The Effects of Trauma - Betsy - ACA Speaker

Betsy, an adult child of an alcoholic and an inc survivor, shared their journey of recovery and the profound impact of trauma on their life since attending their first ACA meeting in 1984. They candidly discussed the deep-seated belief of being “bad” stemming from childhood trauma, including parental divorce, a father’s bizarre behavior after his new wife’s suicide, and a sexual assault by their father. Betsy emphasized that traditional 12-step approaches don’t fully address trauma, advocating for specific trauma-informed meetings and using the simple affirmation “I’m not bad” as a crucial tool for healing and post-traumatic growth.