Tian Dayton - The Soulful Journey of Recovery: A Guide to Healing from a Traumatic Past for ACAs, Codependents, or Those with Adverse Childhood Experiences

Of the many books on trauma, codependency, and children of alcoholics, The Soulful Journey of Recovery stands out as a groundbreaking work. Tian Dayton has synthesized current research, behavioral theory, and her years of experience in creating a must-read not just for those that have grown up in families of trauma but for clinicians who work with these individuals. Her understanding of what happens to a child physically, emotionally, and spiritually and how these experiences manifest in adult relationships is astounding. Dr. Dayton has a true gift for writing with clarity and inspiration and this book is no exception. The Soulful Journey of Recovery goes far beyond our notions of codependency and trauma-related issues and provides the reader with a deeper understanding and practical tools that will assist in healing.

Rokelle Lerner, Senior Clinical Advisor of Crossroads Antigua; author of Daily Affirmations for the Inner Child, Daily Affirmations for Adult Children of Alcoholics, and The Object of My Affection is in My Reflection; founding member of the National Association for Children of Addiction

Once again, as a great author, Dr. Tian Dayton has brought forth words that touch our hearts and souls. There are millions of us who were confused, devastated, and in emotional pain because of the addiction and the havoc that addiction played in our lives. She has reached in and pulled out the deep strength and courage that each of us houses inside our often too busy minds, aching hearts, and tired bodies. For the time we read her book, The Soulful Journey of Recovery, we breathe deep, we relax our personal selves, and are able to recharge, understand, and feel our own inner gifts. This is a book that must be read once, put into our memory and action bank, and then read as often as we need to recharge. I enjoyed being able to it pick up and put it down, absorbing the wisdom of each chapter. Dr. Tian Dayton has produced another masterpiece, and I highly recommend this book to all of us who have held hands as we walked the journey of recovery from all addictions.

Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse, author of Learning to Love Yourself, Choicemaking, Another Chance, and Caregiving; family therapist; cofounder of the National Association for Children of Addiction; founder of ONSITE Workshops, TN

I have always loved Tian Daytons work, and one more time, her words speak directly to me in my personal and professional journey. Whether you are new to her work or are a sage admirer, you will find yourself captivated, inspired, and furthered in your recovery journey. She has a great mastery of words as she cuts to the core and speaks the truth of those who have lived with trauma. As said in the introduction, recovery is not stopping something as much as it is beginning

Claudia Black, PhD, Senior Fellow of The Meadows; Director of the Claudia Black Young Adult Center; author of It Will Never Happen to Me and Unspoken Legacy; founding member of the National Association for Children of Addiction

The Soulful Journey of Recovery is a book that possesses the rare opportunity to simultaneously teach and emotionally touch the reader. Those children of all ages who have experienced trauma in their lives have the opportunity to read and reflect on the wisdom of Dr. Dayton. Her clinical expertise is obvious throughout the book. She is a master at helping others and is truly at the top of her game. This book will take the reader from personal traumas to shared recovery. I highly recommend her book to all who search for a journey to recovery. You will not be disappointed.

Robert J. Ackerman, PhD, professor emeritus from Indiana University of Pennsylvania; former Director of the Mid-Atlantic Addiction Research and Training Institute, author of Perfect Daughters and Silent Sons; cofounder of the National Association for Children of Addiction

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available through the Library of Congress

2019 Tian Dayton, PhD

ISBN-13: 978-07573-2200-6 (Paperback)

ISBN-10: 07573-2200-X (Paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-07573-2201-3 (ePub)

ISBN-10: 07573-2201-8 (ePub)

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

HCI, its logos, and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

Publisher: Health Communications, Inc. 1700 NW 2nd Avenue Boca Raton, FL 33432-1653

Cover design by Larissa Hise Henoch

Interior design and formatting by Lawna Patterson Oldfield

To my husband Brandt N. Dayton.

With love and endless devotion.

Heres to a lifelong friendship, friend.

Addiction rips through so many families and mine is no exception. In 2011, I lost my brother Hal to this disease. He was an addict and an alcoholic. He was also one of my favorite people on this planet. He was incredibly charming and quick witted, kind and generous, smart and quick to laugh. I miss him every day.

My idea of recovery was limited because I associated sobriety with stopping. You know, you get sober you stop drinking, stop doing drugs you just stop. But my time on Mom has taught me that recovery is actually about starting. Starting to live a life thats bigger than you thought possiblewhere you can trust people and they can trust you, where you can heal relationships and let go of the past, where theres no problem that you have to face alone.

On Mom, I get to see characters who were broken and defeated by alcoholism become part of a community filled with support, acceptance and unconditional loveand as a result of that, completely turn their lives around.

Allison Janney Excerpted from an acceptance speech for Freedom Institute Mona Mansell Award

I was excited when my dear friend, author Tian Dayton, asked me to write this foreword. Immediately, my memory returned to the early 80s when, quite by chance, I met Janet Woititz who handed me her dissertation, Adult Children of Alcoholics: Common Characteristics.

ACoA landed atop the New York Times bestsellers list and signified the beginning of a significant grassroots movement that made an enormous contribution to our understanding of addiction as a disease that affects the whole family.

Dr. Dayton wrote the The ACoA Trauma Syndrome in 2012, expanding that body of knowledge and deepening our understanding of the family of origin that surround addiction, making its treatment relevant once again.

The ACoA Trauma Syndrome made the connection between the adult child of alcoholics syndrome (ACoA, also known as ACA) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experienced by children who grew up in addicted families long after they have left their families of origin. Tian answered their haunting question: Why am I feeling the pain from my childhood now, as an adult, when I am no longer even living at home?

The Soulful Journey of Recovery is more than a book. It is an invitation to journey along the continuous path of discovery, a pathway to healing the wounds of a traumatic childhood.