Breaking free - Pia Mellody

In the book "Facing Codependence" by the same author, the origins of codependence are traced back to childhood and a wide range of emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical and sexual abuses. In this workbook, she presents a step-by-step journal-keeping method for moving toward recovery from codependence. Based on such concepts as the "precious child" and the five core symptoms of codependence, along with the Twelve-Step process of recovery used by Codependents anonymous, the book provides strategies and insights for attacking the fundamental problem in codependence, the lack of dependence on the self. In a three part approach to recovery, the author first shows recovering dependents how to move beyond denial of their childhood history of abuse. She then offers techniques to identify concrete ways in which the symptoms of codependence operate in their lives. The book guides users through the process of identifying and recording specific instances of improvement in their lives as an aid to greater self-awareness and further recovery.