Classic text and perennial best-seller expanded and revised.
This new edition of Perfect Daughters, a pivotal book in the ACoA movement, identifies what differentiates the adult daughters of alcoholics from other women.
When this groundbreaking book first appeared over ten years ago, Dr. Ackerman identified behavior patterns shared by daughters of alcoholics. Adult daughters of alcoholics-"perfect daughters" -operate from a base of harsh and limiting views of themselves and the world. Having learned that they must function perfectly in order to avoid unpleasant situations, these women often assume responsibility for the failures of others. They are drawn to chemically dependent men and are more likely to become addicted themselves. More than just a text that identifies these behavior patterns, this book collects the thoughts, feelings and experiences of twelve hundred perfect daughters, offering readers an opportunity to explore their own life's dynamics and thereby heal and grow.
This edition contains updated information throughout the text, and completely new material, including chapters on eating disorders and abuse letters from perfect daughters in various stages of recovery, and helpful, affirming suggestions from Dr. Ackerman at the end of every chapter. This book is essential for every one who found validation, hope, courage and support in the pages of the original Perfect Daughters, as well as new readers and every therapist who confronts these issues.
Also includes: a comprehensive reference section and complete index.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Excellent:
This book has really helped me to organize my thoughts and feelings. I feel like a more centered person.
Great information:
This book is excellent if you have recently discovered you are an Adult Child of an Alcoholic. I read and saw so many of the same problems and characteristics that I had been struggling with. At the end it provided information on what to do next and gave me a very upslifting feel of how things can change for the better.
RIGHT ON!:
I have never read a single "recovery" book with as much information about the many "experiences and issues" I have dealt with in my adult life that began in infancy and sometimes I wonder if they began in the womb! It is one of those books that seems to have been written by the reader themself. I highly recommend it to all women who grew up in dysfunctional families. It speaks in terms of alcoholic parents but many parents who do not drink, exhibit the same behavior and personalities. Though we know we are... more info
Wake Up Call!:
I bought this book through a suggestion from a co-worker. When I received it at work in the mail, I opened the cover, checked out the chapters and turned to one in particular. I read only half the page and broke down crying. The truth is written in these pages. I have given a copy of this book to my sister. I recommend that if you are an adult daughter of an alcoholic parent, that you read this book. It ISN'T your fault, you are a valuable human being and it's about time that YOU take charge of your life.... more info