The Embrace Family Recovery Podcast

How do we love the person while protecting ourselves from their disease? How do we do the right thing for us all when it feels so counterintuitive to the love we feel and the 'I shoulds' screaming in our head? Detaching with Love not only saves the person detaching from living in the disease's control, it affords your addicted love one a chance to feel the consequences of their dise...

I need a sponsor? We need to go to meetings? Family members not only need their own recovery they deserve it. Sadly many loved ones don't find their own recovery. They spend all their time and energy trying to fix, manage and control their addicted loved one. Falsely believing if they get their addict into recovery, they will be good again. Sandy Swenson shares in this episode that she had to...

Today I have such an exciting guest for you to meet ... Sandy Swenson. As a professional in the field of addiction and serving family members, I have recommended Sandy Swenson's books to many people. Every week in the Family Program at Hazelden Betty Ford, I read from 'Tending Dandelions', Sandy Swenson's meditation book for mothers of addicts. Sandy shares her story in this ep...

Today will be different... No conversation with a guest.  Just me, Margaret Swift Thompson sharing about the cunning, baffling, and powerful family disease of addiction. There are so many parallel experiences that the people who have the addiction share with the family members. Such as denial, isolation, increased tolerance, and the solution.  My observation having served this population for a few...

Today we have the final episode with Kirkland Hamill. The author of the book Filthy Beasts.  In this episode, like the others with Kirkland, and as he courageously did in his book Kirkland shares vulnerably, openly, with humor and great storytelling about the residual effects of the family disease of addiction and more importantly the gifts of his recovery through Al-Anon.  Kirkland shares the com...

In this episode, we revisit his quote about his mother's alcoholism, "she taught me how to survive her". Kirkland shares about his life with addiction in numerous family members, and coming  to internalize addiction as a no fault disease. The reality of addiction being an equal opportunity disease that has an impact on ever family member in so many different and similar ways. Kirkla...

I am delighted to introduce to you my friend and fellow Bermudian, Kirkland Hamill who has written his memoir 'Filthy Beasts'. Kirkland shares his story with a real honesty that is refreshing and courageous when it comes to the secrecy surrounding the family disease of addiction. The New York Times, Jason Sheeler wrote in this review of Filthy Beasts: “Wake up, you filthy beasts!” Hamill...

Today we complete the final episode with Glory, who has a mother who has the disease of addiction, and is a Social Worker. In this episode Glory dives in to grief and losses associated with addiction. Her faith, and how fear can trigger self reliance verses reliance on her Higher Power. The ongoing struggle to balance doing what she believes is healthiest for herself and her mother, while navigati...

Glory continues to share her journey around her mom's addiction. In this episode Glory shares part of journey as a Social Worker working with clients and as a daughter trying to know when and how to help her mother. The collateral damage and pain of addiction in the extended family is also part of the conversation - how to balance Glory's own well being, when to step in with her mom and...

I am thrilled to introduce Glory who is a daughter, who has actively engaged in her own self care, following her mother introducing her to counseling, at a young age. Glory shares her insights as a child of an addict, her struggles and her victories.  In this the first of our three part conversation, Glory takes us back and offers a peek into the journey a child takes when the disease of addiction...

Welcome back to my conversation with Janet where she continues her story with having set a difficult boundary for any parent. Her son was not to come home as it would not be good for Janet’s wellbeing.   Janet shares about the value of her sponsor in her recovery, and the powerful role gratitude has and continues to play in her healing and finding peace. I honor Janet and her story and thank her f...

The first Embrace Family Recovery Podcast guest is here! I am honored to introduce Janet who is a mama who found her recovery before her son found his! I know, not the common way it happens – Janet is far from common!  Not only did Janet find it, she stays in recovery for herself and the powerful biproduct has been how Janet’s recovery positively impacts every aspect of her life.  To start listeni...

Join Margaret Swift Thompson a Hazelden Betty Ford counselor for over 20 years in the field of chemical dependency. Along with her guests they will explore the stories, experiences, struggles and victories of people who loves someone with the disease of addiction. The Embrace Family Recovery Podcast was born out of the passion Margaret feels about giving a voice to the family experience, which is...