Sometimes our mind and our hearts do not align. It is difficult to know which one you should follow. It is hard sometimes to know which is correct. When we have a loved one that is battling addiction it is challenging to know when to say when. There are several questions you may ask yourself, there will be some guilt, some shame, some uncertainty. It will not be easy to decide which you should go with, but ultimately a decision will need to be made, right?
Their behavior is out of control. They are lying. They are stealing. They are erratic. They are irrational. They are destructive. They are not the person you know them to be. How long do you stand for it? How long do you tolerate their behavior? There are so many questions, but where are the answers.
If I knew the answer I would be rich. What I do know is that there are those of us that follow our hearts and those of us that prefer to follow our mind and both are correct depending on you. When I deal with family members battling substance use disorder I choose to follow my mind to protect my heart that has been broken so many times.
Some may say that is incorrect, that they should be treated with compassion and that is true…..however I decide when is when. I decide when I have had enough. I decide when it is too much. I decide how I allow people to treat me by what I accept. Making a decision to protect myself is not out of lack of compassion for them, but instead out of love for myself. Rather you choose to follow your mind or your heart, the decision is yours and you should make that decision based on the love you have for you not them.
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