By: Brittany McDonald, Addiction Counsellor, Graham Munro Treatment Centre
Codependency: Many resources have helped me along my way in sobriety; however, I feel that the book “Codependent No More” by Melody Beattie has helped me the most. Doing much-needed work surrounding codependency, boundaries, healthy relationships, and inner-child healing has allowed for a tremendous amount of growth both personally and with interpersonal relationships. This book incorporates 12-step based philosophies, personal reflections, and self-study work which allowed me to cultivate a path of hope, happiness, and freedom.
Trauma: “What Happened to You” is By Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry is a trauma-informed collaborative novel that allowed me to look at my childhood experiences, and what happened along the way and how it shaped the way I responded to various situations into adulthood. This novel also opened my mind and allowed me growth and understanding when dealing with trauma bonds and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Stress Relief: Lastly, a wonderful colleague at Renascent’s Graham Munro Treatment Centre introduced me to Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping. EFT is an incredible stress relief technique that incorporates the combined principles of modern psychology and ancient Chinese acupressure. While tapping on the nine meridian points, I feel whatever feelings I am feeling heightened, allowing my body to tap through them and help my mind understand that I am not in any physical danger, which lowers cortisol levels. I can go from the fight or flight response, calm my nervous system, reprogram my thought process, to respond in healthier ways with continued tapping.
