Parallel Recovery

Parallel recovery

I'm reading Craig Nakken's book 'Reclaim your family from Addiction'. It talks about how each family member needs to do 'parallel recovery', about how the family connections are 'damaged and disrupted', how each family member needs to focus on developing a 'healthy self' so that they can once again turn their attention to rebuilding their family later. 
Yes. All I can say to all if that is, Yes! I finally really feel that we are a family in recovery. My daughter is working a treatment program to help herself deal with her issues and to figure out who she is after being lost in this war zone we call addiction. my little one is soaking up attention from family members and he reclaims his place in the family as the youngest. My husband and I are working at trying to rebuild a bit of romance and some of the fun we have had as a couple. My mom has her recovery to do also as she is extremely close to the kids and in my life as a single parent for many years, basically helped me raise my children. Addiction certainly is a family disease. 

Yesterday I got to spend the day with my whole family, picked up son from group home, daughter from Portage and my mom, hubbie, little one and I all set out for an adventure, it's been months since we have been all together. It was beautiful. Watching my 3 children interact and share, smile and hug each other warmed my heart. We are all on our own journey through recovery right now, we are all finding ways to heal from our pain of this difficult journey we have been on. Our bond is strong and when drugs are removed from our lives, it is a beautiful adventure. Today my family feels whole, this mothers heart is happy, my children are safe and getting stronger. Life is as it should be. Today.