Author Archive

ACOA = Adult Child of an Alcoholic PTSD = Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Once upon a time there was a little girl who was unfortunately influenced by the effects of having a parent who was subject to being under the influence of alcohol. This child and this parent were truly just regular folks who felt pain. Be it the pain of overwhelm, fear of death, loss, lack, feelings of inadequacy, and depression. The child was subject to many mini-traumas and sometimes large traumas.

PTSD/ACOAChildren feel way more than we understand. The sense of fear that would be elicited in the girl’s body made her heart jump and her breath stop. The fear of saying or doing the wrong thing made her become very careful and reserved, for an accidental burst of joy or smart talk could affect the whole family when the bear awoke and showed its ugly teeth. One could not jeopardize the entire group through bad words or behavior. Thus slowly and sometimes instantly, the shutdown begins and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is born within another innocent heart.

Gradually numbing and disconnect occur in the heart of the girl who loved to be free and spontaneous was gone and buried deep within where no one could see her. She was hidden away. Her trust in her family was shifted to disappointment. Was it possible to trust anyone in this world? Doesn’t every parent betray, abandon and neglect their child? How does one figure all this out? I know… be really good in school where expectations are more predictable.

Sometimes her fear turned into rage. How can anyone for so long hold their precious feelings ever so tightly with no room for passion and hopefulness, creativity, empowerment and enthusiasm. All of these wonderful growth feelings every child deserves to engage with were limited and diminished by the alcoholic parent. The feelings that were allowed were despair, discouragement, insecurity, numbing, unworthiness and powerlessness. She had acquired those in abundance. Those feelings she lived with every day until her ability to feel the others was nearly gone or only showed up on rare occasions.

Now as an Adult Child of an Alcoholic (ACOA), she has the clear choice to not engage with the alcoholic or the behavior patterns. She slowly uncovers the joyful feelings and creates space to give them new light and air to breath and expand. The process can be challenging, but the outcome is always blissfully better. More time spent with appreciation, love, knowledge and freedom, is worth the dark journey to it. She found her way out of the tunnel of fear and into the tunnel of Love. The Good news is she didn’t do it alone. She found many allies who assisted in loving her while she recovered her lost heart. Her Brennan Healing Science healer was at the core.

It is important to find the support you need with fellow travelers who have endured the rigorous training and imprinting living in a family of alcoholics brings to us. Get yourself to an Al-Anon meeting that feels good to you. There you will find a fellowship of travelers. Try some psychotherapy to work out the details of the pain and events that caused the mini-traumas leading to the varying levels of PTSD which may affect you in adulthood.

Brennan Healing Energy combined with Reiki can help you re-pattern your bio-energetic neuro-network that was imprinted with the alcoholic training. Reiki Energy Healing can also help you and re-parent yourself to a new place of emotional response to the triggers of life. Once you learn how to do it you can use it on yourself.

Always remember to have compassions for yourself and the alcoholic who was most likely a little child with some scary bear in the house as well. Love and forgiveness heal all wounds. It just takes time and support to recover. If you would like to talk about this disease some more schedule a free consult to see if Brennan Energy Healing is right for you. Email me today.

Blessings for your recovery.

Burn Your Debris

Day 39 SOS-2000 Poetry Project

Burn Your Debris
by Barbara Brennan

Burn the debris that has accumulated
around all of your original creations that are still in progress,
that have simply been standing by the wayside
awaiting your recognition.

Look with loving eyes.
Bring them gently into the fire of the burning heart,
and accept those portions of your being for what they are now.
The debris burns.
Within it you find the original spark,
the original divine creative urge,
the original light that seeks its self,
that seeks to unfold, to express,
that seeks to give its loving essence forth into the world.

Gayle’s Reflection:

My original creations are still very much under wraps.
Is it time to burn off the debris and allow it to flourish in the light of my adoring eyes?
Or is it time for continued judgment and procrastination?
What do I give to myself that I create?
Dare I show the world or hold it close to my heart?

This poetry project was gathering some debris as I stopped writing for a month. Realizing I was missing it, I began again today. Reigniting the spark Barbara speaks of, flaming the fire of my heart where my intention, love and creation originate. I am allowing myself to come in contact with the words to paper, the inspiration of the poem, then the stream that opens me to this divine process.

You see, I choose the poetic inspiration as a practice of getting myself comfortable with my own thoughts, ideas and writing words on the paper. Thereby creating a discipline of coming in contact with my teacher, and the lessons she gave. All of it brings me deeper into my own wisdom and creative essence self.

Being creative was not a lesson I received early on in life. It was more about doing the tasks required of me to please the adults around me. The positive reflection of my own creative nature was limited or non-existent. I give myself permission to witness and go with my own ebb and flow.

Now I am opening it up again in order to exercise my love of words to paper.
So burn off the debris of limitation with the fires of Beltane!
Have a bonfire and call back those portions which remain unfinished.
Tune into the expansion of life force, the original creative urge that seeks to express itself.
AHHH…the out breath of spring and warmth and light.
Rake up the old debris and alight it to fire!
Make room for new growth.

The seeds have been planted, and the darkness of winter is gone.
Light up and create!

Thank you Barbara,
I am shedding the dross and confines of winter and readying for more creative urges.

See you tomorrow,
Love Gayle

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