Your Moment of Knowing : The Start of a Recovery Solution

There comes a moment when you just know.

You know the tipping point has tipped in the direction you always feared. 

Your loved one is in the grips of something bigger than both of you.

It’s not just a little too much partying.

It’s not just trying to blow off some steam after a long week.

The something  is calling the shots in your loved one’s existence. 

And because addiction is a disease of the family system it’s calling the shots in yours and all the rest of the family. 

That moment when you finally know is probably one of the most frightening of your life. 

Because with it comes the realization that there will be no easy way out – for anyone. And the likelihood that more pain and more damage is headed directly towards you both like a high-speed train with no brakes becomes very real.

It is an epiphany clothed in pain. 

The big question is: what do you do about it?

My beloved son was a senior in high school, well on his way to dropping out, when I had that moment of knowing. 

I had given his struggle with substances many other names.

My husband and I sought help for him from a wide range of sources – medical doctors, counselors, special programs, tutors, camp programs, academic programs, new school settings, social workers, religious – the list goes on and on.

But the damage kept mounting.

Sound familiar?

We never hit the nail on the head that he was suffering from the illness of substance abuse disorder.

There is a sense of relief that comes with the moment of knowing.

We needed help to do that. This was not something our family could do alone. We kept seeking help until finally a wise counselor who specialized in adolescent addiction issues, Dr. Bill Cipriano, helped us connect the dots.

With his compassionate help, our family was able to address the stranglehold we were all in. 

It took time. It was painful. But knowledge is power. Change breaks the hold of the disease. Now, more than 11 years later, we are glad for that painful moment of knowing. My son is now co-founder of a Massachusetts recovery health care system and helps people get help. 

Always be willing to seek help. Don’t give up until you find the right sources of help.

Don’t ever give up.

Recovery professionals and treatment centers are an excellent source for guidance. Talk to other people who have been there and back with the dealing with the disease of addiction.

There is always hope for recovery to happen.

How did your moment of knowing happen?

What sources of help have guided you?

Please share here. We can all be inspired by our collective experience, strength and hope.