This past April, I traveled to Malvern, Pennsylvania, to speak at the Catholic in Recovery Women’s Retreat. I gave my testimony on Friday night, sharing from the depths of my heart—my childhood wounds, my healing through faith and the Twelve Steps, and the...
As beloved children of God, many of us in recovery are learning how to rebuild the sacred relationship we were meant to have with ourselves—one grounded in love, gentleness, and safety. For those of us familiar with Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional...
Saint John Henry Newman’s distinction between notional and real knowledge offers profound insights for the journey of recovery as an adult child of a dysfunctional home. Recovery, much like Newman’s view of the Christian life, involves moving from a theoretical...
For members of Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA), part of our solution for healing is to become our own loving parents. We do this through 12-step work and by taking a blameless inventory of our caregivers to recognize the wounds that we received from them so that we...
In our journey of recovery, Step 1—“We admitted we were powerless over the effects of living with alcoholism and that our lives had become unmanageable”—stands as a beacon of self-awareness and courage for adult children of dysfunctional homes. Drawing wisdom from the...
The holiday season, often synonymous with family gatherings, can evoke a mix of joy and suffering for adult children of dysfunction. Past wounds may resurface, and triggers linked to family dynamics might cast shadows over the festivities. Below are a few key...
For Adult Children of Dysfunctional Homes, the journey of healing is often paved with the need to establish and maintain healthy boundaries. These boundaries are not merely about self-preservation; they are about fostering an environment where love, compassion, and...
Growing up amidst the turbulence of alcoholism and dysfunction, my instinctive urge for control was born from a longing for stability. As I navigate this journey of healing, I am discovering that true liberation springs not only from acceptance but from surrendering...
Growing up as an adult child of a dysfunctional home (ACDH) can leave lasting emotional scars. One of the most challenging aspects of our journey to healing is confronting painful relationships with controlling, manipulative, and abusive family members. That is why...
I haven’t spoken to my mother in over two decades, but every once in a while, when I’m walking through a rainy parking lot in a pair of jeans, I’ll still hear her voice speak from my memory. I hear her tell me that my legs look like stuffed sausages, just like she did...