The Unhooked Podcast

(Remixed after last episode had a glitch)

This week's conversation (re-released) is with my ex-husband, "Moose." We open up about both our family backgrounds, as well as mistakes made and lessons learned while trying to co-parent a child who later fell into addiction after a sports injury.

Taken from Chapter 18 of my 2nd book, "Unbroken, Navigating the Madness of Family Dysfunction, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Heartache" we discuss what ground rules we set up a few years into our divorce to reduce stress and turmoil for our son. Each of us describe experiences during what can easily be referred to as "the Darkest Years," involving family dysfunction, chaos, conflict, untreated family disease, and the struggles along the way.

I describe the evidence of recovery in my own life in a recent situation, one that required me to go from 60 to 0 in relation to my family's deeply ingrained toxic conflict patterns.

Peace, health and well-being are a process. No one gets it right all the time.

Our son has come so very far. This is not because he had a fairy tale beginning, or parents who were anywhere close to perfect (not a chance). One reason he has found wellness is because we tried as a unit do the work to heal and recover. Setting conflict aside, and dropping the weapons to unite for the common goal of a son or daughter's well-being eliminates a lot of secondary problems. The whole system has to change when it comes to one person's recovery, that gives them the best chance possible.

Where we are now is a million miles from where we were and that's proof positive that regardless what you come from, or how bad it gets - an amazing life is POSSIBLE. 

This weeks conversation is with Dr. Patricia Strach, and Dr. Katie Zuber, from the Rockefeller Institute of Government, out of Albany New York.  Both are at work on a project in Sullivan County, New York called "Stories from Sullivan," where they are meeting with families in a town ravaged by the opiate epidemic.   Once known as the place to go for great health, Sullivan was a vacation spot, a much loved escape for families vacationing from the busy city.  But as airplanes and air conditioning became more prevalent, the people of that area withdrew and fell prey to the epidemic that is affecting us all. Listen in to hear about their discoveries, the great impact being made for families, and please check them out on their website: http://rockinst.org/stories-from-sullivan  

In this short clip, I shared the CliffsNotes version of my family's experience with addiction and mental health.  This presentation was with Peace UMC. 

We are six years into our recovery journey, the memories almost seem like someone else's story. We've come so far, more than a million miles! That's possible for anyone. 

There is hope for any family to rise from the depths of addiction, despair and dysfunction.

(Note: the episode will end just before the Q & A with those in attendance.) 

Check out my families story in Unhooked!  Read about our recovery journey in Unbroken!   Follow me Annie Highwater, Recovery Writer on Facebook!