Dysfunction
Hi everyone, I've never posted in this forum before.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a description of ACoAs. I could relate to just about everything the authors of that article described. Reading that piece was very painful, disturbing and shocking - I could literally feel the blood draining from my face.
My father drank heavily for a short while, during my late teens, and stopped altogether ten years ago. However, I don't think that alcohol abuse is a major theme in my family as a whole.
James Whitfield, author of the "Healing the Child Within" books, defines a dysfunctional family as one where the needs of one or more members are not met. That is most definitely true in my own experience. Though I don't consider myself as being childish, I do feel like a child very often.
As I progress in my own recovery from alcohol abuse, I'm slowly setting myself free from the expectations and demands that have burdened me for years. I'm finding it very difficult to gather my bearings, though. Becoming my own person, clarifying my personal goals and values, getting in touch with my true feelings - it's overwhelming and exhausting. I literally don't know where to begin.
Anyway, this is just my intro post. Thanks for reading, I'll definitely be checking in to this forum often.