ACADF is a fellowship of people who practice the 12 Steps Program which focuses on emotional sobriety. 

 

We, the Adult Children of Alcoholics / Dysfunctional Families, were profoundly affected by the dysfunction in our families of origin, whether alcoholism or addiction were present or not.  The thinking and behavior patterns we developed to survive a difficult childhood no longer work for us in our adult lives and interfere negatively in our daily lives, sometimes with tragic results.

 

Before doing this work, our personal lives may have been shattered with self-harming behaviors such as addictions, rage, domestic violence, perfectionism, compulsions, workaholism, anxiety and so on. Many of us experienced broken relationships, job dissatisfaction and deep unhappiness about our lives. 

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Our members meet regularly to share their experience, strength and hope with each other and help to understand and work the program as described below.

 

Together we have adapted The Twelve Steps which are documented in our basic text which we affectionately call the Big Red Book. To achieve emotional sobriety we attend ACADF meetings and go through the ACA's Twelve Steps of recovery. Fellow Travellers with more experience with program voluntarily help to conduct meetings.

 

We also work at ACA's Solution of becoming our own Loving Parent by using the Loving Parent Guidebook. This part of the program helps to identify our fragmented inner family - the Inner Child(ren), Inner Teen(s), Inner Critical Parent Voices/Tapes and a Loving Parent. And then through the work of the Laundry Lists Workbook, we integrate the traits to become whole people who are happy, joyous and free.

 

All our work comes from a place of love. We encourage each member to work with themselves with love, respect, gentleness and humor. This work is recommended to be worked with other fellow members at your own pace and capacity.

 

ACA offers a lifelong supporting network of fellowships spread across the world with meetings and conventions where we can participate to the extent, we feel comfortable with it.

 

ACA is a spiritual program, not a religious program. The only requirement for membership is a desire to recover from the effects of growing up in an alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional family. ACA has no membership fees, but we are self-supporting through our own contributions.

 

Please note that ACADF is not a replacement for programs for working on addictions or compulsive behaviors or an abstinence program in other Twelve Step fellowships.  ACADF works best for people that have obtained a level of sobriety in their other program(s).

 

Our meetings are intended to be a safe place for all members to recover. We share our experience, strength, and hope; we offer compassion and understanding to each other.   

 

We welcome you to join us.