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.