The Road Back to Me

By: Lisa A. Romano

Narrated by: Gina E. Manegio

Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

This story is told through the jagged peephole of the author's awareness, examining her formative wounds and influences from the perspective of a woman who has now gained experience and wisdom. As she peers over her soul's shoulder, she recalls the chaos of her once-fragile childhood mind. She shudders as she is reminded of the sting of her lonely childhood, her feelings of abandonment, and her painful memories of being bullied. Her childhood self was once so lost that she even contemplated suicide. As the years progress, her mind is riddled with obsession, compulsion, and a crippling sense of low self-esteem. A turning point arrives many years later, after marriage and the birth of three children.

This story is about healing the faulty programming of childhood. It is about recovery from relationship addiction, food addiction, anxiety, and constant fear. It is a human story that will resonate with listeners from all walks of life, and which offers hope to anyone who has felt imprisoned by the past.

©2012 Lisa A. Romano (P)2014 Lisa A. Romano

Not Enough

I wanted to hear solutions. I understand the story is important, but I did expect there would be some information in it that was not just history.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

NOT a book about recovery

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I kept waiting for the recovery part of the book to begin...it never did.

Would you recommend The Road Back to Me to your friends? Why or why not?

not recommended for those looking for a recovery story or a how to book.

Any additional comments?

This book is about the traumatic events in the authors life that formed her co-dependency. It is not about her path out of co-dependency. For me, the booked ended exactly when the title suggests it would begin.

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Road back to me

A story of a woman s life. Not an instruction manual. Everyone needs to write their own story as part of their own recovery.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Not helpful

All stories about her past. But not helpful at all. Nothing applicable at all to me

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

no help

wonderful story but it not tell me how to overcome. no steps. disappointed. no help at all. wasted money.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

what a drag!

I was only able to listen to it for an hour (this is fast forwarding hoping it would get better) thought it would have a bit more insight and clinical approach, It is basically a person telling all the dysfunction in her family. No need to hear what I have.

12 of 14 people found this review helpful

Not a self help book. An autobiography <br />

This was just an autobiography. It was not helpful in any way to the reader.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Not worth the time or money

It was like hearing a diary and ended abruptly right when it started to get good. I felt like there should have been more solutions or tips. it really was a waste of time.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

The Uncanny Parallel

I was absolutely taken back by the uncanny parallel "s of Lisa's life and my own.
I do not know if this is normal but her name is Lisa so is mine; she dated and married the very same type men I did. Her child was born with an Hemangioma; so was mine. My husband reacted the same exact way to counseling and the counselor told me exactly what Alice told her; the sad truth is I did not leave I was too frightened and remained in unhappiness and giving but never receiving for 16 years..I don't know if my.vibrational plane drew me to Lisa and her videos and now her books; I am just so grateful that something did. I loved every word of every page. Thank you Lisa for your willingness to be transparent.
The narrator was great as well.

12 of 15 people found this review helpful

not what I was looking for

if your looking for something uplifting to hear someone path down the road to getting back to themselves, this is not it. This is what led up to her path, not going along as she walked it. I was disappointed, but I think I was also misled to what I had understood this book to be about.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Thoroughly recommend

I really related to this book! Both of my step parents were alcoholics and my parents were unintentionally neglectful and controlling. I have recently left what I hope will be my last controlling and emotionally abusive relationship. I am ready to take responsibility for my own thoughts and feelings and break the cycle. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone that identifies themselves as co-dependent as well as anyone who does not; I think we all expect others to take responsibility for our feelings at times and unfortunately most of us carry through negative patterns that we have developed as children from our parents. The book is written very well and I was impressed by the reflectiveness of the author. The narration is also very well done.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Loved it!

I'm 32 and I've struggled with self unawareness issues all my life. As far as I remember myself I've had a feeling that there is something wrong me. Now I understand the I simply wanted to be heard. I wanted to matter. I wanted my feelings to be respected. I wanted to be enough. I wanted to be validated. Thanks to Lisa I understand that it's normal and the feeling of wrongness comes from detachment from myself and attachment to others. And ofcourse those others often turn out to be manipulators. Now I understand so many things. I only wish I knew it earlier! Thank you very much Mrs Lisa for sharing your story!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Nothing New

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I expected a lot more of recovery rather than it being all about the lead up to recovery and then THE END

Has The Road Back to Me put you off other books in this genre?

No it hasn't put me off other books, i will do more research in future to make sure that i choose something that addresses my needs

Did Gina E. Manegio do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?

Yes

Do you think The Road Back to Me needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Definitely, the book should have been titled differently, i was expecting to learn a step by step account of what she did to change her life. instead what she wrote about was all the disfunction that brought her to the decision to seek help

Any additional comments?

This is a book about codependency and dysfunctional patterns which most people who have them are looking for a way out of. Lisa writes about her life up to the point of recovery. It is a autobiography and not a self help book and i do not like autobiography"s and would never choose to read one

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Should say “my healing” rather than “healing”

It’s a great, relatable story but that’s what it is, one woman’s story rather than offering advice to people wishing to heal from those things. I enjoyed it but think the title is misleading.

ABUSE BY ANY NAME, LISA A RAMANO LIVES HER WORK

THE PERFORMANCE IS BRILLIANT UP TO A POINT AND THEN WELL,

Then Lisa's work becomes almost plastic and makes absolutely no sense . I felt that, however abused LISA had felt in childhood and however much I can sympathize with how very difficult Lisa felt it to break free herself , she had absolutely NO excuse to use and advocate the tactics which are possibly more abusive than any Lisa has suffered herself as a child.

Prior to buying this book

I had listened too and had a great deal of respect for Lisa and thought her professional and extremely well intentioned. But on reading this book I felt Lisa very subtly tries to manipulate her audience into acting and behaving in a way that she feels is best for , not only herself but all abuse survivors.

I'd normally feel terrible about speaking out and saying anything negative especially about a survivor of childhood abuse but Lisa appears to have no problem with her words and actions. As Lisa has so much self love, I feel I can actually say what I've come to believe about , not only Lisa , but so many people who claim childhood abuse and " sell Thier Story "

Lisa the end DOES NOT justify the actions and abusive behaviour YOU employ to achieve your aims of your self love , sadly in the end this make you look shallow and abusive and simply money hungry NOT abundant or healed .. Some people may find her work helpful I wish I had and I feel sad that I can't find anything kind to say about the author of this book who I so wished delivered in helping others not simply belittling people to achieve her truth and aims , sadly I have lost too much due to abuse , time and time again , to say LISAS work is helpful or even ethical in any way. People die as a result of abuse Lisa it isn't , as you seem to think , some type of game ..I apologize for being so unkind but people need to be informed about the tactics Lisa advocates before reading or , indeed , buying This Book

Okay

I struggle to finish the book as for me I felt there was not enough structure. Some of the situations referred to resonate and I am sure they will be doing so with many others.

Really?

I cannot believe this woman has written this drivel about her so called abusive upbringing and made money out of people who genuinely have family of origin issues. This is truly dire. Most people who have a history of alcoholism in their family have had far worse abuse thrust upon them during their childhood.she comes across as a bully with anger issues. She has jumped onto the coat tails of Melody Beattie, who in my estimation is the number one authoritarian of the concept of codependency.

Recommended

Excellent book well written, from the heart, and well read. It is both helpful and inspiring

Spoken from the heart ♥

loved it such a brave lady sharing her pain and triumphs with the world Excellent..

not really what I expected

this is an autobiography not dissimilar to the lives of millions really although it was a busy life