Strengthening My Recovery: Meditations for Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families

We told ourselves we were being babies, that we were over-reacting, that no one meant us harm: all our concerns were only in our heads. We just needed to toughen up and stop taking everything so seriously. Internalizing these messages for so long left us unable to claim our birthright of serenity, which would allow us to face life’s challenges in a

But all the knowledge we may gain from reading will only be as good as the effort we make to use that information in our recovery process.

On this day, with my Higher Power’s help, I will focus on myself to find the solution that will keep me from repeating my past patterns.

Before we came to program, we thought intimacy was that secret word that pertained to sex and making love. We thought it was about taking care of the other person, doing for the other person, and losing ourselves in the other person – because we loved them so much!

We came to understand that to protect ourselves during childhood, we had to shut down. This didn’t happen for just one event or one day; we had to put a clamp on ourselves for years.

On this day, with my Higher Power’s help, I will focus on myself to find the solution that will keep me from repeating my past patterns.

On this day I am no longer a victim. I put myself first and make healthier choices that keep me grounded.

I am proud of how hard you are working to break the cycle of shame.”

Today, we nurture ourselves by deciding what we want the universe to send us, because we’re open to the possibility that we can have those things. We allow ourselves to swim around in the scent of promise. We deserve it. We realize that wanting something is not bad; it’s a healthy part of being human. We allow our minds and hearts to wander because