Overcoming any type of addiction can be incredibly difficult to overcome. If someone you love suffers from an addiction, their addiction permeates into your life.  Of course watching them suffer is heartbreaking, and you constantly search for avenues to assist them.

The harsh reality is that the addict themselves are really the only ones who can overcome their addiction.  Here is a list of what you can do to help them with their battle:

1. Help Them When Making Choices.

Sometimes it’s not so easy to make a good choice or decision yourself and often it helps if someone else can give you a fresh or new perspective on things helping you to see things more clearer and hence make a better choice for yourself. Perhaps suggest alternatives to their addictive behaviours and ensure that at no time do you make them feel stupid or judge them for their choices.

2. Offer Them Your Love and Support.

Often your loved one suffering an addiction has very vulnerable moments and they need to know they can rely upon your unwavering love and support. The support of a loved one can make or break it when it comes to a person trying to overcome or break their addiction.

3. Help Them When They Are Craving.

When first trying to withdraw from their addiction the person you love will crave their drug of choice badly.  Be there to help and support them through this so they dont give in to their addiction. Suggest activites or alternative choices they can engage in rather than return to the addiction.

4. Seek Medical Help.

Understand that overcoming an addiction is a trememdous hurdle, and that you are not equipped to help your loved one alone.  If you can engage the assistance of a medical professional early on in the withdrawal phase then this is advisable.  Keep the phone numbers of the medical advisors handy so that you can call
upon assistance as and when its needed.

5. Organize an Intervention.

A great way of showing your loved one that family and friends really care, organising an intervention, although terribly confronting does help the addict to face their addiction and understand its affect upon their loved ones. Facing it in such a confronting manner by their loved ones, often helps the addict to come
to terms with their denial about their addiction.

6. Attend a Support Group Meeting.

There are meetings everywhere all the time that are designed to support the addict and those around the addict who are affected by their addiction. As a support person, attending these meetings is of enormous benefit as you find and learn ways in wich to support they addict and understand how the addict
can be enabled, and by whom.  You also have the opportunity to meet other support people and discuss and learn how they cope.

7. Understand the Process of Withdrawal.

Educate yourself on the addict’s drug of choice, and in particul the process of withdrawing from this particular drug.  Educate yourself on the physical aspects of withdrawal such as vomiting and headaches and more.

8. Avoid Boredom and Stress.

Once your loved one has endured the withdrawal stage their physical symptoms have settled down try to slowly introduce structure into their day.  Remember an addict simply has no daily structure and will  have to slowly be introduced to this again to avoid boredom which can lead to temptation.  Remember too that a recovering addict will have tremendous trouble sleeping, as their addiction has greatly affecting their sleeping routine.

Lastly ensure that you take time for youself to relax. Caring for a recovering addict is extremely challenging and without adequate rest and relaxation, you will not be able to assist them through the trying times ahead.

Remember too, that a person wanting to overcome their addiction, as a much HIGHER success rate, with the unwavering support of a loved one.

Suggested Reading:

This workbook is based on proven success by many people. If you have tried traditional treatment and still don’t understand why you can’t stop alcohol or drugs, or if you are attempting to quit for the first time, this workbook can be of assistance to you.

Put an End to your Gambling Addiction Forever.

Grow out of your gambling habit and never relapse.

Written by an EX-alcoholic and EX-drug user (no longer a “recovering” one for 24 years now after 18 years of use)

By MaryAnn Roche

Tags: addiction, Love

Welcome 

 

Many new and interesting topics have recently been added to our site, and I do hope that you, our reader, enjoy these.

 

Lisa’s Chair

This is a new section that I would recommend you visit often.  Written by a dear friend who, some four years ago was hospitalised for what was termed a “routine” operation to fix a painful buldging disk in her back. Unfortunately Lisa only just found out a few weeks ago that she has a genetic disease that caused blood clotting and a possible stroke whilst on the operating table.  This resulted in her inability to walk again and Lisa’s Chair is written by Lisa herself and is an account of her journey these past four years.  A journey of hope, despair, desperation, dependency, courage and finding herself again. Every few days Lisa writes from heart about her ongoing journey in the hope that it will inspire others to continue to be positive irrespective of the card life decides to deal you.

I have added some new products that I have personally tried in the last month or two and do hope you will try them.

 

Affirmations

To me one of the single most powerful exercises you can do on a daily basis, affirmations tend to “keep you on track” if you like, help you to remain positive, provide you with an inner peace and can bring all type of abundance to you.  So many of us stumble upon the power of affirmations as adults but we really should teach this concept to our children early on.  On our Affirmations page  I recommend Louise Hay’s “Think, I Am: Teaching Kids the Power of Affirmations”, they make a great Christmas present for your children or grandchildren.

 

The Law of Attraction

I went into our local bookstore last week on the hunt for a new meditation CD.  I have had the same old trusted CD for the past 15 years and as we moved home recently, it is nowehere to be found!  So I was loathe to buy another one as that one had been my favorite for so long!  Anyway I grabbed my CD and sitting on the shelf next to it was the Law of Attraction Boxed Set by Esther and Jerry Hicks.  Don’t ask me why, but I brought it home.  On these CD’s the basics of the original Teachings of Abraham® are outlined. To be honest when I sat down to listen to the first CD I found it tough going, so I put it away and sat down to listen to it again the next day. Strangely enough this time the message was so clear to me and I understood how all things, wanted and unwanted, are brought to us by the Law of Attraction. I came to understand the part we all play in this. I really do recommend you purchase this 5 cd set.  I regard it as one of my most important purchases so far!

 

Wallpapers

For all my wallpaper lovers, check out my Wallpaper page as I have added lots of new free ones for you to download!

Until next time, take care.

Mary-Ann

Tags: abundance, Affirmations, courage, dependency, despair, Goal Setting, hope, Law Of Attraction, Meditation, personal development, positive thinking, wallpapers

I spent the weekend interstate visiting my sister, her husband and their 3 beautiful children.  My visits are always hectic and full of precious moments with my little nephews and niece.

We were celebrating my little niece’s 2^nd birthday, so the house was filled with laughter, tears, presents, birthday cake,  grandparents, friends and relatives!  Oh and lots of children!

My time with these precious little ones always seems to slip by too fast, and this morning I awoke early as I had an early flight home to catch.  Noah, my 3 year old nephew woke also as we were camping out together and accompanied his Mum to the airport with me. Yesterday his little sister had been given a “pretend” lipstick for her birthday much to his disgust, so his Mum gave him a “real “half used lipstick and told him that it was his now, and as such he could use it to his hearts content.

On the way to the airport  we chatted and reminisced about the weekend and looking to the back of the people mover I saw my beautiful nephew with ruby red lips courtesy of the gold case he held tightly in his hand.  His Mum and I laughed and I remember thinking just how beautiful he was with his mop of curly red hair and gorgeous blue eyes.  Part of the journey involves about 10 minutes of an underground tunnel and I remember turning around to check on him again once we came out of the tunnel only to find the lipstick had now made its way to both his hands and his entire right leg, and he was madly working on ensuring his left leg would surely match his right.

I remember his Mum’s reaction to this news: “Oh well I did tell him when I gave it to him it was his now and up to him to use it how he wanted”.  I was and continue to be amazed at what a wonderful Mother she is, I don’t know that I would have been that calm 20 something years ago if my children had done that?

I am in awe of how she guides her children to make choices by outlining the consequences of those choices, and it is amazing to watch a 2 year old comprehend!  She recognizes her children as individuals with different thoughts and feelings and likes and dislikes and encourages sibling love and sharing and caring toward others.

While she guides and directs them through life every day, she also encourages their own independence, teaching them responsibility and reward.

My elder nephew who is 5 was working in the garden with his Grandfather the day before and the task was to move toys from the front garden to the back.  They both began gathering the toys and walking back and forth with them until I heard Isaac say to his Grandfather: “I have an idea, how about you collect the toy and bring it to me, I will stand in the middle and then carry that toy to the end, to save  you walking”.  At  5 years of age his problem solving skills were already clearly developing and so was his confidence.  I don’t think when I was 5, my father would have liked me putting forth such a suggestion!

By MaryAnn Roche

The Power of Affirmations

For me, daily affirmations are a must! They really do affect me by lifting my spirit and keeping me going when things get tough, and sometimes that can be more than once a day! Daily affirmations keep me on track and help me to remain postive about life.

Affirmations work for me when I take the time to write them myself,  this makes them personal to me and are specific to some situations or circumstances.

Some tips for writing your own affirmations:

1. Make sure when you write them you use the word “I”. These are personal to you remember.

2. Use the present tense. Affirmations are built on the here and now, which is why at any point in time when you want to be positive you can say something like “I am strong and in control right now”.

3. Use your own writing style and be concise with each affirmation, really think through what you want to say.

4. Be short. Affirmations are meant to be simple and clear. If you can, make them a one-liner. If its too wordy you wont repeat your affirmation daily.

5. Affirmations are positive statements, so be sure not to include any negative words in the sentence.

6. Make them believable. Your affirmation has to be something you will take seriously and something your subconscious will believe. In my experience, affirmations have helped cure illness and certainly helped me to remain in control during the most trying of situations.

Take the time to sit down, write out your affirmations according to how you are feeling then double check and check your list to ensure it meets the above criteria. Remember to read your affirmations at least once a day. I read them in the morning before I get out of bed and again before I fall asleep, so discover what works for you.

Some people write their affirmations as notes and stick them to the ceilling and walls, others keep them in a small notebook they carry around with them, or you could put them on dvd and keep the dvd in your car! Affirmations will ensure you reach your goals, and daily practice will ensure that you very quickly begin to notice subtle differences in your life.

By MaryAnn Roche

Tags: achieving your goals, Affirmations, goals, Positive Affirmations, stress