In this fresh new look at codependence, Pia Mellody of The Meadows traces the origins of the illness back to childhood, describing a whole range of emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical and sexual abuses.

In an emotionally revealing way, John Bradshaw shows us how toxic shame is the core problem in our compulsions, codependencies, addictions and the drive to superachieve, resulting in the breakdown of the family system and in our inability to go forward with our lives. This important book breaks new ground in the core issues of societal and personal breakdown, offering new techniques of recovery vital to all of us.

In her first book in over ten years, internationally recognized expert on dependence and recovery, Pia Mellody of The Meadows, shows us how to break free from harmful relationships and to learn how to attain the intimacy we need and deserve.