Our lives are filled with situations that challenge our family members or friends. There are a variety of addictions that may be physical, emotional or mental. We seem to handle physical challenges better than we do others during our life.

You may work with people who seem fine but in reality are experiencing nearly constant mental and emotional stress. A back massager and jogging may help one. Therapy or prescription drugs may ease another. The point is that pain and anguish relief is personally tailored.

One couple tried to quit smoking for years. They made a list of things they do that did not accommodate their habit. They noticed that it is difficult to smoke when you are doing latch hook or preparing a meal. They signed up for private cooking classes offered in their community.

The smell of smokes has been replaced with scents from the kitchen. There are many ways to live with bad habits and it’s important to find what works for you.

Looking back at home movies, photo collections, or a scrapbook album can generate memories. These items that document our shared lives can be powerful therapies. We think about family members and how they used to be, their bad experiences, and how they overcame their problems.

We talk openly about major diseases that are common to many families. We share our stories of treatments and support. We attend support groups, participate in online forums and join discussions on websites.

When it comes to dependence issues we tend to be quiet. It makes sense to me that people want to deal with these matters privately but the truth is that we need to be more open. Losing a family member to something like a meth addition is devastating.

Meth is a highly addictive drug that takes over the life of someone who is loved. The person you knew has utterly disappeared and you feel an all consuming loss. Some people would prefer their loved one had a disease instead because that would be easier to treat and talk about.

It is common knowledge that a basic pillar of addiction treatment programs that work is an acknowledgement of a Christian God that equals love. People who conquer their dependency and return to the real world often testify to the helpfulness of love and faith.

More and more people are shining the spotlight of love and acceptance on dependency victims. They embrace the reality of the situation discuss it in forthright and open manner. Methods may be different in families and extended families. The one common feature is normally unconditional love.

We can achieve success by increasing our power to prevail over the problem. This can be accomplished by working with others to increase our mental and emotional strengths. Extending cooperation to others confronted with these issues is just as important as reaching the afflicted person.