ACA WSO

ACA WSO Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)/Dysfunctional Families is a Twelve Step, Twelve Tradition program of people who grew up in dysfunctional homes.

This page is intended to provide ACA info only. Cross talk or inappropriate language is not permitted. Find an ACA meeting online or in your area. https://adultchildren.org/meeting-group/

New Way of Life
01/18/2026

New Way of Life

01/17/2026

Service

“Fortunately, our Second Tradition reminds us that our real authority in ACA meetings and service work is ‘a loving God as expressed in our group conscience.’”
BRB p. 499

There may often be few, if any, experienced members in our ACA meetings. Who then makes the group’s decisions? Who chairs? Who buys the literature? Who sponsors the newcomer when we are all newcomers?

Others of us who started ACA meetings have dealt with this situation by just opening the meetings and asking if anyone wished to chair. We had faith that someone would find the courage to step up. When we asked for someone to buy literature or make copies, a Higher Power brought someone to the meeting who was willing to do this bit of service. When we looked around for someone to work the Steps with us, a comfortable person seemed to appear.

So it is for our group’s purpose. When confronted by a situation that seems greater than us, we can feel reassured that by turning it over to the group’s Higher Power in the form of a group conscience, a decision can be made. We trust that we can work out the details when we have the best interest of the meeting in mind. If our egos get in the way, we talk to someone and sort it out. We help the day-to-day affairs of the meeting to run smoothly.

On this day I will trust that a Higher Power will express itself through our group’s conscience, giving us an opportunity for unity and spiritual growth.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

This Higher Power is as diverse as the individuals of the group. ACA provides a Spiritual path to recovery; it is not a ...
01/16/2026

This Higher Power is as diverse as the individuals of the group. ACA provides a Spiritual path to recovery; it is not a religious organization, nor is it affiliated with any religion.

As a Twelve Step organization, each person is encouraged to seek a Higher Power, or God, of their own understanding.

For some, this may well be the God of their religious background or affiliation, the God of their church, synagogue, or mosque. For others, their Higher Power many simply come to be the supportive energy they feel and appreciate within their ACA group meeting.

01/16/2026

Hitting Bottom

“All bottoms have meaning, and all bottoms can be a starting point for a new way of life. There is hope. Healing is possible.” BRB p. 124

We come to ACA because we’ve hit some type of a bottom. Maybe we feel hopeless because life hasn’t gone as we hoped. Or we’ve lost too much because of our dysfunctional behaviors, and we realize that we don’t know how to change on our own. We tried, but it didn’t work. Maybe we find our way to a meeting because deep down we know there has to be something more.

Working the ACA program doesn’t mean we might not hit more bottoms. Some of us are often blindsided by something we thought we’d dealt with. Maybe we’ve spent eons working on our over-responsibility character defect and have made great strides. Then in the face of overwhelming stress and grief, it feels as if we find ourselves right back where we were before we began recovery. We’re in there trying to take care of everyone, being the buffer, trying to control the situation.

The difference this time is that we’re not really in the same place. We now have tools: the telephone, the BRB, and the meetings. This new bottom tells us that we’re a complex individual who doesn’t have all the answers.

On this day, when I slip so far that I think I can’t see daylight, I will not abandon myself. I will look at my situation as another opportunity for growth in the program.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

Promise One
01/15/2026

Promise One

01/14/2026

Unvoiced Pain

“In acting out, I was screaming when I could not voice my pain.” BRB p. 503

Many of us spent years drinking to numb our pain, eating for comfort, using drugs for escape, using s*x while hoping for love, or whatever worked for us. While some of us found other Twelve Step programs that helped us with our self-harming, addictive behaviors, others of us may have lived life rotating from one behavior to another. We felt we needed something to help us separate ourselves from the pain, so we “acted out” as a way to avoid “feeling in.”

As children, we went through so many tough experiences alone. We couldn’t tell anyone what was happening or how we felt. We couldn’t even admit that the craziness we observed was really occurring. No one would listen, or if they did, they would smooth it over with excuses or tell us there was something wrong with us for even saying it out loud. As a result, these thoughts or words festered inside.

We now are able to put a voice to our pain that can be heard by others in ACA. No one judges us for feeling the way that we do. Our True Self is able to shine through without turning to our former addictions, our silent partners. We are freeing ourselves from the guilt, shame and loneliness of our past.

On this day, if I feel the pull to act out, I will stay in the moment and try to find out what is triggering my reaction. I will use whatever ACA tools I need to in order to help myself.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

Taking a Risk
01/13/2026

Taking a Risk

This is a description, not an indictment. Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)/Dysfunctional Families is a Twelve Step, Tw...
01/12/2026

This is a description, not an indictment. Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)/Dysfunctional Families is a Twelve Step, Twelve Tradition program of people who grew up in dysfunctional homes. The purpose of this post is to educate and provide resources for those who are seeking answers.

01/12/2026

Trait One

“We became isolated and afraid of people and authority figures.” BRB p. 10

So many of us shut down and hide because of our fear of people and authority figures. Most of this fear stems from the way we were treated when we were young. Understandably, what we learned as children carries over into most everything we do today: fear of our partner or boss, fear of success or failure, fear of conflict – the list can seem endless.

Our childhood authority figures, our parents, were often physically, verbally, or emotionally abusive. One thing many of us thought we learned for sure: if anything went wrong, it was our fault.

While working the ACA Steps with a sponsor, we gradually and bravely uncover the traumatic moments from our childhood that made such lasting impressions. No wonder we were scared. No wonder we held our breath and squeezed our muscles tight. Knowing what happened is what leads to change – one follows the other for a reason.

All of our work bears fruit. At some point, the clouds open up and the sun shines through. We get it! We don’t have to live in fear anymore. Freedom feels terrific! Thank you, Higher Power!

On this day I acknowledge the fears I’ve carried for most of my life, and I remind myself that I am now safe. I take deep breaths and feel gratitude for the people in my life who are kind and loving.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

01/11/2026

False Self

“The dysfunction is encoded into our souls as the false self.” BRB p. 105

Many of us couldn’t be ourselves as children. In order to survive, we bought our parent’s negative messages, and then as adults, we repeated their dishonest justifications for crazy behavior. We remember our destructive false pride that wouldn’t allow us to admit mistakes or feel vulnerable. On some level, we always knew what we were doing, but our false self was in charge and we didn’t have the words or thought processes to do things differently or to express true feelings.

What hurts the most is that for those of us who have children, we modeled this dishonest behavior for them. As much as we tried to stop ourselves, we just couldn’t see our way through to show them a better side.

In recovery, we now see that our wounds were so deep that it’s hard to imagine that we had a hole that big in our soul. Today we can see that our lack of honesty for so long is constant proof of the trauma we suffered as children, and the reason we need ACA to break the cycle. This is where we strip away all the layers of shame that created our false self. We now more readily admit our shortcomings because as adults we can handle any fallout. In doing so, we help keep the family craziness from growing.

On this day I release my false self and have the courage to admit when I am wrong. I do this so that the hurts stop piling up for both myself and others.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

01/10/2026

Recovery Language

“We may be speaking program lingo, but we are not talking about what truly bothers us.” BRB p. 432

In the beginning, many of us found great comfort in the new language of recovery. It shielded us against the old way of thinking. But some of us found that “talking the talk” without “walking the walk” did not change our actual behavior. We damaged ourselves and those around us by treading lightly. As we learned when we were children, we did not make waves, and the consequences still hurt us deeply. What we needed to see was that we were in a fight for our very lives.

As we recognize our complacence, we begin to free ourselves. We embrace our choices as adults with a firm backbone. We grow up. We do for ourselves what no one else can do: we rescue ourselves. We do this by surrendering our controlling grip and letting other people into our lives who can help us – a sponsor, a fellow traveler, a therapist – whomever we need.

We are not looking for perfection, but progress. We put aside our doubts and walk into the light of a new truth. It may feel painful to be honest and try something new, but not as painful as staying where we are.

On this day I will take action to get a sponsor if I don’t already have one. I will commit to working the Steps and not just sound like I know what I’m talking about when I really don’t.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

01/09/2026

We learn that we cannot recover alone or in isolation.

On this day I choose to co-create a healing sanctuary in my group, which gathers its strength from a power greater than our individual selves.

Address

1901 E 29th Street
Signal Hill, CA
90755

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+13105341815

Website

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