Part of difficult child's contract to live at home is daily meetings. She doesn't like AA and NA because of the religious aspect. We researched non 12 step meetiings and found Smart Recovery. The meetings are more in line with the DBT program where they emphasize mindful behaviors. difficult child wanted me to go with her because she seems terrified of going to meetings by herself. She said she always had someone to go with before.
difficult child does have an anxiety disorder and I see it more and more now that she is living back at home. She also talked about it at our DBT meeting this week. We went with her to hammer out the details of the contract.
Back to the Smart Recovery meeting. It wasn't formal at all. It was run by a counselor who specializes in addiction. Basically each person talked about their week and stresses and challenges to sobriety. They were very welcoming. difficult child didn't say anything when it was her turn. She just said her name and that she was there to listen.
One 19-year-old boy broke my heart. He was fresh out of jail and was trying to go cold turkey from oxycodone, xanax, and alcohol. He described what he was going through and it was horrific. He didn't have any insurance to help him detox. He described his family history and it turned out that both of his parents were addicts (the father is now deceased) as well as his grandmother who he now lives with. I don't think he is going to make it and it was so very sad.
I really liked the counselor. I think that she may be what I have been looking for. I want someone that husband and I can go to and talk about how difficult child's addictions and mental illness have impacted us. We also need help distinguishing between helping her and enabling her.
I liked it a lot better than Al-anon. I asked if they had a parent group and she said that she was thinking about starting one. One thing that she was big on was cross talk. She said she didn't get the whole AA concept of having to sit quietly through a meeting just listening to others. She said we should learn from one another and often the guidance from others in the meetings is better than she can offer.
~Kathy
difficult child does have an anxiety disorder and I see it more and more now that she is living back at home. She also talked about it at our DBT meeting this week. We went with her to hammer out the details of the contract.
Back to the Smart Recovery meeting. It wasn't formal at all. It was run by a counselor who specializes in addiction. Basically each person talked about their week and stresses and challenges to sobriety. They were very welcoming. difficult child didn't say anything when it was her turn. She just said her name and that she was there to listen.
One 19-year-old boy broke my heart. He was fresh out of jail and was trying to go cold turkey from oxycodone, xanax, and alcohol. He described what he was going through and it was horrific. He didn't have any insurance to help him detox. He described his family history and it turned out that both of his parents were addicts (the father is now deceased) as well as his grandmother who he now lives with. I don't think he is going to make it and it was so very sad.
I really liked the counselor. I think that she may be what I have been looking for. I want someone that husband and I can go to and talk about how difficult child's addictions and mental illness have impacted us. We also need help distinguishing between helping her and enabling her.
I liked it a lot better than Al-anon. I asked if they had a parent group and she said that she was thinking about starting one. One thing that she was big on was cross talk. She said she didn't get the whole AA concept of having to sit quietly through a meeting just listening to others. She said we should learn from one another and often the guidance from others in the meetings is better than she can offer.
~Kathy