Older adults experience an increasing number of hardships as they age, including loss of friends and loved ones, cognitive impairment, health and financial problems, loneliness, boredom, and physical disabilities. Some older adults struggle with alcohol abuse, some with overuse of…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
One of the truths about addiction is that no person drinks or uses drugs in a vacuum. Relatives easily find themselves drawn into a maelstrom of anxiety over a family member’s substance use, and their sincere efforts to arrest the…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
“I loved my husband. I thought I couldn’t live without him,” said Nancy L. “But I also hated him. I hated that he wasn’t the husband or father I knew he could be.”
At first, Nancy didn’t recognize that her husband…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
Family members hang in delicate balance, connected at the center like a wind chime. If something– good or bad–tugs at one member, then the others may lose their equilibrium and come clanging together noisily. This reaction is especially true for…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
One of the great gifts of the addiction recovery movement is the concept of detachment with love. Originally conceived as a way to relate to an alcoholic family member, detachment with love is actually a tool that we can apply…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
If you’re wondering how to cope with loss, you might ask someone who’s recovering from alcoholism. When people enter recovery, they are giving up something around which their lives have revolved for a long time. Suddenly, they find themselves facing…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
Deborah will invite her aging mother for dinner on Sunday, Deborah’s birthday. She would feel guilty if she didn’t. But the truth is Deborah would rather her mother spend the day somewhere else. Deborah would like to celebrate with her…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
Compassion literally means “to suffer with,” and that is just what can happen to those who practice great empathy — they absorb the pain and trauma of others until they themselves become mentally, physically and spiritually exhausted. This condition is…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
“When dad drinks, he becomes a different person. I get scared. What should I do?” asked Tim, 14.
“I never have friends over after school because I don’t know if mom will be drunk. I would be so embarrassed,” said…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
Alcoholism touched every aspect of Brenda’s family life. She lost a father to alcoholism, and her brother developed the disease. She also married a problem drinker. They had a large family, and her husband left the job of parenting to…
[ Read more | Download PDF ]
