9)... As the disease progresses within the family system, the family will unknowingly accommodate its presence. Examples of accommodation include locking up ones and other valuables....
Wowzer. After all these years in recovery, after years of no longer living in fear...it never fails to amaze me how something will pop out at me and grab my heart.
Healthy people do not sleep with their purse and car keys under the pillow.!!
Even hiding my valuables accommodated my son's addiction because it gave us both a false sense of security. This too was another elephant in my livingroom, one that we would step around and spray with Febreeze and pretend it just wasn't there. My son was a thief and I let him live in my home and we both just pretended that he wasn't. How insane was that?
Read that again! I did that for years. I warn the newcomer to "hide your valuables" and think I am being helpful, and perhaps I am because valuables WILL be stolen sooner or later if there is an active addict in the house...sorry, sad but true. But the better suggestion would be to simply make it clear that theft is common so it's not healthy to make oneself vulnerable.
Thanks Dolly, that's an excellent article and one that can teach even an oldtimer like me.
Hugs