Rating: 
Summary: Just what I needed to hear
Review: I read this book to help me to understand why I could not seem to fully separate myself from an extremely dysfunctional relationship that I had been in for almost 8 years. While Melody frequently uses alcoholics and drug addicts as her examples of co-dependents, that was not the case for me. I was in a relationship with a person that was/is clinically depressed (and not doing anything about it) and who would take their anger out on me. Our home life revolved around how he was feeling from day to day, as it does also with alcoholics. This book helped me realize how I had ended up essentially taking care of a grown man because he didn't want to do it himself. There were lots of other problems with the relathionship, but the main thing is after reading this book I finally woke up. I can honestly say that I have been able to detach from that person (not an easy task) and my life has been so much better for it. This new knowledge has also helped my other relationships with friends and family. I am learning how not to get over-involved and feel a need to 'fix' someone else's problems that they have created for themselves. This book definitely has set me on the right path and I hope to be able to continue to look out for ME.
Rating: 
Summary: Melody Beattie is a fly on the wall.
Review: I was amazed at how much Melody Beattie knew about me when I read this book. It seemed as though she had followed me around my entire life and wrote my biography in this book.I was raised by an alcoholic mom and several alcoholic step-fathers. In order to have SOME stability and order in my life, I took on a lot of responsibilies that were not mine. This resulted in my Codependency character. I carried this behavior into my marriages to alcoholic men. Alcohol was so prevelent in my family that I did not see it. All of my family members were high functioning alcoholics other than my grandfather, who was a low functioning alcoholic. I labled my grandfather an alcoholic and the other members of my family as normal drinkers. I do not drink much at all so I WAS AN ABNORMAL drinker.LOL (Hindsight is 20/20) Anyway, this way of life teaches Codependency. Recognizing codependency and taking responsibility for YOUR OWN life can help your emotional health. And that is exactly what this book helped me do. Melody taught me how to set boundaries on myself to not do for others what they can do for themselves. She taught me that by taking on others responsibilities, I am taking away their opportunity for self growth. This book was my first eye opening experience into my own life. It was just the beginning to an extremely adventurous ride into self knowledge. Well worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: A codependent person let's another's behavior affect them...
Review: This book is good for people who find themselves depressed and needing some insight on why they feel the way they do. After reading this book the other book by Melody Beattie "Beyond Codepedency" will help you fix the codependent problem. These books will help anyone who is dealing with an alcoholic relationship or any other dependent relationship. If you find yourself caretaking all the time, ie: thinking or feeling responsible for other people, feel it is your responsiblity to help other people solve their problems, feel needy people are always attracted to you, and feeling unappreciated or used; or you have weak boundaries with the people in your life; you have dependency issues; poor communication; and low self-worth- you are codependent. I didn't think I was, but this book laied my life out perfectly. If you are feeling crazy for the way you are feeling read this book and you will understand why you are feeling the way you are. It is normal it is just you are a codependent person and you need to fix that.
Rating:
Summary: Dear Amazon.com
Review: As I am getting to know just how the process works for us when we post a 'Public Review' I have noticed that from time to time it is necessary for you to edit a review. In your infinite wisdom I noticed that it was necessary to edit my review for 'Codependent No More' and I respect that whole-heartedly. However, could you please put the spaces back in between the words so that the general public might have a chance to understand my horrible review. I do wish to thank you for the opportunity to post our opinions and upon receipt of my whopping tax refund I will show my appreciation. Also, only one star for your edit job, the four stars is in the unlikely event that you mistakenly post this as I do not want this submission to effect the books' rating.
Rating: 
Summary: Why only two stars???
Review: Watch as I expose this text to the light of a differenttruth...Watch and see the co-dependency you thought was gone rear itsugly head again. Go ahead and detest me and my critique. Because youradvance in life has been distorted, you have simply traded one idea ofyourself for another. The old idea of needing for the new idea of notneeding. The title needs to be changed. Codestructive No More. Weall depend on each other for support, love, trust, friendship, hope,even opinions and reviews. Codestructive No More! I know that yournew idea has helped you. It is serving its purpose and has been a trueblessing. Now it is time to move on folks. We all need each other, weare all codependent. What you are really looking for is a way of beingnon destructive in your dependence. Tell me you do not need othersand I will tell you that you are lying to yourself, no person is anisland. I loved the part of this book where we are supposed to dothat exercise where we give ourselves something... What if thatsomething that you really need is a someone..why then (according tothis book) you are a codependent fool. Rubbish to that shame disguisedas advice, the real problem lies in the fact that most of us are in somuch pain we could not truly be there for another if we wantedto. This book is good in the fact that it helps us to realize thatwe may be dysfunctional.. My friends we are all dysfunctional in oneway or another. But my exception with this writing is that it attempsto cure the symptoms and not the root cause. The root may very well beyour pain that you keep within and cannot get out. Removing oneselffrom a situation or starting new habits are awarenesssteps. Eventually you will repeat your pattern until you have healedyour mind and your heart. This planet is one big problem and it istime to recognize that the chaos we see is not a world going to hellin a handbasket, it is a world coming out of its shell. The book getstwo stars because it is a starting point.. If you were not alone deepin your heart you would not be a controlling and or leachingpersonality. I say heal your broken heart, that way someday you canreally be there for someone who just might need you...
Rating:
Summary: Drama Addicts
Review: I didn't know that living with a Drama Addict could have the same effect on you as living with an alcoholic. I also didn't realize that it could create so may bad habits; and ones that seem to have nothing in common with eachother. I'm so glad I read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Masterful Encouragement
Review: This is the best book I've ever read about letting go of unhealthy attachments to people and the pain associated with it. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever loved an addictive person, an abusive person, or lived in a family with dysfunctional behavior. To me, the best lessons explained in this book are "you cannot change other people - they will only change when they are ready" and "detaching from an unhealthy situation doesn't mean detaching from the love you feel for a person, it means setting yourself free from the pain of your involvement with them."
Rating:
Summary: Fully develope your owm life
Review: This book is about living your own life instead of living your life for your significant other. It is a wonderful book. It changed my life. I would also highly recommend the book An Encounter With A Prophet which helped me become more reliant on God.
Rating: 
Summary: Pioneering rubbish
Review: I read the whole library of the "co-dependency" realm, probably starting with this one. To those who advocate it, may I quote a figure from the past: GET A LIFE! No, we're not helping each other too much; that's, believe me, the least of our worries. Speaking of the past, the concept of "co-dependency" is getting to be a bit of an anachronism. It was a product of the 1980s, the self-help decade. If you want to read a more valuable comment on that era and its "movements" and cult gurus, I recommend "Selling Serenity" by a guy who worked for the publisher who made the self help fads into household expressions. It's true, and much more fun than the self-pity of this co-dependency noise.
Rating:
Summary: Excellant guide for codependants
Review: This book changed my life. For anyone that suffers or thinks they suffer from codependant behavior, it will aid you in recovering and taking care of YOU! There are steps, examples and encouraging words that will really help you get to where you need to be in your life. I strongly recommend this book even if your not a codependant person.
| 
