When I was little and something went wrong, my dad always said something like, ‘it’s taking part that counts’, or maybe, ‘it’s character-building’. Well I recently failed at going on a retreat. That’s a new one. I go to weekly CoDA (Codependents Anonymous) meetings. Every Saturday, I run a small, one hour meeting for women…
Tag: CoDA
Today I learned how good it can feel to cry
This morning I experienced a powerful and moving CoDA meeting. I cried, without shame, in front of a group of people. That has literally never happened to me before. Particularly with this specific sadness, a sadness I have never been able to openly and comfortably share with anybody. Working the CoDA (Codependents Anonymous – more…
The gifts of recovery
I don’t want to get all evangelical, but lately I’m feeling a lot of love for the programme of Co-Dependents Anonymous. I run my local meeting every weekend. Sometimes it feels like a chore, but even on those days I do get something out of it. It’s hard to explain CoDA (if you’re interested, I…
Surviving without therapy
I’ve got two weeks without therapy to get through. As I write this, I’m sat wrapped in a blanket that belongs to J. It’s my ‘transitional object’. I always borrow it when I’m not going to see her for a while, to help me feel like I’m still connected. The blanket is very ordinary. It’s…
Powerlessness and unmanageability
The first step in any twelve step programme is admitting powerlessness and unmanageability. After attending meetings for a few months, I thought I should begin working on step one: “We admitted we were powerless over others – that our lives had become unmanageable” I’ve got a workbook to help me write my way through the…
I’m not always right.
I’m doing well with my commitment to the Codependents Anonymous (CoDA) programme these days. A while ago I became the secretary for my local meeting, so now I really need to go every week. Being secretary means I facilitate the group, making sure everyone gets time to share should they wish to and maintaining the ground rules of the session….
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