Studies from the National Association for Children of Alcoholics estimate that one in five Americans—tens of millions worldwide—grew up in a home shadowed by alcoholism, carrying with them the hidden weight of family struggles and scars that linger into adulthood. As a communications professional, I’ve spent my life crafting narratives, helping others tell their stories. Yet, my own story has remained concealed—a narrative shaped by shadows I’m only now beginning to fully understand.
Why is it so easy to tell other people’s stories, yet when it’s our own, the words often falter?