Jennifer E. Beall

"Me" Time: Finding the Balance Between Taking Care of Others and Taking Care of Yourself Jennifer E. Beall

"Me" Time: Finding the Balance Between Taking Care of Others and Taking Care of Yourself was written for anyone who spends so much time and energy taking care of everyone else that there is little time or energy left for self-care.

You will recognize yourself in the book's stories and think, "This book is about me! How did she get inside my head?" You will find explanations for things that you didn't know you needed to have explained. You will read about Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoAs) and codependency; if you've never heard of them before, you will come to understand what they have to do with you. And even if you do know what it means to be an ACoA and/or codependent, this book will offer some new perspectives on those issues. If you have enjoyed the works of Melody Beattie, Pia Mellody, John Bradshaw, Karyl McBride, and others, you will find this book useful, as well.

You, like many (or maybe even most) people, probably had parents who were not able to meet your childhood emotional needs adequately. It may have been because their parents didn't meet their needs, so they didn't know how to meet yours. One of your parents may have been an alcoholic or addict. (The term "addict" is used to describe more than just chemical addictions; it includes other addictions, including work, shopping, and food, among others.) There may have been a divorce, separation, or death. Or someone in your family may have had a chronic mental or physical illness.

You'll come to realize while reading "Me" Time that, while all of these situations are different, many of the results are the same. The book normalizes your experience and guides you through the process of working through the resulting issues.

The author explores the reasons for a lack of balance and its relationship to the codependency, low self-esteem, perfectionism, and relationship problems that she sees every day in her psychotherapy practice. More importantly, she provides practical, easy to use techniques to turn negative thoughts and actions into positive, life-changing ones.

Each chapter starts with a quiz to identify issues addressed in that chapter and ends with suggestions for "Putting It Into Action." Numerous examples are given to help you to understand and apply the ideas presented. This book is a must-read if you feel like your life is mostly about everyone else and not about you.