A few times in my life, someone has taken a quick look at me and been able to tell me about myself or a little bit about who I am or what I’ve been through. Some people have that gift. Whether they are psychologists, tarot readers, or some old lady in the grocery store line, they are able to see something in my eyes that tells my entire story – in a language only they understand. This sort of deep fundamental analysis of my psyche has rarely happened outside of interpersonal contact. However, when I first read Perfect Daughters, by Dr. Robert J. Ackerman, I felt like he was one of those people who could look inside me, but adding to the complexity, was the fact that it was through the pages of a book. The book is written on the subject of adult daughters of alcoholics. Though published in 1989, the book’s core values and principals still apply in today’s alcoholic-ridden society. Millions of women have grown up under the care of alcoholics developing certain traits, repeating certain patterns, not really sure why they have become the person they have. Perfect Daughters attempts to explain the characteristics of an adult daughter of an alcoholic. For this book, he studied more than 1200 women who grew up in alcoholic families in order to substantiate that there is in fact a distinct difference between them and those who did not grow up in an alcoholic family. The book is geared towards recovery, since no two women could have possible lived the same lives and endured the same heartache. Dr. Ackerman separates the book into four parts: Part One: An exploration of childhood for one raised by an alcoholic parent In this section, Dr. Ackerman addresses the differences in parental gender and its affect on the child. It is often felt that being the child of an alcoholic mother is extremely different than being one of an alcoholic father. Part Two: An exploration of yourself and your behaviors Why are you who you are? Where do these patterns – both negative and positive – emerge? How have you managed to cope with the issues in your past and present? Part Three: Exploration of past and present behaviors and accepting them Dr. Ackerman explores the opinions of the adult daughters on relationships, parenting, parental issues and addictions. Every woman may not have addressed every issue, but there was at least one woman to exemplify every issue. Part Four: Exploration of discovering and recovering This section is about finding the strength and beauty within. Learning to accept those parts of yourself you cherish and discard or change those parts that are harmful.
David is the owner of <a href="http://www.alcohol-drug-abuse-treatment.com"> Rehabilitation Help</a>, and <a href="http://www.alcohol-rehabilitation-center.com"> Alcholol Rehabilitation </a> websites. David provides great resources for people seeking information regarding these subjects.
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