Surrender To Win
When I first came to the rooms of Nar-Anon, I could not understand or even grasp the idea of “surrender to win.” I believed to surrender would mean I had…
Love Or Obsession
Nar-Anon meetings begin with the reading of several pages from our Nar-Anon literature. One night, a newcomer asked, “What does, ‘To watch is not to love’ mean?” I could not…
Maturity
When faced with the absurd behavior and the resulting negative consequences of addiction, I still thought I could respond, in a mature way, with reason and dignity. You’ve gotta’ be…
Detachment With Love And Respect
“A breakdown paves the way to a breakthrough” is a quote shared by a Nar-Anon member from her therapist, which sums up my journey toward detachment with love and respect.…
Enabling
At my Nar-Anon meeting, there was a discussion on enabling. One member asked, “How can I give food, clothing, money, and shelter to a perfect stranger and not help my…
Anger
My father had a terrible temper. My mother often told me that I had my father’s temper. The day I hit my father over the head with his dinner plate,…
The Lies That Blind
Falling in love with an addict was a blinding experience. Our life together never lacked drama, though it did eventually lack all else. We went through car accidents and a…
Abuse – The Ghost of My Past
I was sitting at a meeting one evening and the topic of childhood abuse came up. By listening to others share, I was reminded of my own childhood abuse, which…
Humility
Before discovering Nar-Anon, I was fairly certain that I had all the answers when it came to knowing how to stop the addict from using drugs. Of course, I tried…
Letting Go – Growth
When I went to my first Nar-Anon meeting, I was confused and l was looking for answers. I did not know how much to do for the addict. I wanted…