Adult Child

This is a long weekend for many Canadians, due to Canada Day being on a Friday. My father decided to take a three-day weekend and turn it into a 5 day. (It's back to 3.5-day weekend though.) He had Thursday and Saturday off, and Sunday and Monday. The last of one week, the beginning of the next. He's decided to go back to work Sunday overnight though. He kinda makes his own hours. In the meantime, most people love the idea of a long weekend, whether it's 3, 4, 5 days long. What a time to get things done!

Wait.

This is my father.

I don't know what normal fathers do on their days off. I can guess, judging by television and movies. I also know that my grandfather, a mason by trade, also spent a lot of timing building his kitchen, digging out half a basement and redoing half his house. I have many memories of my grandfather in his workshop or shed building or working on something. He also likes fishing and keeps a garden. Television tells me that fathers also like to do a lot more around the house, golf, camp.

Not my father.

My father likes to drink. I'm not sure if you're surprised by this or not. Depends who you are and what you already know about me.

The plan was originally for him to drink from Thursday to Sunday, using Monday as a day to "recover". However, I'm sure that tomorrow will be the recovery day. The way he plans it, the way he drinks alone, drinks to escape his problems, I think you know where I'm going with this.

There are other problems, other addictions, but I won't go into this here. I will say that, yes, I'm an adult child of a parent with addictions. This is most likely the cause for a lot of my problems.

The following are a list of characteristics common in people like me:

• have to guess what normal behaviour is in many situations,
• have difficulties completing projects,
• lie when it is equally simple to tell the truth,
• are self-judgmental,
• have difficulties having fun,
• take themselves very seriously,
• have problems in intimate relationships,
• overreact to changes which they can't control,
• are always looking for approval and confirmation,
• think they're different,
• are either extremely responsible or extremely irresponsible,
• are extremely loyal, also to people who do not deserve it,
• are impulsive

I'm pretty sure I have at least 11 of these.

Therapy is going to be very interesting again. Previously, I learned how to deal and cope with the anxiety all this caused. Not, I need to untie the knots. I think these are tied up pretty strong.