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Emotional Sobriety

During our recovery work through the ACA Program, we begin to feel a noticeable freedom from the damaging effects of The Laundry List traits. We are healing from the trauma and neglect of our childhood.

We gain emotional sobriety by reparenting ourselves. We learn to love ourselves, perhaps for the first time in our memory. 

As part of this healing we are changing, or, in many cases, moving away from our relationships that have been controlling and without feelings or trust.  We begin to feel connected, both to ourselves and to others. This connectedness in relationships is characterized by the freedom to express our feelings and associate with people with whom there is mutual trust and respect. We bring our True Selves to our relationships. We know we have something to offer that is different from unhealthy dependence. 

This is what ACA recovery looks like. It addresses our soul rupture from our primary relationships with our family and caregivers. 

With Emotional Sobriety, we live with feelings, spirituality, and our true identity. We experience ACA’s 12 Promises. At long last, we understand what it feels like to live “happy, joyous and free.”

*Paraphrased and quoted from our fellowship text “Big Red Book (BRB)” pp 265-266