Choicemaking: For Co-Dependents, Adult Children and Spirituality Seekers

I borrowed this book from my therapist's library, as I'd arrive early each week to read a chapter at a time. I'm buying a copy for myself so I can write all over the margins! This book is a MUST for anyone close to a codependent as well as the codependent people themselves. It will feel like the author is reading your mind, was a fly on the wall as you grew up & has been following you all your life & knows your struggles by heart. Being truly understood by someone is a joy, but understanding oneself is the 1st step on the journey toward emotional & physical health, self-worth & self-respect, getting one's life & personal power back. This book is one of the most thorough I've read on codependency (and I've read most of them). There are step-by-step exercises, instructions for practicing new skills, and priceless help not found in most books on codependency! I rate this book a 5, because it is the MOST helpful book I've found, including Beattie's, Pia's & other famous author's books on codependency. Some of the chapter titles are: Adult Children of Alcoholics, Parenting the Adult Child (no other book covers this concept--when parents & adult children are in recovery, how to support each other without fusion, and without guilt, blame & shame, what our rights & responsibilities are, promoting total family healing that WORKS!), Ongoing Recovery, Barriers to Recovery (perhaps my favorite chapter), Transformation, the God-Hole, Happiness Wholeness & Holiness (yet it is not a religious book and won't offend even the most anti-Christian sensitivities because the author deals with true spirituality which is rarely found in a church, in my opinion), and Varieties of Codependency. The author tells her own story, and I believe everyone who reads this book--codependent or NOT--will relate to at least some of her story. Her experience, strength & hope shines relentlessly through every page, and she uses an entensive bibliography, credits countless sources to back up her knowledge, and is one of the most credible, professional, genuinely useful (page after page) self-help books I've ever had the fortune to come across. If this book cost 4 times the sale price, it would still be a steal. Do yourself or your loved ones a favor, buy several & share them. :-)

This book was so relieving. To find reasons for ways my family functioned as a child and functions today as an adult. Sharon writes in a very objective way which is easy to understand and relate to. She has such vast experience, both personal and professional, in the field of family alcoholism which she shares in a well thought out and organized way. I could not wait to finish this book and move on to another one of her books, "Another Chance", which I am currently reading and becoming even more educated on my own co-dependent issues.