Tag: Johann Hari

I am the mother of three adult children.  I am also the mother of an addict living the nightmare of denial and the consequence of said addiction.  Like many, my family of origin is riddled with alcoholics and addicts.  I learned to “detach” (not always in love) from their demons, drawing clear lines in the sand for my own future.  I thought a geographical relocation in another state would give me the distance and perspective needed to live my own life absent the insanity substance abuse can bring. When I discovered my spouse of then seven years was an addict my world fell apart.  For the life of me I could not understand how this could happen—again.  What did I miss?

I began attending Al-Anon in the hopes of self-discovery and the necessary tools required to live with a recovering addict.  Placing a healthy focus back on myself and away from the addict was liberating and healing.  After a few years I drifted away from meetings, digging in to my marriage and the raising of our children. Continue reading “The Collateral Damage of Addiction by Cynthia Garrity-Bond”