Dear Leslie:
Sometimes anger is warranted. If your anger is directed at an impaired loved one’s behavior, however, your anger can be futile. How do you get angry with a disease? In cases where your loved one is behaving poorly and even inappropriately, try to detach from it and realize they’re often-times not doing it to you—they’re just doing it. When the anger hits you, take a moment to breathe: four seconds in, eight seconds out. Drink some water, take a walk, and practice responding not reacting. Your peace of mind is just that: yours. No one can take it from you, but you do have the power to give it away.
