
Originally Posted by
Mr. Silver
This thread started before my Dad's death, then the last post was 11 days after his death.
Following advice from this group, a lot has happened:
- Several months ago, we asked Mom to seek counseling. She did.
- Counselors confirmed that we needed to stop "parenting the parent". We did. She started buying her own Scotch, wound up drunk in the hospital a couple of times (one time at a .28 blood/alcohol level), was on the verge of getting kicked out of her assisted living facility...
and then:
- one of her nurses took a personal and caring interest
- had a heart to heart with her
- got her into counseling with a different counselor
- got her to an AA meeting (despite Mom's reservations)
and now:
- she voluntarily went into a supervised detox
- three weeks ago, she "took a chip" at AA
- and hasn't had a drink in three weeks (longer than at anytime in my 45 years!)
I think that our "getting out of the way of her making her own choice" is the single biggest thing that will have ever happened to improve her longevity and quality of life.
Thanks to all who offered the tough advice.
Mr. Silver and Silver,
That's great news. I hope your mom continues to stay sober. And good for you for having the courage to step back. I'll keep all of you in my prayers.
Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.
--Mary Anne Radmacher