A self-help handbook
Written by Dr. Nada Mirnik Trtnik
Traslated by Nea Lulik
Published on December 1st 2023
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.
