Adult Children Of Alcoholics by Nada Mirnik Trtnik review

Adult Children Of Alcoholics 

A self-help handbook

Written by Dr. Nada Mirnik Trtnik

Traslated by Nea Lulik 

Published on December 1st 2023

Find it on Amazon AU

Adult Children of Alcoholics website

If you're an adult child of an alcoholic parent, then you would have absorbed their relational patterns while growing up. Becoming aware of these patterns is important because they affect your current relationships and your relationship with yourself. Some patterns are dysfunctional and are here to stay - until you realise it's time to change them. This book will give you the support on your journey for a better life and better relationships.

This handbook presents the common problems that adult children of alcoholics face in their lives due to their family history, and it's designed to help you overcome harmful patterns. It will help you set clear boundaries and create more self-awareness when it comes to feelings of guilt, shame, and fear. Useful and relatable examples help the reader feel more reassured and understood. All examples are entwined with scientific explanations and findings from the author's long years of therapeutic practice.

- Amazon description

Today is the day that Adult Children of Alcoholics is launched into the world! I can't help but feel a little proud about it! 

To celebrate the book's launch, I decided to write a review about it. Of course, I'm absolutely aware that I'm biased - as I translated it - but still. Here we are!

Adult Children of Alcoholics is a psychological work, full of examples and practical advice on how to equip adults, who grew up next to an alcoholic parent, with coping mechanisms that will serve them well in life and make their everyday experience better.

It touches subjects like fear, judgement, guilt, shame. Patterns that we carry with us. It's raw and real. It delves deep into the family dynamics - I loved this part - where it's explained how each child adapts a different role in the family depending on the needs of the family as whole. Super interesting!

I also liked how each new concept introduced is followed by an example from the author’s therapy practice. It's helps to sink in the idea but also makes the reader realise they aren't alone with their feelings of inadequacy / shame / guilt. It makes it relatable.

Adult Children of Alcoholics teaches you how to set clear and healthy boundaries. It teaches you why they are important in the first place. It really is a wonderful book to grow your self-esteem and belief in yourself.

The writing flows and the examples make the whole book more dynamic and engaging. There are psychological concepts and theories in there but they are explained in a way that everyone will be able to understand it.

So, if you yourself have grown up in a family that dealt with alcoholism, I would warmly advise you to give this book a try. While translating it there were few things that really hit home, and when that moment comes I suggest you to sit with your emotions. You'll come out on the other side, I promise.

55 Life Lessons From Amoeno's Island by F. R. Amoeno Review

55 Life Lessons From Amoeno's Island
by F. R. Amoeno
Published on November 13th 2022
218 pages

Find it here on Amazon 

"For long years, I have had a vague feeling there must be something more to life than I know. Then I sailed to Amoeno's Island."

Disappointed with self-help books? So was I! The common problems of self-help books, like sugarcoating, repetitiveness, vagueness, over-promising, over-reliance on anecdotes, and lack of scientific basis, are all consciously addressed throughout the book. Instead of long stories, it offers 55 actionable science-based pieces of advice, covering all areas of life, including how every single piece of advice included has been thoroughly researched, reviewed, and approved by a team of trained psychologists.The book is beautifully designed and illustrated; take a look inside yourself!

- Goodreads.com description

"Oh, the feeling when your friend from university writes a cool book about life lessons that are scientifically proven to make your life happier, and asks you for a review! My friend, I'm so proud of you for bringing this self-help book to life."  

The book starts with the main character waking up on an island. There he meets an old man called  Amoeno. This is an island in the middle of nowhere and the author found himself here because he was looking for a deeper meaning of life. Amoeno decides to help him and teach him about sailing and life.

There are dialogues between the two that than lead to the lessons. The lessons are explained concisely, are backed up by science (with references for further reading at the back!), and have a call to action. Meaning, you can start implementing them into your daily life immediately! There is a lot of them so make sure you give yourself time and not try to process them all at once. As the lessons says; Break big things into smaller chunks & set reasonable expectations!

There is an island for everyone.  

The lessons itself are valuable for our everyday life experiences. The topics encompass learning, habits, thoughts, communication, productivity, and relationships. It's quite straight to the point - which I liked!

218 pages might sound like a lot, but in fact the story only goes till about 62%. The rest are references for further reading. So I found it quite short and felt like it just ended all of a sudden. I wish the author would have wrote a bit more how he felt about leaving the island and how he managed going back to the real world with the lessons he learnt.

The writing was engaging and entertaining. Some things really made me laugh - so I can totally say the book is funny as well!

Overall,  55 Life Lessons from Amoeno's Island was a great read. It brings freshness into the world of self-help books! It's backed up with scientifically proven methods and advice. If you're struggling right now with some issues and you want some straight forward/no-bullshit/backed up by science advice and all in one place - I really recommend you to read this book!