Just For Today

Today is Day ten of the April Blogging Challenge and the letter J. I have chosen Just For Today as my topic today. This is important to those in recovery, living recovered and for those of us on this side of addiction. I can't repeat yesterday, tomorrow isn't promised so I will find some inspiration, some peace some serenity if only just for today. 

Some of us wonder if we will ever know peace? Will we ever know serenity? Will things ever be different? Although they will never be

I Am An Addicts Mom

I am part of a club. I wouldn't necessarily call it an elite club by any means. It certainly isn't a club that any of you would like to be part of. There are thousands of us all over the United States and abroad. I wasn't brought into this club as any choice of mine, but still the same here I am.

In case you are wondering what club I am speaking about, I am known to many as an Addicts Mom.

Last April I invited others here- parents, mothers, sisters, and brothers, grandparents and
friends of those suffering from addiction to come out and join me at the crossroads.

I stepped way outside of my comfort zone to do that. I am not one for public speaking or standing in the spotlight. I was tired. I was afraid. I was searching for some answers and offering up some help and with the promise that we will walk this together.  Standing with me that day were several other mothers, parents, friends, sisters and relatives.

Today a year later we are still together in this. A few of us have found recovery; others still struggling. We don't give up on each other. We are The Addicts Mom.

Although apparently frowned upon now by some, YES we meet in church basements to share our stories and to talk with others who share our pain.

Many of us who meet in church basements are not just moms. Many who meet are friends, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers and spouses. We are held together by a special bond. We are all affected by this and we all love someone who suffers from an addiction drugs.

YES some of us who meet in the church basements are walking those STEPS.

Many of us have gotten to that place where we can no longer deny and if but just to save a little piece of ourselves, and gain just a little peace and serenity even if it is only Just For Today, that is what we will do.

Those STEPS for some of us is the only way to save ourselves from the insanity of loving an addict. Those STEPS for many is how we get from today to tomorrow. Those STEPS have brought some of us closer to our Higher Power. To many of us, those STEPS are very important.

Some of us have learned to accept and admitted that we didn't cause this, we cannot fix this and we sure as heck cannot control the addicts that we love. If there is one thing we deserve it is just a little happiness and yes, that might only be just for today!

We wish not one other parent, relative or friend ever had to go through this pain of loving an addict or ever knew what we on this side knows about when someone you love suffers from an addiction.

Many who read here are part of the silent majority who remain in the stigma of the disease. They too love someone who uses and abuses drugs.

If you live close by to Martinsburg, WV or Berkeley County, WV I invite you today to meet us in the church basement. We meet in the church basement every Sunday at 6 PM at Trinity United Methodist Church here in Martinsburg. The address is 220 W. Martin St. You may not feel like being there, but you will be glad that you came. The STEPS are optional!

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Nar Anon: The True Stigma and Non Judgement Free Zone

When we first started going to Nar Anon we didn't know what to expect. After attending our first meeting we left feeling good just knowing we were not alone on this journey. There are others who share our pain of loving an addict.

It is a great feeling because for just an hour a week you are among others who know exactly what you are going through. We listen to others share stories, we cry together and we pray for each other in our daily walks of life.

If you are feeling at the end of your rope, broken, alone and feeling no one else can relate to you why not give Nar-Anon a try?

Nar Anon is a true Stigma and Non Judgement Free Zone!

Here in Martinsburg we meet each Sunday evening at 6PM at Trinity United Methodist Church in Martinsburg, WV. The church is located at 220 W. Martin St. in Martinsburg.

For more information, you can also reach out to the ladies @ The Hope Dealer Project.

© 2016 Gossip Girl

Stop The Stigma: Come To NarAnon

This is what NarAnon is all about too!

To those of us on this side of the addiction...

You are not alone!
You no longer have to live with the stigma of loving an addict.
Come out and surround yourself with others who share what you are going through and others who care.

For more information on our local NarAnon Meetups visit NarAnon Meetings in the Panhandle

pic belongs to BIG Recovery

NarAnon Is Not About Religion

We who live this daily knows that heroin does not discriminate.

Heroin doesn't care if you go to church or not. It doesn't care if you practice religion or not. It doesn't discriminate between gender, race or politics. Heroin doesn't care which person's life it will destroy or which family will be torn to pieces.

But did you know that there are some who don't seek out
help groups because some feel many of these groups are too religious?

Over the past months when reaching out to others hurting I've had people tell me that. Because the Nar-Anon group is held in a church they believe Nar-Anon is a religious group. Nope. Nar-Anon is about HOPE that our loved one will be healed of their addiction. Nar-Anon is where we who love them can come to be with others who are going through the same thing. NarAnon is where come to not be alone and to talk. NarAnon can also give you resources to places to help your loved one recover. It is accepting that your life is unmanageable and that you are powerless over what heroin has done to someone you love. Little by little, we can put the pieces of our lives back together again.

It is about faith no matter how we practice. Faith that somehow we can restore some sanity back into our unmanageable powerless lives.

At our Nar-Anon we don't practice any religion. We don't talk about religion and no one ever even asks about religion. I'm sure everyone you would meet at a group is of different beliefs and backgrounds. Now those who practice will speak of their faith, but there is no demand that everyone believe in a certain religion.

In dealing with the matters associated with the disease of addiction to many of us, a spirituality of any kind is important. This spirituality can be in many forms. Spirituality is often what we turn to when we are hurting. This is what it means:

"Spirituality may refer to almost any kind of meaningful activity, especially a "search for the sacred." It may also refer to personal growth, blissful experience, or an encounter with one's own "inner dimension."

 I honestly believe that spirituality can be in many forms. Some of us do open speak about praying for someone who is hurting. To me, spirituality is believing in a higher power, be it God or our Creator who can help restore some of our life back to us.

No matter how you practice I hope that if you need to reach out to Nar-Anon that you will. Remember even Wiccans pray and practice spirituality.

If this is what is stopping you from coming to a Nar-Anon I ask that you stop by our group on Sunday evening at 6 PM. We meet at Trinity United Methodist Church on Martin St. to check out what Nar-Anon is all about.

I found a very good website for those who don't believe in religion: The 12 Steps Without God

pic found @ Pinterest

© 2016 Gossip Girl