FAMILY BUTTONS:

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Who knows better how to push our buttons than
family members?

No matter how long we or our family members
have been recovering, relationships with family
members can be provocative.

One telephone conversation can put us in an
emotional and psychological tailspin that last
for hours or days.

Sometimes, it gets worse when we begin recovery
because we become even more aware of our
reactions and our discomfort.

The process of detaching in love from family
members can take years. So can the process of
learning how to react in a more effective way.
We cannot control what they do or try to do,
but we can gain some sense of control over
how we choose to react.

Their patterns, particularly their patterns
with us, are their issues. How we react, or
allow these patterns to influence us, is our
issue.

We can love our family and still refuse to
buy into their issues. We can love our family
but refuse their efforts to manipulate, control,
or produce guilt in us.

We can learn to love our family without
forfeiting love and respect for ourselves.