The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I completely forgot to mention this and in one regard I hesitate to, on another it is the reality of what happens when someone goes back out and starts drinking/drugging again .. it's a big reality check on how powerful, cunning and baffling the disease is and the collateral damage that is left to deal with the broken pieces of lives cut short.
While having coffee with my program friend I found out that two men passed away. Both are a tragic loss, however the one that hit the closest to home for me was the young man who was 22. My heart just broke when I heard what had happened .. I don't know the exact details. I do know he had gone back out after having some recovery time and while he was detoxing his heart just stopped .. my heart just broke for the community because he had been very involved and coming out of the fog he had been in and to be soooo young.
It was a very good reminder of detoxing without the proper environment can be deadly and even when the proper environment is there .. death happens.
For me it's easier to rationalize that someone passes away in their 50's or 60's you figure that their bodies just give out and up after so many years of abuse ... this young man .. it's no different than trying to rationalize when another 20 something just drops dead for whatever reason .. it makes no sense. Why some can abuse their bodies for so long and others it's a one shot deal. Every time is Russian Roulette without question.
My prayers have been that these two men have finally found the peace they were so desperate for in life and just were unable to achieve for long periods of time.
Hugs S :)
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Faith minus vulnerability and mystery equals extremism. If you've got all the answers, then don't call what you do "faith". - Brene Brown
"Whatever truth you own doesn't own you" - Gary John Bishop
Serenity, I can so identify with a young person who has recovery, relapses and passes away --- A true tragedy. This is indeed a powerful disease --- Prayers for all that it touches.
I know, the disease is so sad. We just found out that a friend of ours was diagnosed with advanced cirrhosis of the liver and is NOT qualified for a liver transplant. Basically, he's dying. He's 40 years old and just got married 3 years ago to a woman who has 3 kids and she left her family in TX to move to AZ to be with him. She is devastated because he didn't tell her he was dying until last week when he had her rush him to the ER and said, "Oh by the way, I'm dying, I met with doctors last month when I was feeling sick." I talked to him at the courts (he's one of our tennis pros) yesterday and he said that she is looking for a new job where she won't have to travel so much. He was told that if he quits drinking, he might live for another 2 years. Unfortunately, he is not ready to quit. And, that is what makes me sad.
Praying for those who are suffering from the disease and/or the loss of a loved one from this disease. We all hear about it in the rooms, we know how powerful the addiction is, and yet we love all those who are trapped in this disease anyway.