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[one_half_last]Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Blog RoundUp for this week. I hope you find something helpful here.
Infragilis Et Tenera
Rhonda Cochrane is writing this week over at Gratitude and Trust about being broken, and coming out stronger on the other side. She says: “…in my brokenness lies my strength, my beauty, my tenderness and my gift.” What I take from this quote is what I often tell clients, that without traveling through your journey, you would not be where you are today. [/one_half_last]And as painful as it may have been, you would not have the gift of the aches, the lessons, and the healing that have come along with that journey.
Family Recovery
How important is family healing in the recovery process of addiction? How critical are family relationships to healing in recovery? Inside The Alcoholic Brain has a post taking a look at this issue this week. He has questions that he is asking based on a video from William White that he posted. William White says this about Family Recovery: “…if we attend to families at all in recovery, it is brief and very short term. Unfortunately, research suggests that recovery is actually “horribly destabilising” for families.” I agree and have seen this again and again with clients and family members. As treatment facilities, as treatment providers, if we give more attention to the issues of the family in the months following the initial treatment episode, we are likely to see families do more healing rather than self- destructing.
New Research Adds To Our Understanding That Alcoholism Is A Brain Disease, Not A Moral Problem
Alcohol use can cause brain damage. We learn more and more about this every year. Alcoholism is a brain disease. Over at Raising Healthy Children In An Alcoholic Home this week, Barbara Wood has a post about a new research study that shows: “…heavy drinking badly undermines the very brain systems that are necessary to control powerful impulses…” including significant damage to the frontal lobe and white matter tissue. I often feel like, as I am sure many researchers do, the more we learn, the more we need to know.
Taking Action: Analyze Past Flaws
This is a post referring specifically to interventions and three mistakes that are often made by interventionists while executing an intervention. I think it is also valuable to consider the mistakes in the context of the family system when confronting someone with a Substance Use Disorder about their drinking or drug use. In that context, I think the mistakes are very common when family members are concerned, scared, and at their wit’s end. C. Scott McMillin posting over on Recovery SI this week is referencing the fact that it is important for the interventionist, family members, and friends to confront their own feelings prior to confronting the individual. I certainly would agree.
7 Step Process To Regaining Trust In Recovery
Last but not least this week, I read a post about rebuilding trust. This is another frequent topic with clients as there is always some sort of relationship to be repaired. And in true American (and addict) fashion, everyone wants the repair to happen immediately and the trust to be gained back after a short time. The truth is, it doesn’t work that way. As the author notes over on Sober Nation, trust is earned and rebuilding relationships is a slow process over time. Practicing these 7 steps can be a good start in the slow process of rebuilding trust. Just don’t expect a quick fix. And by the way, the author quotes one of my most favorite books of all time: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. If you haven’t read it, please do so. It can change your life.
That’s all I have for this week. Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your weekend!
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or codependency issues, Contact me today to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation to talk about how we can work together or find the right person for you.
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