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I've been hearing about ACA for some time now, having been involved in a variety of other 12 step meetings, but someone was sharing at our Dual Diagnosis Anonymous meeting and I decided that it sounded like a support group that I might benefit from. Like many of us, I have childhood trauma in my past that resulted in those issues often related to trauma such as addiction, personality disorders, self-esteem/self-love issues, and a proclivity toward unhealthy and co-dependent relationships. These challenges have made life difficult and my climb up has been long and arduous.
After getting clean and sober I still struggled, in some ways even more so than before, and consequently, I don't think my recovery really progressed until recently. After my second divorce and what felt like an onslaught of misfortune, I finally went into therapy, began EMDR therapy, and began 12 steps groups that were accepting of people with mental health issues and PTSD. I think in the past I wasn't even really aware of how much my childhood trauma affected me and drove not only my addictions but it was the trauma and wounds from my childhood that drove me to such unhealthy relationships, especially in my marriages.
This opens the door to a lot more I could say about the subject but for the sake of brevity, I think this gives you some idea of my challenges and the why behind me seeking ACA out and registering on this website. I am looking forward to finding the virtual Zoom meetings for now at least until I have the transportation and time to attend in-person meetings. I'm happy to have found you and look forward to meeting you all individually and as a group.
