It took me a while to realize it. Once I was able to see it, it took my breath away.

For years, I was walking around with bubble wrap. Not physically, but emotionally. Layer upon layer of bubble wrap to keep myself a safe distance from other people. I would think I was fully showing up for friends, family, a partner... but I wasn't.

This week, I want to talk about what it's like once you are able to see this part of your life. And what you may miss from that old life, when you still had all your bubble wrap on. I share what it was like for me and share some tools to help you shed yours, so you can feel safe to be yourself with other people and really connect with them meaningfully.

To learn more about this topic, click here.

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An emerging body of research has begun to show us that regular journaling - even for just 15-20 minutes a day - can significantly help those who are struggling with past or current trauma. This practice can not only help you get your thoughts out of you and onto the page so you can begin to understand them, it can also reduce inflammation in the body, boost your immune system and can reduce doctor’s visits.

This week, I share with you how journaling has helped me on my journey not just as an ACoA but as a human who feels all the things. Sharing my story in secret pages with myself was the first way I started to tell my story at all. That sharing helped me process my emotions and begin healing.

In this episode, I share several journal prompts to guide you. By the end of the episode, you'll have your first entry started.

Sit down with a notepad and pen when listening to this podcast.

Get Journaling Resources Here

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We're always told that healing takes time and that it's ok to take our time. And that's true. And I've taken great comfort in that.

But when I first learned about the ACEs test and the very idea that our past experiences can affect not only our mental health but our physical health, I was stunned. It made healing seem like a far more urgent endeavor.

In today's episode, I talk about the ACEs test which calculates our Adverse Childhood Experiences. I share this tool with you because it dramatically shifted how I think about healing and it gave me every reason I needed to prioritize my healing in a way I never had before.

Link to ACEs resources: https://www.changeofair.com/blog/adverse-childhood-experiences 

Link to ACEs test & research: https://acestoohigh.com

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Last week, I talked about tools that are available to help you process your thoughts and feelings as an adult child of an alcoholic.

In addition to the meetings, there are so many other amazing tools that can be of help. They're practices that have helped millions of people for years with their own lives, not just those who are ACoAs. These tools aren't frequently talked about in ACoA circles but they are so powerful when paired with more traditional tools and they've been instrumental in my own healing so I want to make sure you know about them and can access them whenever you need them.

This week, I share the power of yoga, meditation, breathwork, tapping/EFT and journaling.

All the resources I mention in this episode are at: https://www.changeofair.com/blog/mind-body-resources-for-acoas

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There are thousands of different types of meetings around the world to help those who suffer from alcoholism or those that have loved ones that do. Each meeting is different depending on the location and audience. Each organization is unique and different in what they offer to help.

It might be easy to go to a meeting and think "Oh this isn't right. I don't feel it. Maybe it's me..."

But the truth is: not every meeting is for everyone. Not every organization is for everyone.

It took me years to see WHY that is. Why some meetings work for some and some not for others. And it can even change over the years as we get older. What didn't work in the past might be very valuable today.

In this episode, I'll talk you through the different organizations that offer meetings. I'll talk about how meetings can vary depending not only on the organization, but where in the world you might be.

My goal is to help you find the right set of tools for you and your situation. Not everything works for everyone. But you can find what works for YOU.

Helpful Links:

Adult Children of Alcoholics:
https://adultchildren.org/meeting-search/

Al-Anon:
https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/

Codependents Anonymous:
https://coda.org/find-a-meeting/

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When you read the list, it might really hit close to home.

When I was 14, I read 13 Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics for the first time.

I knew I came from a different family. But to read the list as a child, I wasn't able to fully process it.

Now that I've read it countless times as an adult, I see it so differently.

In this episode, I'm here to help you go through the list yourself. Whether you've read it before or you're new to it.

Being honest with ourselves is the first step in working through our story.

I'm here to help you take yours.

Click Here to read The 13 Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics

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It's time.

You no longer need to keep your secret.

In this first episode of Change of Air, I share my story growing up in a family with alcoholics. From how I had to deal with family members as a kid all the way to today, where the trauma from the past can show up in little moments in life when I least expect it.

I share my journey and where I'm at today. I share the healing tools that have worked and those that have not. 
In sharing our stories, we realize that we're not alone. When you share your story, you help someone else move courageously through theirs.

We're all on this journey together and I'm honored to create this safe space for us to learn and share and heal together.

It begins with this episode, right here, right now.   Find me on Instagram   Get resources to help you with your own journey   Visit my website

Change of Air is a weekly resource that offers a safe community, practical tools and powerful mind+body practices for adult children of alcoholics.  Change of Air is hosted by Callie Miller, daughter of two alcoholics. She grew up in a home that was disordered, dysfunctional, unsafe for her and her brother, and deeply confusing. It took her years to unpack how growing up in an alcoholic home can affect every aspect of your life. She's now offering all of the tools, both traditional and modern, eastern and western, that helped her heal. This podcast will be a light to you as you navigate your own healing. You are seen and known and loved and supported. It is safe here.