By
Stephen C. Schultz
Over
the years I have had too many conversations with families about substance
abuse. I have sat with parents brought to tears because addiction has ruined
relationships and tarnished trust. I have discussed substance use disorder with teens that
maintain a center of the universe attitude and are convinced they can use drugs
now, only to recover later in life and be fine. I have witnessed the slow death
that comes about because of a cirrhotic liver and the spur of the moment death
brought about by substance induced suicide. I have compassionately changed the bed sheets
of a middle aged man in the throes of a medical detox who was trying desperately
to maintain some semblance of dignity.
In
each of these cases, families and parents never once thought to themselves;
“I
sure hope that someone in our family struggles with addiction!”
In
fact, most families romanticize the Field of Dreams scenario. Unfortunately,
addiction is no respecter of persons, social status or financial achievements.
For those families that find themselves struggling with the demons of
addiction, I have created a list of posts from my blog that can be used as a resource.
I hope you find this helpful. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or share
with others. It’s only through open and honest dialogue that healing can begin
and the pain of addiction can be soothed.
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