Being Of Service

This was another very long day, as frequently happens during weekends that include the family workshops.  There has been a lot of work with the families together with their addicts the last couple of days.  During that time, I have been acutely aware that my role is often to “afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted”, having done a lot of each the last few days.  Usually the addicts I work with have some sort of comfortable, though self-destructive, pattern that needs to be disrupted and changed if they are to remain clean and sober.  They are also usually experiencing emotional pain.  The net result is that they generally require both comforting and confronting if I am to connect and help.