She identifies the following five fundamental indicators of codependency. Low self-esteem, emotional dysregulation, difficulties with boundaries, inability to care for oneself, and a propensity to express reality moderately are all examples of core symptoms of codependency. Melody Beattie is a well-known codependency expert and self-help author who is also a licensed counselor. In “The Language of Letting Go,” she draws on her life lessons and experiences to offer advice and encouragement to those searching for freedom from codependent relationships and behaviors. If you’re dealing with codependent relationships or have low self-esteem, “Facing Codependence” by Pia Mellody, Andrea Wells Miller, and J. Keith Miller should be added to your book collections. Menter’s book is an essential read for anyone who experiences even mild codependency symptoms. She explores how symptoms can be confusing. The person suffering understands the importance of healthy limits and the dangers of being an enabler but cannot use that rationale to change their behavior. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Co-dependency. Retrieved from http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/co-dependency

Codependents have some emotional and psychological needs that drive their behavior. Codependents crave the following: Codependency can be distinguished from DPD because codependent people depend on a specific person(s), while people with DPD depend on others in general. Codependency can be distinguished from BPD; while BPD includes instability in interpersonal relationships, it does not involve dependence on other people. This book is written by Darlene Lancer. I have kept the best book for the last and I believe that this is the most helpful book in this list for anyone who experiences codependency issues or even a person who wants to gain information on the topic. This is a trusted manual to break the wheel of codependency and help an individual out of it. And the information given in this book is extremely informative and correct in a variety of ways. The book also offers advice for those seeking healthier romantic relationships moving forward, but it does so by exploring the ways that women often engage in self-sabotage when finding love later on in life due to unresolved childhood issues. This is another wonderfully insightful and inspirational book from Melody Beattie. Beattie empowers the reader to take positive action in The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations on Codependency.

Shannon Moore, ADT

A guide to the 12-step program practiced by Co-Dependents Anonymous, also known as CODA, this book leads support groups through the stages of self-discovery, growth, and sharing. It is also a valuable resource for individuals. The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Workbook of Co-Dependents Anonymous , a journal that goes with the guide, explains each step and provides a space for personal reflections.

Sandra Bloom’s Codependent Forevermore is another excellent resource for people suffering from codependency to learn more about their own behaviors and how they can be changed. In You’re Not Crazy – You’re Codependent, author Jeanette Elisabeth Menter uncovers the potential causes of codependency, which range from emotional abuse to childhood trauma, toxic parents to deeply held shame. As the Medical Director, Mark works with the staff to coordinate the appropriate level of care for each individual client. He works directly with the clients on management of medical issues both related to and separate from their addiction, ensuring comprehensive health care plans that ensure our clients’ chances at recovery. What he has found to be most rewarding about working in the addictions treatment field is being able to help suffering addicts and alcoholics to realize their fullest potential. Codependency often starts in childhood, where this pattern of behavior is shown to be normal by the adults around them. Codependency recovery is all about changing one’s own life for the better by finding different ways of coping when it comes to healing from past traumas. How long does it take to recover from codependency?

Cheryl Moore MSW, LCSW-C

For people who want to learn more, here are some great books about codependency. These books are particularly helpful for people who fear they are codependent and want to overcome their codependency. 1. Codependency for Dummies (2nd ed.) – Darlene Lancer In this book, “The Codependent Parent,” the author shared her experience of giving in to her family members’ requests. She claims that she was codependent on two codependency victims. While not a substitute for clinical diagnosis, it can be a good starting point. 2. Shifting Codependency Patterns People struggling with codependency often learn how to express themselves better through writing, helping them create a new sense of freedom they can carry with them moving forward. Melody Beattie’s self-help book “Codependent No More” provides a guide to reclaiming your life from codependency.

Most importantly, codependency has been recognized as a relationship dynamic that affects people with all sorts of childhood trauma, not just the children or spouses of alcoholics or substance abusers. She also emphasizes several times throughout her book about finding your own way towards recovery without focusing too much energy on what others say you should do when trying to overcome addiction. If you’re codependent and looking for a way to break free and recover from codependency, this post has summaries of the best books on codependency that can help you heal from a codependent relationship. This post also contains books for codependent parents and children.Melody Beattie is the author of one of the best codependency books, “The Language of Letting Go.” It is a daily meditation guide published to support those who battle codependency, thereby helping them regulate their behaviors. The book explains the how’s and why’s of codependent relationships in a way that is easy to understand and digest. She offers case studies, personal stories, personal reflections, and exercises and self tests throughout the book so that you, the reader, can fully engage with the learning process.

Research has been conducted into group, individual, and family therapy modalities for overcoming codependency, with one systematic review showing a significant reduction in symptoms when long-term post-intervention follow-ups were conducted (Abadi et al., 2015). Cloud and Townsend’s classic book don’t devote a significant amount of space to discussing codependency in and of itself, but they do discuss aspects of codependency in relation to establishing sound boundaries. The Art of Changing is a great book for those who want to take more control over their own life moving forward, especially if they’re unsure as to where else they can start when it comes towards making better choices that will help them live happier lives overall. FAQ about codependency recovery books what are the best books on codependency recovery? It can take several years for some people, especially if this is something that may have developed over the course of multiple relationships.Most times, these individuals will further enable the same behaviors from the codependent person – making it more difficult for them to break free from this type of behavior pattern in their own lives. What are some signs you are codependent? What is your experience with codependency? Are there relationships in your life in which you or the other person exhibit codependent tendencies? Are their relationships from cultural movies or TV shows that provide examples of these kinds of relationships? I wondered what’s wrong with me and went to Google for answers about this strange feeling. Lo and behold: I showed clear signs of codependency. Since then, I read self-help books about the subject and felt that I became more aware of the signs and how to The book explored the basic idea that certain women have and the attraction to unnecessarily clinging to and having total dependence on their relationships. In the course of their relationships, they often neglect their own needs and well-being.