The messages that we give to ourselves are the most important messages we hear. The internal briefings and conversations we hold determine our attitudes, our behavior and the course of our lives. If, as children, we were criticized and shamed, our internal dialogue will be self-deprecating. If we are used to large doses of self-imposed sarcasm and negative reviews of our daily performance, we gradually mutilate our self-esteem, our creativity and our spirit.

Daily Meditation book written by and for the Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA/ACoA) Fellowship. Contributions reflect experience, strength and hope as part of the contributors' recovery journeys.

Children of alcoholic or addicted parents may be stripped of hope, courage, and self-esteem. The dysfunctional family is fueled by shame and chaos, stunting children’s relationships and self-acceptance. Adult children of alcoholics and addicts need encouragement to overcome these childhood deprivations. Days of Healing, Days of Joy models a program of serenity, spirituality, and acceptance through its meditations. “Children of alcoholics are set up for their struggles. You are not sick. You got set up.” —Dr. Jan Woititz Alcoholic or addicted parents may become focused on their compulsion while their children fend for themselves in a dysfunctional household. Without helpful and informative parental guidance, children manage their own personal growth, and their spiritual and emotional health suffers. Children parent themselves, and their innocence dies. Parents with addiction may not have demonstrated healthy connection and love to their children. Adult children of addicts or alcoholics are often shadowed by this disconnect; codependency, self-judgment, and overzealous loyalty darken their doorway. Fortunately, healing and recovery are within reach. In Days of Healing, Days of Joy, Earnie Larsen and Carol Larsen Hegarty share the reflective and peaceful insight needed for growing up again—this time with plenty of love and patience.

This is the official ACA Fellowship Text that is Adult Children of Alcoholics World Service Organization (ACA WSO) Conference Approved Literature. Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families (ACA) is an independent 12 Step and 12 Tradition anonymous program.

The messages that we give to ourselves are the most important messages we hear. The internal briefings and conversations we hold determine our attitudes, our behavior and the course of our lives. If, as children, we were criticized and shamed, our internal dialogue will be self-deprecating. If we are used to large doses of self-imposed sarcasm and negative reviews of our daily performance, we gradually mutilate our self-esteem, our creativity and our spirit.

All of us need positive affirmation throughout our lives. As children, these powerful messages helped us to know that we were worthwhile, that it was all right to want food and to be touched, and that our very existence was a precious gift. The messages that we received from our parents helped us to form decisions that determined the course of our lives. If we were raised with consistent, nurturing parents, we conclude that life is meaningful and that people are to be trusted. If we were raised with parents who were addictively or compulsively ill, we determine that life is threatening and chaotic--that we are not deserving of joy. These are the crucial decisions that impact our lives long after we have forgotten them. Unfortunately, childhood judgments don't disappear. They remain as dynamic forces that contaminate our adulthood. When childhood needs are not taken care of because of abuse or abandonment, we spend our lives viewing the world through the distorted perception of a needy infant or an angry adolescent. The more we push these child parts away, the more control they have over us. This collection of daily meditations is dedicated to those adults who are ready to heal their childhood wounds. It is through this courageous effort that we will move from a life of pain into recovery.

The originator of the ACoA "Laundry Lists" gives an insider's view of the early days of the ACoA movement. Tony A. discusses what it means to be an adult child of an alcoholic parent and what the self-help group can do for its members. Includes stories, history and helpful information for the ACoA.