Forgiving Over & Over Again
anonymous
Jim LaPierre Says...
Thank you for writing. I'm trying to do some math here. I'm guessing you're in your late teens and it's both sad and impressive that you're so aware of how your mother's disease impacts her, you, and your dad. Alcoholism ages a person and progressively takes a toll physically, mentally, and emotionally. For your mother to continue drinking despite the pain and hospital visits...yeah, that's a sign that her disease (alcoholism) has a strange hold on her.
Is there hope for her? Can she stop drinking? Yes - but she has to choose it and she needs to get a lot of help and support (both professionally and personally).
It's hard to forgive someone who keeps doing it over and over again. You have every right to your feelings and every right to express them. I'm guessing you have strong feelings about drinking due to your experience. I encourage you to be aware of how your experiences impact your beliefs and perspective on relationships. I'm sure your dad is a good man - it also seems likely that he enables your mom.
Please consider talking with someone outside of the situation. Counseling did me a world of good (as a client) and maybe you'd find it helpful as an outlet.
Page last updated Jul 03, 2013
