If you've ever dealt with dysfunction and insanity, these humorous video clips may hit home for you:
Have you ever felt like this kid? I have.
Albert Einstein defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Here's a perfect example of this kind of dysfunction...
How NOT to handle intimacy-
Check out the Orange County ACA website at: Orange County Adult Children
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Craig Ferguson On Sobriety
Comedian and talk show host Craig Ferguson speaks about his own sobriety and personal responsibility.
Check out the Orange County ACA website at: Orange County Adult Children
Check out the Orange County ACA website at: Orange County Adult Children
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Your Addiction
But "I'm not the addict!" you protest. Perhaps there is someone close to you whose addictive, abusive behavior has caused you trauma. This type of behavior can replicate itself in victims who then begin to mimic or echo the same actions.
According to "The Threads Of Addiction" by James Krehbiel at www.theimproper.com/Template_Article.aspx?IssueId=6&ArticleId=2451, family members may adopt behavioral characteristics similar to the addict.
The threads of addiction can be traced back to "personality characteristics which sustain the addiction." These include problems with trust, dependency, abandonment, shame, guilt, and the expression of deep feelings.
Addictive behaviors are an attempt to avoid undesirable or painful experiences and addictive cravings are triggered by self defeating beliefs. Addicts often experience emotional problems such as anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive characteristics and tend to be fueled by thwarted anger and self-blame. "Shame-based beliefs and feelings are at the core of all addictions."
The primary purpose for addictive behavior is to reduce anxiety.
Often, adults whose parents were alcoholics choose to attend Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) meetings and/or a quality counselor who is trained in addressing issues related to addictions treatment.
Check out the Orange County ACA website at: Orange County Adult Children
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Perfection, Conflict and Depression
Three videos for ACAs:
Do You Expect Perfection?
What Is The Best Way To Deal With Fear Of Conflict?
What Causes Depression?
Check out the Orange County ACA website at: Orange County Adult Children
Do You Expect Perfection?
What Is The Best Way To Deal With Fear Of Conflict?
What Causes Depression?
Check out the Orange County ACA website at: Orange County Adult Children
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Childhood Trauma and Future Addiction
The Link Between Early Childhood Trauma and Future Addiction
Many studies have shown, the roots of addiction and substance abuse often reach much deeper than most people assume, with traumatic early childhood abuse and family dysfunction laying the foundation for more troubling behavior later in life.
Vincent J. Felitti, MD, head of preventive medicine at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, has identified seven different categories of "adverse childhood experiences," including three categories of abuse and four categories of household dysfunction. The categories of abuse include verbal abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse. The categories of household dysfunction include the experience of living with a mentally ill family member.
For example, Jason was a 23-year-old with a bright future who turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with excessive childhood punishments and a scandalous break-up of his parent's marriage. Ben, 25, experienced a childhood filled with domestic violence, homelessness and isolation before eventually becoming a DXM addict. Lawrence, 34, was a successful owner of a chain of tanning salons who eventually turned to alcohol to dull the pain of emotional and physical abuse suffered in childhood.
This anecdotal evidence from "Intervention" is backed up by scientific and clinical studies showing that traumatic childhood experiences can lead to a higher risk of adult alcohol or substance addiction. Adult survivors of childhood physical, emotional, or sexual abuse are not only at increased risk for addiction, but they are increasingly more likely to suffer from a host of physical and mental health disorders, including depression, heart disease and obesity.
Doctors already realize that trauma survivors frequently smoke, drink, and overeat as a way to cope with their emotional turmoil. Now they are finding that the cases of early trauma may stunt the development of children's brains, leaving these children increasingly vulnerable to physical and mental disorders later in life.
The bottom line: parents need to take greater care to shelter their children from the risk of traumatic childhood experiences. They also need to be more tuned in to the moods of their children from a younger age to look for warning signs and be willing to take responsibility for helping children cope with their problems at an early age, which sometimes could mean professional counseling or treatment.
Excerpted from: http://www.aetv.com/intervention/insights/index.jsp
Check out the Orange County ACA website at: Orange County Adult Children
Many studies have shown, the roots of addiction and substance abuse often reach much deeper than most people assume, with traumatic early childhood abuse and family dysfunction laying the foundation for more troubling behavior later in life.
Vincent J. Felitti, MD, head of preventive medicine at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, has identified seven different categories of "adverse childhood experiences," including three categories of abuse and four categories of household dysfunction. The categories of abuse include verbal abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse. The categories of household dysfunction include the experience of living with a mentally ill family member.
For example, Jason was a 23-year-old with a bright future who turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with excessive childhood punishments and a scandalous break-up of his parent's marriage. Ben, 25, experienced a childhood filled with domestic violence, homelessness and isolation before eventually becoming a DXM addict. Lawrence, 34, was a successful owner of a chain of tanning salons who eventually turned to alcohol to dull the pain of emotional and physical abuse suffered in childhood.
This anecdotal evidence from "Intervention" is backed up by scientific and clinical studies showing that traumatic childhood experiences can lead to a higher risk of adult alcohol or substance addiction. Adult survivors of childhood physical, emotional, or sexual abuse are not only at increased risk for addiction, but they are increasingly more likely to suffer from a host of physical and mental health disorders, including depression, heart disease and obesity.
Doctors already realize that trauma survivors frequently smoke, drink, and overeat as a way to cope with their emotional turmoil. Now they are finding that the cases of early trauma may stunt the development of children's brains, leaving these children increasingly vulnerable to physical and mental disorders later in life.
The bottom line: parents need to take greater care to shelter their children from the risk of traumatic childhood experiences. They also need to be more tuned in to the moods of their children from a younger age to look for warning signs and be willing to take responsibility for helping children cope with their problems at an early age, which sometimes could mean professional counseling or treatment.
Excerpted from: http://www.aetv.com/intervention/insights/index.jsp
Check out the Orange County ACA website at: Orange County Adult Children
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