Days of Healing, Days of Joy

Book excerpt: 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.