For many years I didn’t want to get out of bed on Sundays. I would bury my head into the pillow and pull the covers over trying to block out the pain, worry and dread of going back to work the next day while trying to juggle and manage the family duties.
I was drowning in my daughters addiction and I didn’t know a way out. It was affecting every aspect of my life.
How do I keep going? There’s laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning up that corner of the bedroom where stuff has accumulated… ya know, just LIFE! I was becoming so depressed, my head in a dark place.
I knew I couldn’t stay there mentally….If I did, I would be a victim, and that’s not who I am.
One of the biggest things that helped me was meditation. Not full blown, pull out the yoga mat and sit for an hour, no way, I didn’t have the patience for that and most of the time my grocery list would be running thru my head ?♀️?
You can do this little ONE minute trick anywhere, anytime, and no one will even know.
Place your palms flat on a hard surface… maybe it’s against the shower wall, or on a grocery cart. Maybe it’s in your bed in the morning or while you’re on a call with your boss and you need to keep your ? together ?
Close your eyes.
Now breathe in… count to 4.
Hold that breathe for 4
Slowly breathe out for 4
Repeat 3-4x
That’s it. It can bring a sense of calmness, blowing the air out of you is releasing some of the anxiety within, keeping you grounded, even for just that moment.
Sometimes I do this 10x a day ❤️. Whatever keeps us from losing our ?! And yep, that’s my little dog Harley in the picture…trying to jump on me as I’m trying to focus!!
Life is hard. Add addiction into the mix, and its a whole other level of hard that we never imagined would happen to us. Don’t lose yourself in the midst it all.
I love the community we have built here. Today, I want you to BREATHE.
Hugs, Katie
katie@amothersaddictionjourney.com
Thank you, Katie!
Thank you- I am embarking on another chapter of my son’s addiction and I really needed that bit of wisdom today?
Than you!! I haven’t been getting your emails in a while, but thankfully I received this one today! I really needed to read this and I’m about to do the suggested 1-2 minute meditation!!
My son, 26 yo, is an addict. In the past 5 mos. he’s been in/out of rehab 4-5 times. He’s currently in jail on a probation violation. My emotions have been all over the place as of late…my daughter (NOT an addict), suggested I see a therapist. So, I am now seeing a therapist and it helps for the most part. Anyway, I’m sorry for rambling on…again, thanks for posting and I’m really glad I received this today!
I’m so glad you are getting the help that you need! This is not an easy journey for anyone.
I just love your encouragement.
Thank you Shari!
Thanks for sharing! Recovery is possible. Addiction is a family disease and we can also recover as a family.
Yes, yes we can!!
What a great tip. I don’t think I could do full-blown meditation but this 1 minute I could. I am going to give this a try.
Katie,
After re-reading the Money Magazine story today because I was in need of the moral support, I clicked on the link to you and your daughter’s blog. I scrolled back to the beginning because I really wanted to read all of the blog entries in order. And I did. I even read most of the comments. Many aspects and scenarios of your and Brittany’s story sounded very familiar to me and my daughter, who has been in many cycles of recovery but has now relapsed and is an actively using addict again. To be honest, your story at times gave me so much hope and at other times left me in the same despair my own daughter has recently left me in. I genuinely hope that one day both of our daughters can overcome the emptiness that drives them to relapse and go back to using. It would be easier to think positive if science invented a way to rewire and heal drug-distorted brains. Until then, please keep writing. Even when sharing setbacks, your writing is compelling, revealing and even comforting. Thank you for that.