My efforts to nurture myself in these arrested areas of development were limited and spoiled in early recovery by a feeling of resentment. “Why do I have to do this?” was a common internal refrain. Resentment that should have been directed toward my parents often boomeranged onto me and spoiled or thwarted my efforts at self-nurturance. Thankfully ongoing recovery work helped remedy this resentment. It taught me to practice self-care in a spirit of giving to a child who needed and really deserved to be helped.
