Blog
It’s happened—you have an empty nest. The little ones that you spent the majority of your time taking care of, worrying about, encouraging, teaching, and loving over the past 18 or so years have grown up and flown the coop. Whether you were ready for it or not, you have entered the stage of being an empty nester. The moving out of your last, or only child, is life changing. And, while there are some parents that embrace this change with open arms, there are many more that struggle to make the transition.
All relationships go through ups and downs. It’s normal. They are made up of two imperfect people trying to make it work together. But when you add addiction into the relationship it takes those “normal” ups and downs and turns them into a wild rollercoaster that leaves you feeling like you are barely hanging on. The good times provide you with just enough hope that you start to believe it really is going to get better. But then a bad time comes and you aren’t sure what to do. If you didn’t love them it would be easy to walk away. But you do, so you feel at a loss of how to handle the situation. Below are 6 things you should know when you love an addict.
So often, one or both members of a couple are shocked to discover their beloved partner has become a stranger. And sometimes it’s even more distressing — we wake up and find that not only does our partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend not just seem to be a stranger . . . but someone with whom we can’t imagine ever having joyfully coexisted. The truth is, this is not an uncommon experience. And more importantly . . . it’s not a sign that your relationship is doomed or over. It doesn’t mean you married the “wrong” person, and it doesn’t mean you’re a failure in romance. It does often mean that our relational skills rarely keep pace with our individual growth processes, and we often don’t notice it’s happened until the lines of communication have ground to a halt.
