Current Family Stressors and Risk Factors
Currently, my two sisters and I are going through a challenging period in which we are experiencing very poor communication. Not much effort is being made to resolve issues which have torn us apart. Our mother died 20 years ago from cervical cancer. In the wake of her death, all three of us have experienced various levels of addiction and alcoholism. Of the three of us, I am the only one who has attempted to recover, and I am grateful to say that I am six years clean and sober today. Both of my sisters have made it clear to me that they are experiencing detrimental consequences due to their problems with drugs and alcohol, yet neither of them has yet opted to take recovery seriously.
Initially, …show more content…
The fact that our mother was a widowed, single mom with three children to take care of, proved to be a tremendous obstacle in the way of affording us financial stability. It is important to remember that my father died in the mid-1970s and that we were in and underdeveloped South American country. Opportunities for single mothers, particularly undereducated like my mother, were scarce. Once we moved to the United States, after my mother married Mario Rondon, the man who would officially adopt my two sisters and I, my mother had no need to work for four years. However, once Mario died, and my mother was suddenly twice widowed, she encountered insurmountable challenges in efforts to keep us housed and …show more content…
The palpable sense of nostalgia comes up when I remember the brief, innocent times of joy that I experienced as a young boy. Almost simultaneously, these feelings are wrapped with sadness in the realization that my childhood was far from innocent and joyful. It is very difficult to feel a sense of security in the midst of poverty, loss and chaos. However, our challenging experiences did not happen in a vacuum. My mother, Maggie, Adriana and I had the support of a handful of family members who helped to lift us up during the worst of times. It is clear to me now, as a mature adult, that the caring support of extended family and surrounding community is necessary in order to build resiliency in even the most challenged family units. These realizations are directly linked to the sense of pride and gratitude that I am capable of tapping into
Currently, my two sisters and I are going through a challenging period in which we are experiencing very poor communication. Not much effort is being made to resolve issues which have torn us apart. Our mother died 20 years ago from cervical cancer. In the wake of her death, all three of us have experienced various levels of addiction and alcoholism. Of the three of us, I am the only one who has attempted to recover, and I am grateful to say that I am six years clean and sober today. Both of my sisters have made it clear to me that they are experiencing detrimental consequences due to their problems with drugs and alcohol, yet neither of them has yet opted to take recovery seriously.
Initially, …show more content…
The fact that our mother was a widowed, single mom with three children to take care of, proved to be a tremendous obstacle in the way of affording us financial stability. It is important to remember that my father died in the mid-1970s and that we were in and underdeveloped South American country. Opportunities for single mothers, particularly undereducated like my mother, were scarce. Once we moved to the United States, after my mother married Mario Rondon, the man who would officially adopt my two sisters and I, my mother had no need to work for four years. However, once Mario died, and my mother was suddenly twice widowed, she encountered insurmountable challenges in efforts to keep us housed and …show more content…
The palpable sense of nostalgia comes up when I remember the brief, innocent times of joy that I experienced as a young boy. Almost simultaneously, these feelings are wrapped with sadness in the realization that my childhood was far from innocent and joyful. It is very difficult to feel a sense of security in the midst of poverty, loss and chaos. However, our challenging experiences did not happen in a vacuum. My mother, Maggie, Adriana and I had the support of a handful of family members who helped to lift us up during the worst of times. It is clear to me now, as a mature adult, that the caring support of extended family and surrounding community is necessary in order to build resiliency in even the most challenged family units. These realizations are directly linked to the sense of pride and gratitude that I am capable of tapping into