Breaking Free: A Recovery Handbook for 'Facing Codependence'

by Pia Mellody, Andrea Wells Miller

In her pioneering Facing Codependence, Pia Mellody traced the origins of codependence back to childhood and a wide range of emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, and sexual abuses. Now in this innovative new 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, Breaking Free provides strategies and insights for attacking the fundamental problem in codependence--the lack of dependence on self. In a three-part approach to recovery, Mellody first shows recovering codependents 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. Finally, Mellody 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.

Genres: Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Reference, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Addiction

448 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 1989

Reviews

[Kerri Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow so I pulled this of the shelf and paged through it. From September through November of 1994, I was a resident of Our towns home for abused and battered people, this book was recommended by one of the counselor in the home. I never wrote in the book itself but I did write on sheets of paper, any type of paper. I liked this handbook/workbook, for me it was very helpful. Twenty-five years ago I never even knew about Co Dependence.

[raddison! · Rating 3 out of 5]

recc'ed by my therapist hey queen

[Rose Ve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved all these exercises and additional information. The book was great but I think the workbook had maybe as much if not more info?

Anywho - I use these worksheets. I love the boundary framework. And the level of reality framework. Really great.

It is written in a 12 step format. And she had an interesting take that many people conceptualize god via their relationship through their father. I guess I’ve learned in time that god isn’t a gender but societally their are hints that god is masculine. Very interesting take - very interesting.

I enjoy this type of stuff but it’s SO many worksheets I was like - well shit this will take forever. lol - it might!

I didn’t have particularly terrible childhood but we all have tough childhood experiences and it’s useful to take a look in there.

Lastly - this is all behavioral. It’s very surface level. That doesn’t make it shallow, it’s extensive and useful. But if you want to heal the root of this stuff you probably won’t be able to use these exercises. These are more like little odometers helping you understand how good things are running ‘under the hood’. You’re gonna need other tools to fix the engine.

[Ari Consul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unreadable on Kindle app

Simply unreadable on the iPhone kindle app. The pictures are black boxes and the wordsallruntogetherlikethis. Awful going to demand a refund.