Thread: What to do?
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Old 06-25-2013, 04:00 AM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Hopeworks
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Join Date: Jan 2011
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Welcome!

As an adult child of an alcoholic I advocate for the child. Get her out of the toxic alcoholic home and pattern how you would want her to respond to unacceptable behavior. Sadly, many of us children of dysfunctional alcoholic homes end up alcoholic or marrying them... all 6 of us in my family played out this pattern.

As for the Irish Catholic view I understand from one of my Catholic friends whose marriage is in trouble that there are some new programs within the Church that may be helpful (often clergy do not understand the disease of alcoholism and are pretty black and white so use caution here).

My Christian perspective is that my XA was the one in our relationship that was destroying our relationship with his decision to drink when he full well knew that it led to behaviors that were not only destructive and hurtful but also sinful (stealing, lying, abusive behaviors).

We were both in Christian counseling for years and my boundary was no alcohol... period. When he drank I separated myself from him and when he was committed to recovery we always ended up reconciling. Sadly, I was a yo-yo on a string and this crazy pattern of "relapse vacations" continued for years. Finally I set a 1 year of recovery boundary that he has yet to come close to achieving for me to consider a reconciliation. At this point I would rather stick pins in my eyes than take him back so I think I am finally "recovered"! lol.

Time is your friend. It appears your choices are to either to hover, helicopter and run interference and SUFFER and keep her alive in her drinking (enabling) or ... allow her the opportunity to suffer her own consequences.

Did you know you can file a divorce or separation and actually put in the filing that she can avert the divorce by taking certain actions (detox, program, length of sobriety etc)?

I am the expert at "forcing" recovery and I dragged my XA into treatment so many times I can't even count... he could lead groups if he wanted.

But he wasn't done drinking and programs are just geography...true spiritual recovery is within the A.

But... being forced to deal with life on lifes terms sure makes everything crystal clear in a short amount of time.

And I noticed that God didn't put up with Israel's sin and He always separated Himself when they were acting out! It didn't take too long before they were repenting in a hurry when they were being carried off to Babylon or whatever!

So... you already know that whats been happening isn't working and that separating has a shot at working (if she really wants it) and you can spell out your own boundaries and even put it in writing and involve the church if you decide to try that...

It worked for me. Boundaries are for you... and for your daughter. Break the cycle of addiction in the next generation. Don't let your little girl grow and become alcoholic or marry one like I did

Is she in alateen? Are you in alanon? If not... don't walk ... run to a meeting!
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