The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
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level.
So I haven't posted on here for about a year. I wasn't very active before, but some things have come up recently. My brother is an addict. He has used any and every drug to the maximum he could tolerate for 10 years. Most recent was meth and he would shoot it as well as heroin occasionally. His drug of choice was weed but that wasn't strong enough for him sometimes. He did a bunch of acid to at some point. Basically his drug history is extensive and he's only 24. He was homeless for awhile and my family and I started Alanon and things for us improved. Although almost 1 year sober, praise God, my sweet caring brother is no longer the same person. I'm so very thankful to God that he is clean and sober for almost a year. He goes to meetings twice a day, therapy 3 times a week for outpatient. He is doing so great but struggling so hard at the same time. I just saw him on Easter. I'm just so sad at the shell of a person drugs have left. He has thought disorder now and delusions with bipolar. He says weird things and doesn't make sense sometimes. He is severely depressed and needs help with everything he can't function. I miss how he used to be. I'm worried that this bipolar psychosis won't heal even though he is clean now and it just breaks my heart. I'm so thankful to Alanon though! Without Alanon, he would still be using and on the streets! What a blessing. Even though I rarely post on here and haven't been on here for about a year (I had my first child :)) I want everyone to know that your kind words and guidance helped me through some tough times last year! Thank you to everyone on this board!! Just needed to have a safe space to get my thoughts out :)
Hi, Sam: Lots and lots of congratulations for entering the Al-Anon program and working it and many prayers for your family, too. I'm also happy to see that you are the proud parent of your very first child. Attending Al-Anon helps to break the cycle of this disease's affects on family and can be a very real blessing for your little one. Good for you!
Thank you for sharing your story. Diminished mental capacity is another side effect of alcohol and drug addiction that isn't mentioned often enough. While we hope and pray they get sober/clean this progressive disease can still have lasting affects for years to come.