Codependence, Pia Mellody, and The Meadows
What is Codependence?
Codependence is a much used, but hard-to-define term. For most people
(including mental health professionals), it is defined by a laundry list of
symptoms.
Through my own recovery and training with Pia Mellody, I came to understand codependence in a different way. (Pia came to these discoveries over her many years at The Meadows, a world-class treatment facility in Wickenburg, Arizona.) According to Pia, the disease of codependence is a condition of emotional immaturity which impacts the core areas of self-esteem, boundaries, reality, dependency, and moderation.
How does Codependence develop?
As children grow, they are born into dysfunctional families who, though usually not maliciously, fail to parent the child in a way where the child feels valuable and worthwhile. Children experience an array of less-than-nurturing experiences with their caregivers where they are shamed in the process. This can be identified by several names--child abuse, childhood trauma, or relational trauma. This trauma (shame) impacts the nature of the precious child and creates core issues.
What does Codependence Recovery look like?
(based on The Meadows’ protocols)
•Getting Your History Straight
looking at your childhood in a realistic, non-blaming manner, free of
denial, minimization, delusion, and dissociation about your
past
•Reducing Carried (Inappropriate) Emotions
addressing core issues and the induced feelings which came from
caregivers, esp. shame
•Installing a Functional Adult
parenting self from a mature place, forgiving self and others
The important thing to realize is this—You have a shame problem! It is
never too late to do something about it. Call or email me today.
Contact Mark to discuss your codependence recovery today.