Keeping the Past in the Past

Past trauma need not rule my present and future.

When I think of all the days that I kept the secret of growing up in an alcoholic family.

Today I tell whomever I can. Oftentimes, as I mentioned yesterday it is to elicit sympathy.

Every time I do this though, my past is brought into the present.

I’m pretty sure recovery does not mean inviting the past into the present  but rather inviting healing into the present and future.

The disease of parental alcoholism does not have to define us unless we want it to. We had and have no control over what our parents did while we were growing up.

What are some of the ways that we bring our past into the present?

•    Repeating old patterns we adopted as ACA’s  
•     Looking for sympathy, falling into “victimhood”
•  Sabotaging current efforts-blaming any of our current problems on our past to accommodate fear of success and not wanting responsibility.

 It takes pain and stepping out of our comfort zone in order to grow. Re-parenting ourselves means we eventually have to grow up and that means accountability and responsibility; we can no longer hide behind the label of ACA.

What are some other ways we bring the past into our present and keep us from moving forward?