Codependent No More - How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself

5 stars (My new hero) - Melody Beattie is my new hero. She has walked through the trenches, fought the battle and lived not only to tell about it, but to offer hope for those of us who are still in the battlefield or still shell shocked from the trauma of it all. I recognized myself in her descriptions of a co-dependent, sometimes painfully so. I had to put the book down a time or two, because I felt she came right off the page to knock me into reality. I heard of the book from Dr. Irene's verbal abuse site [...] which stated this book is a must read for those of us with codependent behavior. I have to agree. I am looking forward to applying my newfound knowledge and the confidence acquired from it in oncoming life situations. I hope to become my own new hero. 4 stars (just what I needed) - I am currently reading this book and loving it. I am taking a long time to finish it because it is so deep. It is easy reading, but in order to get much out of it you really have to read it slowly and of course change your wrong behavior, one step at a time. I like the fact that the author tells you that change does take time. It seldom happens overnight. Very comforting for someone who wants to see huge changes overnight. I also like that she encourages you to have a relationship with God. He is the only one whom we are supposed to be codependent with. Eveyone else is imperfect, just like me. . 5 stars (Great Truth About the Causes of Relationship Pain) - In `Codependent No More', Melody Beattie sheds great awareness of the patterns that people are engaged in that lead to pain. Termed `Codependent' Beattie clearly and honestly outlines the behaviors, reactions, responses and patterns that are prevalent in codependent relationships. Control is a major factor, that is, that you are trying to control the other person to get what you want out of the relationship, which leaves you feeling drained and depleted. She gives wonderful questions in the book that you can answer to bring...
Hazelden :: Self-Help & Substance Abuse :: Substance abuse :: Self-care :: Health :: Self-Help :: Recovery :: Patients :: Family relationships :: Codependency :: Melody Beattie :: :: Codependent No More - How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself

 

The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands

4 stars (Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands CD) - Very good book. It gives you a dose of reality and makes you take a look at your relationships. It helps to see the things that are taken for granted and to appreciate and understand your spouse. 5 stars (Wonderful!) - I love that Dr. Laura tell's it like it is. Every bit of her advice caused me to step back and take a look at myself and how I can better support and love my husband. 5 stars (to close to home) - Sometimes the truth hurts. Dr. Laura always tells it like it is, even when we don't realize it. My husband actually bought me this book for his birthday. After I loaned it to someone and never got it back, I decided to buy the cd. ...
HarperCollins :: Self-Help & General :: Wives :: Psychology :: Marriage :: Love & Sex & Marriage :: Love & Romance :: Husbands :: Family&Marriage :: Family Relationships :: Family & Rel :: The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands

 

A Child Called -It-- One Child-s Courage to Survive

4 stars (Wonderful Insight into Resilence and Protective Factors) - I had been wanting to purchase this book for quite some time, but never got around to it until it was assigned for a psychology course I was enrolled in. True, it is a short text, and true, the grammar is not perfect - but it is not meant to be. Pelzer wrote the book as an adult, but tried to write it from his perspective when he was a child (the time period when he actually experienced the events detailed in the book). If this book had been written from a purely adult, grammatically "proper" perspective, it would have gained a more "distant" tone and thereby lost some of it's power to really grip and touch the reader. The text can be read in awe of what Pelzer experienced as a child, certainly. But that is not all one can gather from it. The trianglization, power struggles, and family dynamics which play out throughout the story are not only dramatic, but very clinically realistic. The potential effects of alcohol use on family structure are an eye-opener. And most of all, one should note the protective factors David found in his life which enabled him to survive his mother's horrendous patterns of abuse - while they are not nearly so dramatic as all the "punishment" he endured, they are just as significant. This would be a good book particularly for anyone who works with children (or plans to), whether they are a psychologist, counselor, educator, social worker, mentor, or even a parent. Too often adults see only the negative things that have happened to a child, and fear the effects that those things may have on the child's behavior or personality... it is just as important to be able to recognize what strengths, talents, and interests are in children which allow them to cope with or overcome negative factors. 1 stars (laundry list with no context) - If the abuse was real, or if even part of it was, my sympathy goes out to the author and my praise for rising above it. Ho...
HCI :: Self-Help & General :: Specific Groups - Special Needs :: Personal Memoirs :: Pelzer :: David J :: General :: Family relationships :: Daly City :: Children of alcohol :: A Child Called -It-- One Child-s Courage to Survive

 

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families

5 stars (Family Lessons From "The Inside Out " ) - Covey encourages every parent to do some soul searching to become aware as to what really is priority in life. Then, he suggests we put "first things first." I believe that most parents would admit that they do wish to have "FAMILY" comes first--above all else. But, in today's busy, often stressful daily routine of life, accomplishing that goal is often "easier said than done". Covey clearly points out the essentials...such as establishing effective communication lines through family meetings and one-on-one talks with the kids. He makes so much sense as he describes with personal anecdotes how love, values, morality, and empathy for others is a process of teaching and learning from "the inside out"...in other words from within the family rippling out to society at large. He talks about establishing a family mission statement and helps to direct moms and dads to find the courage and the skills to make changes for the better. Covey's book creates the mindset and the outline. If you have young kids like me, I recommend a perfect compliment 'how-to book' with Covey's ... called "THE POCKET PARENT." This handy book, written for parents of 2-6 year olds, is loaded with compassion and humor along with over one thousand tips and skills to try. It literally trouble-shoots many of the problem behaviors we all deal with daily-such as Angry outbursts, Bedtime, Mealtime and Clean-up refusals, Tantrums, Disrespectful attitude, the "Gimmes", Morning "Crazies", Sibling fights, Whining and many more. These 2 books (one more theoretical, the other more "hands on" practical) have changed our lives. We now have more peace and cooperation in our family---and that gives us more time to enjoy each other. Consider both books for your home reference library. 3 stars (A Bit Too Sappy For Me) - While this book had some good insights and "a-ha" moments, it was too sappy for me to get past the third chapter. I enjoy a good metaph...
St Martin-s Griffin :: Family & Relationships & Family Relationships :: Reference :: Parent and child :: Family&Marriage :: Family Relationships :: Family & Parenting & Childbirth :: Fa :: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families

 

Juicy - Confessions of a Former Baseball Wife

1 stars (Oh, please) - You can put your clothes back on now, Jessica. Also, just wondering why you didn't retain your maiden name. Maybe you wouldn't have sold any books? 1 stars (how spouses of celebrities get even) - After the media coverage of Jose Canseco's whistle blowing on steroid users, I had to read his wife's tell all. Of course I wouldn't pay for it; it took me about an hour to read it in the bookstore. Jessica reveals herself to be the female version of her celebrity husband: egocentric, two-dimensional, silly cheerleader type who has nothing to offer but what's only on the outside. She has a penchant for using the "F" word and talks about their screaming sessions which I'm sure often took place in front of their daughter. What a good mom, what a good dad. This book should cause her nothing but shame and embarrassment, but laughably she says she is mentally well. Mentally well people don't live the shallow, meaningless life she did and then brag about most of it. What a dope. ...
Regan Books :: Biography & Autobiography & Rich & Famous :: Women :: United States :: Sports - Baseball :: Rich & Famous :: Personal Memoirs :: Family relationships :: Biography&A :: Juicy - Confessions of a Former Baseball Wife