Healthy Living
Families of the addicted get sick too. Many family therapists have written volumes on the codependency of family members who have a loved one riddled with addiction. Numerous books have been written exploring the damage done to families due to alcoholism and other addictions including drugs, gambling, sex, and even food. The following is a scenario that has been given to me several times throughout my career as a therapist:
It’s another sleepless night as I pick up my cell phone. The time is 2:40 a.m. and there’s still no text from her. I’ve conditioned myself to listen intently for the notification ding. The only communication I would receive indicating she was alive was a text, never a phone call. My daily mantra, whenever I received this text, was, “She’s drug-free. She’s alive.” But when the texts stopped again, unfortunately, I knew she had relapsed—or worse, was dead. How many times have we reported her missing? How many times have we stayed home instead of roaming the streets looking for her? We knew she was running with the wrong crowd. We knew that she was shooting up heroin. And we were in a state of terror most of the time. She’s twenty-four years old. I can’t ground her or spank her. I can’t put her in time-out or take her phone away. I can only hope and pray for her protection…
In November, Valleydale Church is hosting workshops designed for families with addicted loved ones with Cathy Napier and Pastor Barry Chesney. Chesney and Napier have written a workbook, Addiction: One Day at a Time with Jesus that approaches addictions with both a biblical and psychological protocol for wellness. Learn a protocol for wellness for families of addicted loved ones on November 2, 9, 16, and 30 starting at 6:30 p.m. at Valleydale Church’s Worship Center. Attendees will learn:
1. How to stage an intervention for immediate help.
2. How to use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with God’s word for their benefit during difficult times.
3. How to use journaling for their benefit.
4. How to communicate positively with their family members. And more!
Learn more about these events at www.valleydale.org/midweek.
-Cathy Napier
