My heart feels like it has traveled a thousand miles. At moments, I feel I’m at the beginning of the trail. Other days I realize how far I’ve come since losing my son to suicide.
It’s been a long, painful journey–two steps forward, one step back and then forward again. As the landscape has changed, I have adapted sometimes begrudgingly. Along the way, I’ve met others who have supported me and fed my soul. I’m moving forward. One step at a time. That is quite literally, a #griefheart journey.
What is the #griefheart project?
I explain my #griefheart project here.
See all #griefhearts so far on pinterest or on this blog by #griefheart category.
My baby brother struggles with a heroin addiction, he is 24 and I worry about him literally everyday. He has been to treatment 3 times and it hasn’t helped for longer than a day or two, and I get so excited when I see him sober, it’s like the old him! Eventually though he goes back to it… I am fearful for his life. We’re all at a loss of what to do- have you in your journey post losing your sweet boy found any resources that might help me reach him or even just him in general. I know he hates himself for the things he’s done. Any recommendations would be wonderful.
Sincerely,
A Scared Big Sister
I am so sorry. There is no magic for this part and I know the feeling of helplessness. The best thing I ever did was join Families Anonymous (FA). That helped me communicate and understand it as a disease and how to talk to my son. It was still hard but I learned new ways to communicate. I think the big thing is to do the FA thing for yourself, actively engage in community events in support of recovery (you’ll learn so much in the process) and always reach out to your brother and tell him you love him. Set boundaries such as I’m not giving money, or talking on the phone when he’s abusive. But on the other hand, letting him know that you love him unconditionally and you are there for him when he wants to tackle recovery. The truth is, there is no way to make another human being do what you want him to do. The only thing you can control is how you can react to him. And that’s what Families Anonymous teaches you. It’s your best shot. Always hold onto hope. Never let that go. I clung to it till the bitter end and then I reinvested my hope in others. This is what a recovery specialist wrote. https://annemoss.com/2016/06/08/actions-take-addicted-loved-one/ And this is what I wrote to explain what addiction is. https://annemoss.com/2016/04/27/addiction-the-broken-reward-system/ And a story about how complex recovery is: https://annemoss.com/2016/04/07/addiction-and-recovery-a-fateful-friendship/
♥
Ain’t it the truth.