Healing Emotional Feelings of Childhood Abandonment
by Ask a Healer
Suggested Reading:
thriving after incest
reclaiming your inner child
I know first hand the impact of growing up in an alcoholic home. It took me the better part of my life to truly release the baggage I carried from childhood. Many resources along the way were helpful, most prominently meditation, prayer, energetic healing work, processing through incest survivor groups, ACOA meetings, counseling, creativity and more.
If you are one of the millions of Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOAs), this particular resource is aimed at providing help with moving from survival mode to thriving in your own life. I have not read it so please go to amazon to find out more and to sense into whether this might be a resource that would be valuable for you at this point in your recovery.
After the Tears: The questions asked by the author, to help you decide if this is a resource you may find helpful include:
1. Do you fear normal conflict?
2. Do you blame yourself when something goes wrong even if it really isn't your fault?
3. Are you addicted to chaos?
4. Do you fear relationships and/or avoid them because they are too difficult or too painful?
Having devoted much of their careers to working with ACOAs, therapists Jane Middelton-Moz and Lorie Dwinell, the authors of this book, have devoted much of their careers to working with adult children of alcoholics. They offer insights on how to live a good life despite a dysfunctional childhood by tackling issues such as intimacy, sibling relationships, codependency, breaking the alcoholic pattern, building a relationship with the inner child, forgiveness, and opening a window to spirituality.
Health Disclaimer: Abandonment issues and feelings of rejection may signal deeper mental health issues. Mental health resources such as After the Tears are not suggested as replacement for any needed mental health evaluation or treatment. ACOA meetings are an excellent support for adult children of alcoholics dealing with childhood trauma so please seek out a meeting near you, if not already attending.
