Thoughts from a father with an alcoholic child.

                                                                                   Bob T.

Heard At A Meeting;

"I no longer have to be my son's air bag."

Cathy

This title seems, on the surface, to be a contradiction of terms. However, after taking the first step in Al Anon, I found that infinite power is available to me from a higher power that I choose to call God. The first step states that;

 "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable".

   When I first heard this step, I did not know what the word powerless meant in the context of the disease of addiction. I could clearly see that my life had become unmanageable, but no way was I powerless. 

   After thinking about the powerless part of this step and all my attempts to fix, control, resent and rage at my daughters use of drugs and alcohol, I soon accepted on an intellectual level that nothing I had done in the past worked. I continued to behave and react in the same way until I finally also accepted that I was powerless over all the consequences my daughter suffered as a result of her addictions. The last stage of this step for me was to accept that I was powerless over my anger, need for control and resentments (i.e., my addictions) because numerous and varied attempts to fix these problems in myself also failed.

     Slowly, I am giving up my attempts to battle this disease and have found in those areas where this giving up is at a deep emotional level, God who has infinite power has taken control. And so, infinite power is in fact available to me as long as I am willing to accept that I am absolutely powerless over this disease.

   If you are a father with a child who is suffering from the disease of addiction...to alcohol, or any other drug, please reach out for help. Help is available right in your own community. It is free and it is probably less than five miles from your house!

Call Al-Anon if the problem is alcohol or Nar-A-Non if the problem is drug abuse of any kind. It will be the best action you will ever take for yourself and your child.

Al-Anon is at 1-888-4AL-ANON or http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/.

Nar-A-Non is at 1-800-477-6291 or www.nar-anon.org/index.html

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