BOOK REVIEW

Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives
by Pia Mellody
One day I was catapulted into the adventure of discovery by a fit of anger (rage) at work. I was in the Directors office talking to him and another counsellor who was standing at the door. I wanted these two important men in my life If you have been struggling throughout your life to make sense of Addiction issues and their origin, this book is for you. If you have been trying to deal with Depression and Anxiety, then this book is for you. If you have been struggling to maintain good healthy adult relationships, then this book is for you. Its an unfortunate reality, that if this book resonates with you, then its bitter sweet that you have undoubtedly come from a family system that functioned at some level in pain. As a result, you likely experienced less than nurturing parenting resulting in the trauma and abuse. A the beginning of the book, Pia very clearly outlines how she stumbled into this recovery process. As you can imagine, Pia left the office even more furious and had the thought that if she couldnt find a way to help herself, and others like her, they were all doomed. It was in that moment of frustration and fear, that the confusion left her in a moment of peace, and she asked herself the question about how the early alcoholics got themselves out of a similar dilemma, and she realised that they started by sharing their Experience, Strength and Hope. This review was written by our Program Director, Steve Stokes who has over 25 years experience in the treatment field. They looked at me and one of them said, Well, why dont you figure out how to treat whatever this is? to know how upset I was that nobody seemed to hear me when I was telling them about my distress. And as I talked, I realized these two extremely intelligent professionals couldnt understand me either. In Facing Co-dependence, Pia, offers a clear, concise and helpful identification tool, as well as easily observed treatment pathways that have changed the lives of many. When you put into practice the tools outlined in this book, and couple it with the accompanying workbook, Breaking Free, you receive a life not only free of addiction and mental health issues, but also a rich recovery process is ignited and leaves you experiencing a life better than you have ever known. This started Pia on an amazing journey that changed the depth and focus of treatment. All of a sudden we were looking at the Alcoholism and Addiction issues as secondary symptoms, as along with Depression, Anxiety and Personality issues. These were the underlying Primary Symptoms, which were a result of childhood trauma.