I got a voicemail from someone named Lisa, and I asked her if I could share it. Here’s what she said in her message:

“I just wanted to leave you a quick message. You are such an inspiration. 

I just got into it with my partner. It was ugly. And I immediately just wanted to pour myself a giant glass of wine. 

Then I said to myself, ‘Why would I do that to myself?’ I thought about your story. I thought about our conversation earlier today and how for some, alcohol is a solution to a coping problem. I thought to myself, ‘No…I’m not gonna do that to myself.’

Instead, I grabbed a few handfuls of M&M’s. Then I went on my Peloton and sweat out the rest of my stress. 

If it wasn’t for our conversation today and us talking, I wouldn’t be feeling as good as I do right now, post workout, covered in sweat, breathing fully and calm. Thank you!”

As Lisa mentioned in her message, addiction is, among other things, a coping problem. 

While many of us like Lisa have other tools we can turn to when we need to cope with and process big emotions or struggles, addiction replaces those tools with drugs and alcohol.

It can feel impossible to give that up, and learning new coping skills is hard and takes time. Especially within a fractured system surrounded by guilt, shame, and self-loathing.

This is why it is so important for families to not only learn about addiction, but to take steps on your own recovery journey. By doing so, you become a powerful resource for their recovery while they learn a new way to cope with the world.

Our family training Stop the Chaos is a great first step. Click here to learn more.