Although I go into greater detail about both the "Twelve Suggestions for Families and Friends" and the "Five Elements of Recovery" in my book, I have listed the different points of the "Twelve Suggestions for Families and Friends" and the "Five Elements of Recovery" below. Click here to read our story. Click here to listen to the songs. Click here to purchase the book.
While the suggestions I give apply specifically to parents who
have children abusing drugs and alcohol, they may also be useful to
the families and friends of anyone suffering from any kind of
addiction. While the faces and ages may vary considerably within the
scene of addiction, the problems every family has to deal with are
predictable. Whenever there is addiction, everyone suffers.
Twelve Suggestions for Families and
Friends
1. Do Not Panic
2. Do Not Blame Yourself
3. Do Not Make Excuses or Shield from the Law
4. Learn All You Can about the Disease of
Addiction
5. Get Professional Help
6. Choose Your Rehabilitation Program Carefully
7. Find a Support Group
8. Use Intervention
9. Improve Your Self-esteem
10. Build Personal and Family Relationships
11. Be Patient
12. Take Care of Yourself
As I agonized over my son’s pain, I sought for answers as to how he could ever be free from the progressive disease of addiction. Over the years, I came to believe that people must have five elements of recovery in their lives to break free from the cycle of addiction:
1. The Desire to Change
2. A Structured Recovery Program
3. Unconditional Love from Their Families
4. Strong, Supportive, Drug-free Friends
5. Faith in God’s Healing Power