Member-only story
02/08/24 Recovery Reading: Detachment
Take a break from your emotional reactions
The Cambridge Dictionary defines “detachment” best for my purposes as well as Al-Anon’s: “Detachment” is the feeling of not being emotionally involved.
Detaching from an alcoholic might seem awfully hard to do given all the drama, the broken promises, the late nights staying up late and frantic, and the out-of-control reacting. However, it’s surprisingly easy to do and well worth practicing.
A supreme example of detachment
The best example of detachment I’ve ever heard in Al-Anon is this: A woman’s husband is out drinking. He comes home and passes out in the hallway. Does she scream and yell, curse, and call him names? Nope. She gently places a pillow under his head and covers him with a blanket as he lies on the floor. She steps over him to climb the stairs to go to bed. This, ladies and gentlemen, is detachment in action. She left her husband to wake up on the floor and thus aware of the consequences of his drinking. She wasn’t cruel to him. Instead, she lovingly made him comfortable and then took care of herself.
A personal example of detaching
Many years ago, I had just returned home the day before from visiting my father’s family in…
