How many of you have had an alcoholic parent.How did this shape you?
Do you you think it made you stronger or weaker as an adult.Also do you have any outstanding issues as an adult such as the inability to forgive the parent if still alive , anger , weigh gain , procrastination etc.
Both my parents were alcoholics. My dad died 2yrs ago as a result. I had a very unstable childhood and witnessed a lot of violence and verbal abuse from both my parents. I left home at 15. I don't touch drugs, I hardly ever drink and I've given up smoking. If anything it's a stark reminder that alcohol abuse isn't taken seriously enough.
I totally blame my parents for drinking. One thing alcoholics are famous for is never taking responsibility for their actions, they blame someone else, bereavement, their children, stress etc anything that diminishes their own responsibility. I've never bough into the whole 'illness' thing, it was probably penned by an ex alcoholic. It's a choice and one they make with every single sip they take.
It's definitely effected me as a person. I had to be independent at the age of 12. I learned a lot like i couldn't rely on other people and that my parents weren't fit to be parents. Overall I don't let it effect me too much but it changed the relationships I had with my parents. My mother has been off the drink for 10yrs now and has acted like she deserves a medal. Occasionally when she relapses I get the brunt of everything again. Last time I cut contact with her for 8 months because it doesn't have to be my problem anymore. Overall she's been OK but we don't have any kind of proper bond, at least I don't.
I do understand everyone is human and that hating will only drag me down but that doesn't mean it's always possible to forgive and forget. To answer your question I think it made me more ambitious and less emotional when bonding with other people.
Missing Mummy, Living in the shadow of an alcoholic parent
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Hi, My Name Is Jack (Hardcover) $20.25 In this grippingly honest narrative about one man’s journey from addiction and self-destruction to recovery and a changed life, readers will be dismayed at the hurtful patterns of his two alcoholic parents and how they scarred and shaped the outc... |