Many of us know the heartache of watching helplessly as a loved one suffers the debilitating effects of addiction. We wonder: What can we do? Surely there is some way to stop the drinking, the drugging. We’ve tried everything, but he/she still drinks and/or drugs. Their life is a mess; our life is a mess, too.
The hard truth is that we didn’t cause the addiction; we can’t control it and we can’t cure it. We are powerless over the addict and over the addiction.
But we are not powerless over ourselves. We can learn new ways of behaving and responding to the addict that will restore us to sanity, no matter what the addict may do. We can live lives that are happy, joyous, and free, whether the addict chooses recovery or not.
The first step to sanity is to find support among people who have experienced the same sense of desperation. We can find those kindred spirits in Al-Anon. Al-Anon is for family and friends of substance abusers/addicts/alcoholics. In meetings, people share their own experiences and the lessons they have learned about healing their own hearts. Al-Anon groups meet everywhere; many EDOT churches host Al-Anon meetings in their own buildings! You can learn more about alcoholism and its impact on family friends, as well as locate a meeting here:
Hope and Healing Center (Houston)
You may also call the EDOT Office of Wellness and Care at 512.609.1876.
