A Thanksgiving Lesson
Letting go was hardest on holidays, especially Thanksgiving.
VOICES – All Those Soul-Crushing Feelings
Dear pillow, sorry for all the tears.
The Battle Within
Sometimes I don’t trust myself. My resolve. Because when I soften and open my heart, open the door and let you in, it’s more than I can bear.
Mother’s Day: Earning It
I had to learn that it was all about expectations and I had to let them go.
A Way to Peace
There is no shortcutting this journey of healing. It takes deliberate choice and effort to cultivate inner peace and skills to put our love into helpful action and effective communication.
Managing Grief Over the Years
Yes, the pain and emptiness is still here. I have accepted that it will always be with me. THIS is my new life. Accepting this was a major step in healing.
The Empty Seat
I may or may not have all my loved ones around this year. It’s another lesson in letting go—the empty seat is no reflection on me.
Strong Shoulders
This kind of guilt is not pretty or, most of the time, warranted, but it is real. Moms who love their children deeply need strong family or friends to get through the terrible times.
Beyond Fear: A Mother’s Path to Peace, Love, and Gratitude
How to tame the fear when the beast is our own child’s addiction.
A Future You
“It’s your last chance,” the therapist had warned us. “She’s sixteen. Soon you won’t be able to make decisions about her health.”
The Gift of No Shame
Who carries shame in the world of addiction? Is it the sick one or families, or both? What does shame feel like? And how can you find the gift of NO SHAME?
Let the Guilt Go
We do the best we can when raising our children, but when things go wrong, everything we’ve ever done becomes fodder for the fire of maternal guilt.
Dear Mom: Don’t Lose Hope
Dear Mom, addiction has nothing to do with the love between a mother and child.
The Struggle to Be Right-Sized In Your Addict’s Life
My first response was denial. One would think I knew better considering the family I came from, but as Melody Beattie says, “Denial is the shock absorber for the soul.”
Pain vs Suffering
As the mom of an addicted child, is it possible to find peace of mind and freedom from suffering? Listen in as Victoria Stith tells you how.
The Difference between Guilt and “Feeling Guilty”
Listen in as Victoria Stith shares techniques for recognizing and managing some very difficult emotions.
Let’s Talk podcast with host William Moyers
Sandy Swenson talks with host William Moyers about how the distinction between her son and the disease changed everything.
Recovery: ‘The Tough Road’
We are called to love our children unconditionally, but the question became what does love look like in this situation, in dealing with someone in the throes of addiction?
To Be The Mom of An Addicted Child
An interview with Sandy Swenson by the creators of ‘ASK: Can Love Survive Addiction and Co-Dependency?’ documentary.
Being the Mom of an Addict
Once upon I was just a regular mom. And then I had to figure out how to be the mom of an addict.
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