I joined CoDA over a year ago, though I am not sure of the exact date. I was already in another 12-step programme, I had a firm and loving relationship with a higher power, and I had support, and that had given me some recovery. That recovery allowed me to see that I had problems that came from my dysfunctional childhood and were affecting my relationships.

The programme I was in was helping with those issues to an extent, and I was not sure that I could manage to work two programmes together. So, I flirted with CoDA at first, reading bits of the literature, attending an odd meeting, and it wasn’t until I realised that more and more of my time was spent trying to work out how to deal with a particularly distressing relationship that I began to work CoDA in earnest.

I cannot imagine not having CoDA in my life now, I have gained so much recovery. The Recovery Patterns of Codependence document has been such a useful tool, showing me what healthy behaviour looks like. I know what to aim for now! I am currently working the Steps and I am planning a big change to my life, which would not have been possible without what I have learned from CoDA, because now I know how to deal with fear.

Mandy T.
01/13/2025