It’s Okay Not to Have Hope – I Was There Too – but Hopelessness led me to Hope, and Success
It takes greater strength to process your feelings than to pretend everything is fine.
Rewards
You’ve heard of enabling use, but we teach you how to enable non-use. Learn how to apply rewards when your loved one isn’t using, and enable sober moments.
When a loved one is not using, don’t miss the opportunity to reward them. By actively enabling sober moments you provide something that is pleasing to your loved one, and you also prolong their non-use.
What does a reward look like? It can be spontaneous or it can be something planned (because you have previously identified patterns of use and sobriety).
I Can’t Tell If He Is Using or Not
With her son living far away from her, she finds it difficult to tell whether he has been using or not when they do get to talk.
Bribes, Incentives, and Positive Reinforcement – Part 2
In this follow-up to her post on incentives, bribes and reinforcing, Laurie MacDougall shares her "One and Done" approach. Read on for a practical and…
Bribes, Incentives, and Positive Reinforcement – Part 1
A family member writes in wondering about rewarding her loved one for attending a few recovery group meetings. Guest author and recovery enthusiast La…
Rewards For Today or Consequences For Yesterday
She's thankful her loved one is no longer using, but his finances are a mess. Should she allow natural consequences for his past use even if it means …
Celebrating a Few Positive Steps
Wins can come when you're least expecting them. Read an inspiring report of a member's recent success using CRAFT. Positive steps like these don't mea…
Help! We Need a New Approach
She's fed up with her son's patterns of non-communication. Whenever his use is addressed, he withdraws and shuts off communication. When he does reach…
How A Daybed & Footlocker Can Change the Game
After rehab, many parents find themselves in that gray area of whether or not to allow their recovering loved one to stay at home. Follow these guidel…
He’s Relapsing Right Now, Should he Leave Home?
If, as family members, we wait around for a 100% commitment from our loved one, we will almost certainly be waiting a long time. Family members must m…