In this episode of Recovery ReLOVution, listeners will gain realistic expectations for recovery. Most recovery stakeholders are focused on the addict. But, if you are not taking care of yourself, then you don’t have a whole lot to give, and you’re not setting a good example. Addicts need to see what’s possible in life and they need to have boundaries set on them. If you are just setting yourself aside and focusing on them, it’s actually compounding the problem. The more you understand, the better you’re going to be able to handle it and to potentially create some form of intervention that makes a change in your loved one.
In this most recent episode of Recovery ReLOVution, Dr. Gala Gorman, the host, teaches listeners how to set boundaries with their addicted loved one.
As Gorman explains, “We need to set some realistic expectations for recovery . . . for you and your loved one. It’s going to require you to do some things differently, including setting healthy boundaries with your addicted family member. And, it is not for sissies. Most recovery stakeholders are so focused on helping their addicted loved one get sober that they’re blindsided when sobriety turns to relapse. What kinds of things will you need to do differently?”
In this episode, listeners will:
- Prioritize their own recovery and get educatedGorman refers to a recent article from a newspaper in Ohio, which talks about a man named Norm Zent. It says, “Growing up, Norm Zent never imagined he could become a drug addict. His life was good. His family supported him and he did well in school. He enjoyed social drinking as a teenager, but he believed it was more than alcohol that led to his battle with substance use.”
Zent says, “’I had an injury in high school playing football and ended up on a lot of pain medicine." The article explains that his experience with prescription medicine led him to experiment with harder drugs, including benzodiazepines, cocaine, and heroin. He says, "I honestly knew I was addicted at some level by the time I was 17 or 18, but I believed I could handle it." For the next 20 years, he struggled with substance use addiction, leading to stints in and out of rehab and run-ins with the law.
The article goes on to share that luckily, a couple of years ago, Zent came to the point where he was really ready to make a change. He says he was still on drugs, but he knew he didn’t want to be anymore. He “was hopeless and helpless out on the streets.” But, he knew he needed to stop. Zent found a community program, and he also turned to AA. Those programs helped him and provided the support he needed to be able to stay sober long enough to start to turn his life around.
Gorman reminds listeners, “Zent knew he was addicted at 17 or 18. At that time, while I’m sure he was a real challenge for his parents and his family, he was still at the age where there was a lot of parental input possible. If you are dealing with a minor that is having this sort of issue, regardless of how much push back you get, you need to intervene if at all possible. It is important for parents to step in and question any sort of medication that their kids are being prescribed. Because this often leads to bigger escalating problems. If you have an opportunity to intervene, take your chance while you’ve got it.”
The Recovery ReLOVution show was created with the aim in mind to help family and friends of addicts restore peace and sanity to their world. Listeners now have an alternative to doing the same thing expecting a different result … the definition of insanity.
The show urges listeners to stretch themselves. The show’s tagline reflects this. Love the Addict. Outsmart the Addiction. Listeners, primarily Recovery Stakeholders, will likely find a particular interest since it’s difficult to avoid shaming their addict loved one.
When asked why she created the show, Gorman said, “Shaming just adds fuel to addiction’s fire. There is an alternative.”
The show’s host, Dr. Gala Gorman, is a holistic life coach and minister. She is the author of the Spiritual Approach TM Series of books focused on practical spirituality. As an entrepreneur … mediator, publisher and, formerly, accounting firm partner, her experiences helped shape the creation of the show. As a change facilitator, she ignites transformation in businesses, families, students, clients and, especially, within herself.
Gorman has hopes that the show will help Recovery Stakeholders learn to set and hold effective boundaries to ignite positive change … in themselves and their loved one who is struggling with addiction.
Those interested in learning more about the show can visit here: RecoverYES.com/Episodes
