The Secret

For many years mental illness and the stereotype that goes with such a big problem was not spoken of by the family. Mental illness was not something to be proud of and is still very difficult to treat. It is not like an infection when a few antibiotics make it go away, it is like a festering wound that no one ever hears about. It is a well kept secret.
For many years as well, substance abuse has taken the same kind of reaction, even from family members. Even though we can't deny it is a disease, we still see it as a menace to the family and we can't figure out why the one in the spiders web just doesn't say no. Ask a cigarette smoker how hard it is to stop smoking. Ask an alcoholic how hard it is to say no to a beer. Ask someone addicted to pain meds how they crave them daily. Ask a person on benzodiazapines to try to face life with its many issues without this pill.
I had a great blessing this weekend. I went to a church in my hometown and got to speak on Worry. The cover of my book on addictions was showing up on the power point. The talk went well and I wasn't used to the applause throughout my talk. I knew then, that I had a job to do.
I was not the key speaker, but afterwards she got up to talk and she asked for raised hands of those women who have or had addiction problems in their family. I looked around and hands went up all over the place. The secrets were out, there was no need to hide them anymore.
The group of about 56 women were all suffering or had suffered such pain as had their loved ones that were caught in the spider's web.
We cried. We were not alone. I spoke on carrying the heavy burden to the cross and leaving it there. We can't fix our broken loved one, only God can.
I have never spoken in front of a group and I was nervous, especially since the topic was also on Martha and Mary and the lady who spoke before me said everything I had written down. So I had to get up and speak sort of cold turkey.
I expressed my concern to my friend next to me, but she touched my hand and said,"God will tell you what to say, don't worry. He will." And He did.
The pastor's wife at the church got up to speak later that day and she told the story of her alcoholic son. We later held one another and cried.
Afterwards, many bought my book and I wrote a note to them as they shared their various stories in tears. We all needed each other that day and we left with a new hope.
I will never forget it.