ACA WSO

11/20/2025

Town Hall discussion
December 6th 2025, 11 am eastern US time zone
December 6th 2025, 9 pm (2100) eastern TZ
January 17 2026, 11 am, eastern us time zone
January 17, 2026, 9 pm (2100) us eastern time zone
WSO representatives will be in attendance to answer questions and help navigate voting

Each group has one vote

11/19/2025

Accepting Ourselves

11/18/2025

So many of us come into ACA blaming our parents for what has gone wrong in our lives. We tell ourselves, "If only I'd had a ‘normal' family I wouldn't have so many problems; why couldn't things have been different?"

There's no doubt we deserved better; as innocent children we had few choices. But as adults, if we continue to focus solely on blaming our families, we will perpetuate the dysfunction. It's generational, and it's the same system in which our parents were raised.

Often we didn't want to see our role in the continued dysfunction before we started our recovery. Maybe we even told ourselves "I won't treat my children like that." But it's likely we either did some of the same things or maybe we moved 180 degrees the other way, trying to be more of a friend than a parent.

But all children need reasonable parents, just as we did. Until we uncover and deal with our own issues, we'll continue to repeat dysfunctional patterns. The ACA program gives us the middle ground where recovery lives. And we deserve to live in that space.

On this day I will remember that family dysfunction is a generational disease. I affirm my choice to break the cycle by working my program.

11/18/2025

Personal Higher Power

“…each ACA member is free to choose a Higher Power, who is available and personal to the individual. No one will make this decision for us.”
BRB p. 79

During our childhoods, some of us were severely abused, tortured if you will. Maybe we were drugged or forced into sexual roles that seem unthinkable to a civilized society. Perhaps we were even forced to hurt other children.

As adults, we tried to come to grips with how there could have been a loving Higher Power that let that happen to us as sweet, vulnerable children. As we remembered the intense feelings caused by such devastating treatment, we asked ourselves, “Where was God on that day?”

When we are truly seeking an answer, something that will allow us to make sense of our lives, we are ready for the ACA Solution. This is where we learn that we have the freedom to choose a loving Higher Power of our new understanding. This loving presence helps us discover how we can heal all of our wounds. As we seek our truth, these wounds, no matter how deep, are being transformed into strengths.

On this day I will continue to seek an awareness of a loving Higher Power that is larger than all of the dysfunction I have endured.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

11/17/2025

Generational Family Dysfunction

“We avoid blame because we are aware of the generational nature of family dysfunction.”
BRB p. 157

So many of us come into ACA blaming our parents for what has gone wrong in our lives. We tell ourselves, “If only I’d had a ‘normal’ family I wouldn’t have so many problems; why couldn’t things have been different?”

There’s no doubt we deserved better; as innocent children we had few choices. But as adults, if we continue to focus solely on blaming our families, we will perpetuate the dysfunction. It’s generational, and it’s the same system in which our parents were raised.

Often we didn’t want to see our role in the continued dysfunction before we started our recovery. Maybe we even told ourselves “I won’t treat my children like that.” But it’s likely we either did some of the same things or maybe we moved 180 degrees the other way, trying to be more of a friend than a parent.

But all children need reasonable parents, just as we did. Until we uncover and deal with our own issues, we’ll continue to repeat dysfunctional patterns. The ACA program gives us the middle ground where recovery lives. And we deserve to live in that space.

On this day I will remember that family dysfunction is a generational disease. I affirm my choice to break the cycle by working my program.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

11/16/2025

11/16/2025

Service

“Between the time we have decided to disconnect from our alcoholic beliefs but have not yet reached the security of a spiritual awakening lies a ‘dark night of the soul’ where we perceive there is no guiding force whatsoever. Our passage through this terrifying and often chaotic period of uncertainty and doubt is where we experience the power of our program and realize the importance of the service we give and receive.”
BRB p. 359

Between the familiar dysfunctional attitudes and thinking and emotional sobriety there can be a period of waiting in the spiritual hallway. Even here, there is an opportunity to grow in patience, tolerance, and self-acceptance.

As we wait for clarity, other ACAs encourage us to “keep coming back.” We make forward movement, discovering a Higher Power that supports our healing. Thankfully, the pain lessens with time, and the relief comes more quickly than we imagined.

While parts of our work may remain undone, the satisfaction of having achieved some level of emotional sobriety, and of having grieved parts of ourselves and survived the process gives us strength to carry on with unfinished work. We know we can face other areas with the firm knowledge that the spiritual awakening we seek awaits us. With hope and love in our hearts, we encourage others in their passage. This is the highest form of service: speaking from experience about the strength and hope we have achieved.

On this day I will share my experience of being in the spiritual hallway between dysfunctional thinking and emotional sobriety, and how I was able to find the open door on the other side.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

11/15/2025

Mini book libraries “take one leave one” are appearing around many neighborhoods. Look what I found in one near me. What a great idea to help carry the message.

11/15/2025

Holidays are fast approaching. Make a special gift to yourself, a fellow traveler or even a family member. ACA bears can get you through hard times with unwavering love. They are fantastic listeners and sooo soft and cuddly.
Order today at
Adultchildren.org /shop.
wSO shop also has other great gifts, bookmarks with the Serenity Affirmations to fill the stockings of every member of your meeting, a Big Red book for that friend still looking to find emotional clarity, or donate literature to you local library.
But the best of all is to buy yourself a bear, you deserve to be loved unconditionally

11/15/2025

Promise Eleven

“With help from our ACA support group, we will slowly release our dysfunctional behaviors.”
BRB p. 591

Getting support to undergo the very challenging task of doing ACA work happens slowly. We might first hear of an ACA meeting and consider attending it, only to find that the day and time don’t quite work for us. Then our schedule changes and we are able to venture into our first meeting, usually filled with apprehension. We might start out looking at the slogans hanging on the walls and just listening to hear if, in fact, we have finally found a place to work through our issues.

As we continue to attend meetings, we might start looking around at the members and begin chatting with them afterwards to see if we can begin to gather more support. When we feel comfortable, we might then become ready to make some inroads in our Step work with a fellow traveler.

As we begin to experience our feelings and as our memories return, the empathetic listeners we have gathered around us will encourage us to go forward. They have our backs. We then slowly let go of our dysfunctional behaviors and are released into the functional world.

On this day I will seek out ACA members who will support me as I learn how to practice more purposeful behavior.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

11/14/2025

On this day I choose to spend my time and energy on those who wish to make this journey with me. I deserve to be heard and loved for who I am.

11/14/2025

Uniqueness