Mother's Day Reflections: A Mother's Struggle with Enabling and Recovery
During that time I was still so vulnerable myself, and so when I would hear things like that, it would make me immediately think I'm a bad mother and, with my counselor's help during this time, I was able to understand it's not about being a bad mother, but that I had to learn and understand about those things, because that was part of my journey was learning how to be different, how to parent different, how to hold boundaries, enabling and what that actually means, what the difference between helping and enabling actually means.
Mother's Day can be a bittersweet occasion, especially for those who have lost children to addiction. In this heartfelt episode of 'Hopeful Living', Crystal Merck dedicates her story to all the mothers facing this unimaginable pain. Crystal opens up about her own experiences of Mother's Day, reflecting on the profound challenges of spending the day without her children. She dives into her journey of learning about enabling and how it was contributing to her son's addiction.
With raw honesty, she shares her struggles with guilt and the fear of being seen as a bad mother. Through the support of her counselor, Crystal began to understand the importance of setting boundaries and changing her approach to parenting. This episode is not just about the hardships but also about the power of sharing experiences, finding strength, and holding onto hope.
Crystal emphasizes gratitude for each step in the recovery journey, reminding listeners that progress is made one day at a time. If you're a mother dealing with similar struggles or know someone who is, this episode offers a poignant blend of empathy, advice, and inspiration.