A Leaf Falls: A Bud Blossoms: One Codependent's Journey To Heal The Wounded Soul by Rachel Lieberman (published by My Inner Child Creations, Deerfield, 220 pages, $13.95) profoundly describes the psychopathology of co-dependency. According to the author, three culprits responsible for the state this dependency include shame, guilt, and fear. Psychologists point out that this condition can manifest itself in adults who lacked self-actualization as little kids. Genders react differently to nurturing deprivation as kids. Young ladies may have problem with expressing and accepting passion in a relationship while men can become physically violent. In which ever way it plays out, the resultant lack of self-esteem plays a role, whether a person becomes happy or depress, ends up in a good or bad relationship, and socially well adjusted or pathologically rebellious.

This explains the reason why some very attractive women, especially, fall in love and stay with men who constantly abuse them. Usually, these women end up destroying their own lives and sometimes that of their children. They love chasing after men who reject them -- the more challenges they face in getting these men of shady character, the more the wooing process excites them. Internally, these women believe they are very unworthy; they are therefore stuck with men who abuse them. Although this is not the way Rachel Lieberman's life played out, the psychological step of low self-worth can vary.

According to the author, co-dependency is a toxic disease due to loss of self-esteem. It is usually caused by history of events causing shame, guilt, or fear, usually originating from early family life. The author was rescued from this illness (especially depression) by years of psychotherapy.

This book, A leaf falls... A bud Blossoms: One Co-dependent's Journey to Heal the Wounded Soul will be a very good and helpful gift to anybody suffering from co-dependency. (Rachel Lieberman, (561)-338-9108, E.mail: Recovery@aol.com )