Nar-Anon is a 12-step support group for families and friends of addicts and discovered there were none within a 50 mile radius. My only option was to join online groups, which were not a way to address my feelings of sadness, fear, confusion and guilt in a manner that was supportive or therapeutic to me and my situation, which at that time was devastating.
A new meeting be be held locally in Rossville. The meeting will be held in a personal home setting with donuts and coffee, every other Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until noon, beginning this week, and every other Monday from 6:30-7:30 p.m., beginning Sept. 23.
If you have a family member who is suffering with addiction, you are going through a nightmare that no one can possibly understand by just looking in.
It is not enough to say that addiction affects the family unit, the reality is much more dismal than that. Addiction in your family causes stress, disjointed conversations, denial, verbal and emotional abuse, fear, anger, inconsistency in parenting and guilt.
I also found with the online support groups that there were almost no members who were raising their grandchildren, which is an issue on its own.
We also welcome you who have lost children to addiction, as the feelings that you had before are still present and need to be addressed in a support group with others who understand that loss.
The meetings will be led by a certified life coach and parent who has a child in recovery, and a parent who is active with the Hamilton County Coalition, and who lost her child to a drug overdose in 2021.
The meetings will be governed by the Nar-Anon 12 step program.
We welcome those of you who are affected by your family member’s addiction; whether it is your parent, your child, your spouse or significant other. We welcome everyone in our community who have that common thread that is making their life unbearable.
Please come join us to find comfort and solace with others who completely understand what you are going through.
Contact Catherine Becker at 423-320-5088 or email at allysonsalliance@gmail.com for location and further information.