Peter

I am also the adult child of a dysfunctional family and I suddenly felt very sad when I read this post.

I have been in recovery now for Alcoholism for more than six years and have only recently began to look at my life as an ACOA.

I re-read "the thirteen characteristics of ACOA's" and I feel overwhealmed because even now the characteristics are still having an effect on my life and I know I still have an enormous challenge ahead of me.

I believe the dysfunction has existed in my family for genrations but now I know it is up to me to break the cycle.

No longer am I content to allow my past to continue affecting my present.

I am prsently working with a psychologist to help me identify and deal with some of the core childhood issues but it is slow frustrating work sometimes.I want to give up and I want to quit and just continue living my life the way I always have, but then I read messages like this one and I feel encouraged to go on.

Thanks to those of you who take the time to talk about what I know can be a very painful thing.Together I know we can break the cycle.