Are you a perfectionist or Type A person? As well, do you find self-blame and impulsivity to be a challenge for you? When you think about your childhood, do you remember emotional neglect from a parent’s drinking problem? In your childhood, do you have memories of neglect or abuse?
Working with an adult child of alcoholics therapist in East Lyme, Connecticut can help you develop positive coping outlets. As well, build confidence and clarity in counseling.
Frequently, adult children of alcoholics share common characteristics.
Children who grow up in families with alcohol abuse have similar qualities. Sometimes, emotional and physiological abuse occurs. As well, you might feel like you never had a normal childhood. As a child, were you always reacting to your parents. Or, maybe you tried to stay safe from the abuse. An adult child of an alcoholic may exhibit these tendencies. Frequently, due to the presence of abandonment, shame and guilt, adults will develop over eating. Eating disorders are very common after trauma experiences. As well, adults may develop behavioral addictions, chronic illness, or strict religious practices. At Wisdom Within Counseling, in East Lyme, Connecticut, we help adult children of alcoholics.
Work with a holistic, creative, artsy adult child of alcoholics therapist today.
To begin, click the button below to work with an adult child of alcoholics therapist in East Lyme, Connecticut.
Growing up as a child with alcoholic parents can leave you feeling empty and lonely as an adult.
As a child, you may have experienced abuse and neglect. And, in therapy, you want to work towards a healthy family yourself now. Many times, adult children of alcoholic parents were raised in homes were alcohol and drugs were present. And, that drug use and alcohol abuse took away nurturing from raising children. Even if drugs and alcohol were not part of your family, abuse and neglect can still cause dysfunction.
Work with an adult child of alcoholics therapist who offers a creative, holistic approach to confidence and self-love.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we offer a mind-body approach to mental health. Working with a creative, alternative adult child of alcoholics therapist can support mind, body, spirit wellness. Often, talking is not enough alone. And, dance and movement can offer more expression too. Yoga, art, music, and play therapies support adult children of alcoholics in counseling.
How do these tendencies develop for adult children of alcoholics?
Adult children of alcoholics parents often learn these characteristics from their own parents. Naturally, we are creates of habit. As a child, you saw your parents have unstable emotional lives. For instance, say your parents lied to you.
At the time, you may not have realized they were lying. Sometimes, parents lie about money, and having gambling issues.
Other times, parents lie about cheating, affairs, and create marital lies. Another common things adult children of alcoholics are told is to keep secrets.
Overall, working with a holistic, creative adult child of alcoholics therapist in Connecticut can help you be honest with yourself. From there, honestly with others will come in time.
To begin, click the button below to work with an adult child of alcoholics therapist in East Lyme, Connecticut.
Family patterns around keeping secrets that perpetuate dysfunction
So, since you may not have grown up with honesty, it might be really easy to lie. Maybe, lying was normal in your childhood house. But, lying as an adult keeps you from being genuine and building real friendships. Our therapist can help you communicate clearly. For someone else, without a trauma history, they would naturally tell the truth. For you, maybe you learned to survive as a child with parents who are alcoholics by lying. And, lying was to avoid being hurt or prevent abuse. Now, as an adult, it is common for adult children of alcoholics to avoid telling the truth. This is an anxious avoidant style of attachment. As well, it is common for adult children of alcoholics to be very judgmental of themselves and others. So, working with a holistic adult child of alcoholics therapist in Connecticut supports self-compassion.
Working with a holistic, creative adult child of alcoholics therapist, you can learn to be gentle and loving with yourself.
For one, you may not remember a good childhood. Often, adult children of alcoholics report negative childhood memories. Yelling, abuse, slamming doors, and physical hurt is common. Because you may have never had a playful childhood, your parents may have required you to act like an adult.
And, maybe your parents took you very seriously. So, you might take yourself and life too seriously now. Maybe, there is a baseline of high anxiety that rules your life.
If you are a person that constantly seeks approval and affirmation, working with a holistic adult child of alcoholics therapist can be really beneficial.
What does it mean to be codependent?
Also, you might need help with nurturing yourself. If you have codependent tendencies, you will care to others over yourself. Being a child, you cared for your parents’ needs. Yes, you might be very loyal. And, may even call yourself a good friend. But, you might be loyal to a fault.
These days, you are putting others before yourself too much. And, you might let other people walk all over you even when they are not loyal to you.
Overall, working with an adult child of alcoholics therapist in East Lyme, Connecticut can help you build self-confidence and self-worth.
Learn to nurture yourself and make yourself a priority again by meeting with an adult child of alcoholics therapist in East Lyme, Ct at Wisdom Within.
Adult children of alcoholics have learned to be caretakers. From a young age, you had to take care of your parents. And, adult children of alcoholics are caretakers to a point where it leaves them feeling empty. If you feel like care-taking has taken over your life, therapy can help. Setting boundaries is hard alone. And, if you don’t have the control to say “No,” therapy can be really helpful. On another note, adult children of alcoholics may naturally choose behaviors that are negative. Therefore, working with a therapist promotes choosing alternative, healthy behaviors.
To begin, click the button below to work with an adult child of alcoholics therapist in East Lyme, Connecticut.
Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics
What resources are available for adult children of alcoholic parents?
To continue, Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) and Dysfunctional Families is a free support group. Often, these Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)/Dysfunctional Families groups are held in churches. Adult children can talk about experiences living with alcoholic parents. As well, conversations peer to peer can be supportive and inspiring. We don’t meet people like us in every day life.
Working with a holistic adult child of alcoholics therapist in Connecticut and going to ACA can be a great support network
So, going to a Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) and Dysfunctional Families meeting can offer validation. Growing up and feeling like you had to be perfect is hard. To add, in your childhood, there may be times of tension. Being codependent can mean that you look to your spouse for an identity.
So, working with an adult child of alcoholics therapist in East Lyme, Ct helps you find your own hobbies. From there, confidence and a healthy sense of self evolves. A therapist can help you let go of how you were raised.
For many, working with an adult child of alcoholics therapist in East Lyme, Ct helps with lowering stress responses.
At times, you jump if you hear a loud noise. Perhaps, that noise triggers a stress response in your body. As well, working with a adult child of alcoholics therapist in East Lyme, Ct helps you identify your triggers.
From there, you can develop coping tools to manage those triggers. We offer art, yoga, music, and walking therapies by the beach alongside talking. For some, the smell of alcohol can bring up anger and loss feelings. So, being in a support group can be healthy and a good outlet. Lastly, going to Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) and Dysfunctional Families groups helps create a new family pattern of wellness.
To conclude, living in an alcoholic or dysfunctional home as a child can allow you to choose a healthy, positive future.
For a while, you might be thinking, “Am I Am Adult Child of Alcoholics?” Essentially, at Wisdom Within Counseling, we help you develop self-love. From self-awareness, you can choose positive, nurturing relationships with others in your life.
From self care strategies, you can start to attract meaningful relationships.
Often, adult children of alcoholics do not receive the therapy they need as children. So, they do not realize why they have mental healthy issues until adulthood. As adult hood becomes a time of reflection, you may be realizing your parents had a drinking problem.
