Obsessions and Addiction Posted by:Jenn--Friday, April 17, 2015

In our most recent PSST parents' support group meeting, we talked about how easy it is to let our fears and worries about our addicted children consume us, dominating our thoughts and conversations to the point that we are driving ourselves (and possibly our partners) crazy with fear and worry. One of the parents said that she is actively working on taking back her own life by “stopping the obsession”. We were reminded of how the airlines tell passengers that in the event of an emergency, they should put on their own oxygen masks before putting on the masks for their children. As parents of addicts, we need to take care of ourselves by changing our internal and external dialog. 

Click here to read an article about Obsessions and Addiction, written by Darlene Lancer (speaker, writer, therapist). Below are quotes from the article that highlight the dangers of uncontrolled obsessing: 

When an obsession dominates us, it steals our will and saps all the pleasure out of life. 

Obsessions can paralyze us . . . We lose touch with ourselves, our feelings, and our ability to reason and solve problems. 

The more we’re obsessed about someone else, the more of ourselves we lose.