Book of the Month
Adult Children of Alcoholics
by Janet Geringer Woititz, Ed.D.
 A trailblazer when it was published over twenty years ago, Janet Geringer Woititz’s book continues to provide an abundance of knowledge about what it means to be an adult child of an alcoholic. Geringer Woititz identifies what children do and don’t learn, as well as the behaviors and skills we develop in order to survive in a family struggling with alcohol abuse. She describes what happens, how it is perceived through a child’s eyes, and the resulting developmental deficits and self-defeating behaviors we struggle with in adulthood if we grew up with a parent(s) who abused alcohol. When parents are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, they can’t be present for children on an emotional, mental, and/or physical level. At the very least, parental alcohol abuse creates child neglect. In many situations it leads to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. But this is not a book about blame. Geringer Woititz is clearly focused on the responsibility of adult children to change certain traits and behaviors which disrupt specific areas of their lives. Drawing from client examples and clinical research, she provides knowlege, guidance, and understanding to help us create first an awareness of what we learned in our families, then the ability to learn new, more positive ways of relating to ourselves and others. Geringer Woititz helps us discard those old, self-protective fears so we can learn to trust, feel, and express ourselves. Ultimately we can experience true intimacy in relationships and lead fuller, more satisfying lives.
|