How to Let Go of an Addicted Loved One Without Giving Up on Them

You're exhausted. And honestly, part of you wants to be just completely done. Done checking, done explaining, done trying to figure out exactly the right thing to say. But every time you think, I can't keep doing this, another thought shows up. What if I step back? And then when what's going to happen when

something terrible happens? Or after everything I've been through, am I really just going to give up on them? Or what if I think what if or what if they think I don't love them anymore? Maybe you're thinking about telling your adult child you can't keep spending money. Maybe you need some distance from your

partner. Or maybe you just want one evening where you're not checking your phone wondering what you're going to have to deal with next. And then you feel guilty for even wanting any of that. What if you're finally about to turn a corner? What if But what if they need me? Right? You just keep coming back to

that. So, you keep going, but now you're scared of what will happen if you stop and you're starting to worry about what's happening to you if you don't stop. Maybe it's physically making you ill. You can care sincerely and deeply about someone and still need to change how involved you are with their

situation. You don't have to stop loving them to stop doing something that's wearing you down or possibly even like killing you. And I'm not exaggerating when I'm saying that because this has major effects on your physical and mental health. But how do you know what to pull back from? And how do you tell what the

difference between giving someone room to take responsibility and withdrawing support that maybe they actually do need? Stepping back can mean a lot of different things. And the first thing we need to untangle is why even a reasonable change is probably going to feel very wrong. Like let's say your husband goes out and