Recovering

The Effects of Addiction, Child Abuse, and Unhealthy Relationships

I grew up in a family system where there were a lot of abusive family members. The ones who were not abusive didnt seem to be able to remove themselves or the children from the harmful behavior in our lives. As a child I was extremely nervous and felt a lot of shame. I witnessed a lot of horrible things and was extremely abused myself. I saw how alcoholism enabled certain family members to either act very inappropriately when under the influence or become extremely violent. I saw how alcohol was used to medicate other family members.

Some of my family members died rather young I feel due a very stressful life. I began to notice my siblings and my cousins participate in destructive relationships and/or abuse substances. My relationships with them were not healthy ones. I tried for years to find ways to improve my relationships with them but nothing ever worked no matter how hard I tried.

This book is about my experiences with family and other unhealthy relationships in my life. How it all affected me from childhood and into adulthood. The steps I had to take to improve my life. I now believe I can have the love and respect I want from others in my life as long as I love and care for myself.

I hope my story will help others who have had similar experiences. I have no desire to drink alcohol anymore or to associate with people who abuse it, are abusive, controlling and who cannot be accountable for their behavior. We all deserve to heal and have good relationships in our lives.