see you again/…And I’ll be there/You’ve got a friend. I always delighted in knowing …
Once lost, it’s difficult to regain. In families facing addiction, trust is among the first of many losses. Parents often ask, “When did you start trusting your son again?” It took time and distance. After his final inpatient stay, Jacob held a job and was living in a halfway house. Slowly, trust returned. We loaned …