Praying for Your Addicted Loved One by Sharron Cosby

Author:Sharron Cosby
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sharron Cosby
Published: 2013-08-28T00:00:00+00:00

Day 48:

“I Need Help”

First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

Proverbs 16:18 MSG

We read about celebrities who act inappropriately, commit crimes, and overdose on drugs. Some spend time in prison for their actions. Perhaps their false sense of pride and security in their fame gave them permission to make wrong choices, never believing they would be held accountable. I imagine some people gloat when the high and mighty are caught with their hands in the cookie jar. There is an old saying, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

Let’s bring this attitude closer to home, away from slick magazine covers and tabloids. Our addicts operate from inflated pride and continue in their addiction, ruining their own lives and their families’ as well. Often they are too proud to ask for help. They think they can wrestle the monkey on their backs without assistance or input. For a time that may be possible, but long-term, sustainable recovery is the result of humbly asking for assistance.

Step One of the Twelve Steps sets the prideful attitude at the back of the line and acknowledges the need for help. “We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.” That one sentence takes the first step toward a new life free from the chains and confines of addiction.

I have a dear friend who is a crack addict. For years I tried to get her help, but she always found excuses not to enter treatment. She told me she could stop; after all, she had been in treatment six times before. Eight years ago I convinced her to give sober living another try. She checked into a faith-based recovery program and graduated. Her sobriety lasted two months. The past eight years have been a living hell watching her waste away with her drug of choice. A year ago, through tears, she said, “Sharron, I need help. I can’t do this by myself; it’s bigger than I am. Will you take me back to the Center?” She humbly admitted her powerlessness over drugs and went back to the program from which she graduated eight years ago.

Pride keeps addicts sick. Until our sons, daughters, or spouses come to the end of their rope and ask for help, we have to wait. We hurt when they abuse substances and misbehave, but we can be prepared with a plan when they bury their pride and bend the knee to their captor. Now they are ready for Step One.

Extend all the love and grace you can muster during this vulnerable time. Consider what it took for your loved one to say, “Help me. I can’t do this alone.”

Daily Prayer

Dear Lord, I set aside my own pride and offer myself as a vessel of your love, grace, and mercy to my loved one. May I extend help in such a way he will see Jesus through my actions. Amen.

Reflection

Do you struggle with pride? Is pride an issue for your addict?

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