WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES WITH ADDICTION

A mother wrote to me: My son died of a heroin overdose. I need to forgive myself for all the mistakes I made. I try to understand why he couldn’t just stop what he was doing to himself. It isn’t as simple as people want to make it. I live with the pain of not being able to help my son when he needed it, but I get up everyday and try to live my life the best I know how. I still feel that I hide from so many people who can’t understand what it was like to live with a son I loved and couldn’t help before it was too late.

My reflection: We live with the pain of not being able to help our loved one. My son once said, “I wanted to get clean and I loved my family, but I couldn’t go the next day without drugs.” Drugs are stronger than we are strong.

Today’s Promise to consider: We try desperately to do the right thing for our addicted loved ones, whatever that means in our particular circumstance. Sometimes mistakes are made. Today, I will forgive myself. I will go forward, one step at a time and accept that there are no clear answers with addiction.

 

 

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Pat Nichols
5 years ago

“Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it.” Maya Angelou Even if you could go back and fix every perceived mistake, it would not defeat Addiction. Addiction would simply change direction and the same results would be experienced.

Amy
Amy
5 years ago
Reply to  Pat Nichols

Thank you. I needed to hear this today.

Karen Baar
Karen Baar
5 years ago

I have always heard in Alanon there is no such thing as right or wrong. I try hard to keep this in mind. We do the best we can with what we have. God bless

Laurie
Laurie
5 years ago

Thank you, I lost my son the same way, and I have felt like I could have done more, I miss him every day.

a friend
a friend
5 years ago

I have a friend who is a doctor( license recently suspended) When he was high he use to call me telling me he was dying…or call weeping. My heart would break. He is now with a female who is also an addict. They enable each other…I tried to help him in ways I thought were best..but actually may have made things worse. Last time I saw him he showed me his arm and leg full of tracks…almost like he was punishing me or so it seemed. I told him God loves him…Now he never reaches out or responds to me…he is in a hole with her and heroin. I can only pray and hope.