This is Part 1 of a blog written by Kathy Taughinbaugh, a coach for parents of addicts. These  are some amazing quotes, so let’s begin.

“My recovery from addiction to my addict began much earlier than my son’s recovery from addiction to drugs. My hope for everyone is that no matter what chaos is in your lives at the moment, you are able to control what goes on within you and have some peace. I read somewhere that there will always be sadness, but misery is a choice.”  ~ Denise Krochta, author of Sweat 

“It just takes one to stop the dance, to change the steps and start a new dance. But if both change and learn the new steps and practice those steps, together, a new dance is created. Sometimes one or both will go back to the old one – that’s normal – it’s what is most comfortable; it’s what they’ve practiced for years. But a new dance is possible. It may be together; it may be solo, but it is possible. It takes learning the new steps, and it takes a lot of practice.” ~ Lisa Frederiksen of Breaking the Cycles – Changing the Conversation

“The truth most families eventually discover is that no one can cure another person’s addiction. Only addicts can do that for themselves.” ~ Beverly Conyers, author of Addict In The Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery

“When I first got sober I thought that life was over and that I was going to be restricted to the rooms of A.A. forever. I was convinced that sobriety was a prison and I was to serve a life sentence. I was wrong about that and I was wrong about A.A. Recovery has been absolutely and completely expansive, every day bigger, better, and brighter. I have been granted a life beyond my wildest expectations.”  ~ Kristina Wandzilak, author of The Lost Years

“Finally, I realized as long as I held on to all of that hurt pain and anger I was not going to move forward, even though he was moving forward. When I was sure I wanted to get better I told my son I was proud of him, I believed in him and I wanted the past to be in the past. That’s how I was able to let go. I had to face my fear (my son) man to man.”  ~ Ron Grover of An Addict in Our Son’s Bedroom

“What’s truly amazing is that I enjoy this life today, and when I was still using, I hated the idea of sobriety. I could not picture myself having fun or being content with this life that I am now living. But somehow I transformed and it did happen.”  ~ Patrick Meninga of Spiritual River

“You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.” ~ Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

. . . “Detachment is based on the premises that each person is responsible for himself, that we can’t solve problems that aren’t ours to solve, and that worrying doesn’t help.” ~ Melody Beattie, author of Codependent No More

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How did you find parental recovery? Please share your wisdom in comments.