It Will Never Happen to Me Growing up with Addiction as Youngsters, Adolescents, Adults

Using narratives and profiles, she describes survival techniques characteristic of children raised in alcoholic families, including the unspoken laws of don't talk, don't trust, and don't feel. First explaining how such learned responses cause difficulties in adulthood, Black carefully guides readers in identifying self-defeating, destructive behaviors and finding a healthier, happier way to live. Key features and benefits a proven seller by a respected recovery author contains easy-to-follow, useful exercises can be used by individuals or in a therapeutic settingHere is Claudia Black's best-selling classic on the experience and legacy of being raised in an addictive household. In an all too familiar scenario, played out in millions of homes everyday, children who grow up in addictive families abide by certain rules: don't talk, don't trust, don't feel. And they take on rigid survival roles--the responsible child, the adjuster, the placater, the acting-out child--that are youthful coping behaviours which can eventually contribute to problems of depression, loneliness and addiction in adulthood.Using poignant personal stories, revealing explanations, and helpful exercises, Black helps readers gain personal insights and develop new skills that lead to a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life.While continuing to recognize alcohol as the primary addiction within families, this newly revised edition of "It Will Never Happen to Me" broadens concepts to include addictive disorders involving other drugs, money, food, sex and work.With more than two million copies sold, this is the definitive book for adult children of alcoholics. Black expertly identifies common issues faced by children who grow up in alcoholic families: she describes survival techniques characteristic of children raised in alcoholic families, explains how such learned responses cause difficulties in adulthood, and carefully guides readers in identifying self-defeating, destructive behaviors and finding healthier, happier lives.