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...
I remember the moment I came to terms with my addiction: the moment I stepped out of denial and into God’s healing light. I had no idea what would happen. I was scared and overwhelmed with guilt and shame. I had gone almost twenty years without openly acknowledging...
“Lord, please don’t let me lose my love for my husband,” I would pray. After years of living with a man with active alcoholism, I felt anything but loving. In fact, I was often in despair, full of fear, grief, and resentment, and on my knees with this prayer on my...
I was a cradle Catholic raised as the oldest of four children. Being part of a large extended Irish-Catholic family, we had lots of celebrations where beer and liquor were always plentiful. When I was 10 years old my world fell apart, my father was a detective and he...
As time passes, our recovery brings with it new growth and awareness of God and ourselves. By living a life of honesty, openness, and willingness, God fills our hearts, minds, and spirits with new knowledge and wisdom, or “God thoughts.” For me, these thoughts have...
Have you found yourself stuck in an unhealthy relationship pattern from which you cannot break free? If so, then chances are you’ve taken on one or more roles from the Triangle of Dysfunctional Relationships (also known as the “Drama Triangle” developed by Dr. Stephen...
In his book Healing Prayer, John Horn details how the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius provide a way of healing deep childhood wounds through the guidance of a competent spiritual director. I completed the Spiritual Exercises in May 2020 and it was a very healing...
This past summer, I’ve been able to return home for weddings on three separate occasions. And my parents came out to visit me after one of the weddings, too. So, despite being a few states away, I’ve gotten to see my parents quite a bit this past summer. One of my...
I’ve learned through ACA (Adult Children of an Alcoholic) recovery that growing up in a dysfunctional home actually gave me a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, thanks to recent research into this phenomenon there are many resources available to...
My journey to recovery began with forgiving my dad. After he passed away in April 2020, I knew there was still bitterness and resentment in my heart toward him and I wanted to be free from it. The forgiveness process was painfully beautiful, and it showed me how safe...