Tag Archives: Prayers

By Jennifer Miller

I arrived Monday morning at the Recovery House with “lululemon” yoga mats to present to the girls. IT FELT SO GOOD! Most of them have so few material possessions now and they were thrilled to have something new and special to call their own.

After the yoga session, I spent some time with the Recovery Home director and she spoke of her 32 years of recovery. I was able to tell her of my experiences with addictions and recovery in the last 20 years with my ex-husband and two sons. She was surprised as she looked at me and remarked that I did not look like I had been “through it”.

This conversation highlighted the fact that addictions affects many of us, either directly or indirectly, in all walks of life. As a young woman 25 years ago, I would never have dreamed that I would be working with women in recovery and that this disease would be such a large part of my life. I still have trouble with how difficult it is for my family and friends to understand and be there emotionally for me. But when you have two children either struggling or dying from a disease, the importance of a support group is never greater as the feeling of isolation can be overwhelming.

People tend to dismiss addictions as something that could never affect THEM.  “Alcoholism” is an addiction, yet it is clearly viewed differently than other “substance abuse” addictions. My ex-husband told me he was an “alcoholic” before we were married, and I attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to learn more. I read books and articles on the subject.

I remember being so shocked at the meeting when a speaker shared her story of heroin addiction and homelessness. I had no idea at the time what would eventually unfold.

Contact Jennifer Miller at yogagoddesslaguna@yahoo.com

When a woman marries an addict, her sons have a 70% or greater chance of becoming addicts according to one Betty Ford study. Both of my sons now battle the disease, with one celebrating his third year of sobriety and the other not yet ready enter recovery and accept its life-saving principles. I am stronger now than I was three years ago, and I pray for my second son and all who find themselves overcome by alcohol and substance abuse addictions.

Namaste, Jennifer Miller