I like that, I think it's a perfect analogy.
People with chronic pain do _not_ talk about "recovery", because it never gets better. ACoA's talk about recovery because we _do_ get better.
I use the "three A's" of recovery from my dysfunctinal upbringing.
The first thing I did was come to the Awareness that it was _not_ my life. It was the life that was forced upon me through brainwashing from the adults in my "Family Of Origin."
Next I had to work on Accepting that I needed to build a new life for myself, of my own choosing, separate from all toxic and dysfunctional people. As long as I stayed in _their_ life I would feel the feelings _they_ wanted me to feel.
Then I had to take Action, which for me was a couple good therapists and a lot meetings of 12 step programs. Today I _choose_ which people I want in the life I have built for me, and I get to have my own feelings. My life today is world's better than what I had when I first got out of that crazy family, I would never even think of going back.
Mike
