If you are just joining this discussion and exploration of addiction, you may want to go back and start here. While an addict must actively pursue Recovery for him/herself, it is not simply a solitary journey. To be sure, an addict (to any kind of addiction), must make the right choices daily – sometimes hourly – and learn to replace the addictive behavior with healthful thinking & attitudes, the family is a very distinct,...

So while we’ve been talking about secrecy, let’s see if we can determine the difference between secrecy and privacy.  In a recent real-life discussion with others who have loved ones struggling with addiction, this subject came up. How would you define Secrecy vs Privacy? It’s an interesting question, don’t you think?  And in this discussion, the idea was that secrecy is an attempt to hide and cover, privacy is an...

As addiction studies have grown in the past few decades, one of the initial problems I talked about yesterday is that of Secrecy. An addict must admit he or she has a problem in order to pursue recovery.  That’s the first step.  A family can impose an intervention and demand change from an addict, but until the addict ADMITS and CONFESSES that their addiction is out of control, recovery is not going to happen. Secrecy is one of the...

Admittedly, there are a lot of problems associated with addiction.  In my studies and in my own personal journey, I’ve read about, seen, and experienced plenty of them. However, one of the major obstacles to overcome when first dealing with addiction is: Secrecy There is this automatic sense of isolation for an addict – even if he or she is in a room sharing their addiction with others.  The level of pleasure and satisfaction that...

I’ve had to take some time for other things, but this week, I’ll be writing about addiction every day. Some of my information is based on the education I’ve received in my college courses in Christian counseling and Psychology.  Some of my information is taken from my experience as  both being an addict and spouse of an addict. Your reflection, questions, and challenges are welcome.  I want you to know that.  Addiction is...

So I knew that actually posting on my blog about my own addiction – and that my husband struggles with addiction – would bring a firestorm at some point. While I have not revealed any details – and do not intend to here – the reality of how addiction has affected our marriage & family made it necessary for me to talk about it here – and there is more to say. It also opened up the door to a lot of negative...

While addiction brings with it Chaos, Devastation,  Ruin, and eventually Death, there is HOPE.  Not just because other people have recovered from addiction.  Not just because of medical and scientific advances in understanding and treating addiction. Frankly, those things don’t always work.  There’s no guarantee. HOPE lies in the fact that GOD is the GOD OF IMPOSSIBLE. NOTHING is impossible to God.  Not one darn little thing. ...

It is not my intent to write – in detail – the nature of my husband’s struggles or the specific difficulties we have faced in our marriage.  It is not my place to air out my personal grievances here – and this is not a place that will become a battleground or weapon of destruction. Rather, my intent and my focus when writing about addiction, will be about MY journey and what many wives and spouses go through when...

I’ve written about my Food Addiction before, and you can find my posts about it in my Queen Size Mommy section. But I also live with an addict. An addict whose choices have affected every aspect of our home and family. While I walk a fine line of choosing NOT to air out dirty laundry and be as honest as I can, it’s necessary to talk about how addiction has affected my life and my marriage.  I do not write this to be disparaging...

I wanted to repost this again as I am getting ready to launch a new section for my Queen Size Mommy posts – which will center on my food addiction, struggles with eating and weight – and striving for GOOD HEALTH. One of my favorite summer treats really is ice cream.  I’m a “texture” eater and I love the disparity between the cold ice cream on those hot days that weigh me down with heat and humidity. When our local...