We had a great gathering of engaged and curious people at our monthly Daybreak Project meeting Sept. 25. In all, 16 of us came together to share our common experience of loving someone who has abused or continues to abuse alcohol or drugs. It’s the sharing of our experiences that provides the learnings and the skills to cope, to take care of ourselves, and to understand how to disrupt the status quo of our difficult circumstances.
This evening we were especially fortunate to have a guest presenter. Alex Krouth graciously agreed to join us this evening. Alex is a therapist with Apricity (formerly The Mooring Programs and STEP Industries), who is a state licensed AODA and mental health counselor. Alex shared her knowledge of how addiction to drugs and alcohol affects the brain.
Addiction is about chemistry, not character!
With Alex’s very engaging presentation and the comfortable flow of questions from everyone, there were many “ah ha” moments that helped explain many things we see in our loved one’s behaviors and feelings. We wrapped up right at 8 p.m. It was a good night.
Please note: We will meet on our normal 4th Wednesday of the month for October, (Oct. 23rd), but for November and December, due to the holidays, the group decided to meet on the 3rd Wednesday of those two months (Nov. 20 and Dec. 18). The focus for the next three meetings will be about the holidays and how we can prepare ahead of time to have Thanksgiving and Christmas be less stressful and more enjoyable, especially as it relates to loving someone who has a problem with drugs or alcohol.
If you would like more information about the meeting or the information we went over, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. My phone number, e-mail address and a confidential e-mail submission form are all on the Contact page of this website.
Jamie
The Daybreak Project 