Fixin' to Get Nekkid: Stripping Down My Journey of Freedom and Recovery from Codependency

Jackie Brewer Van Dyke yearned for a fairytale family. Promising herself to never end up like her violent father and overly timid mother, the young girl morphed into "the fixer" in her household, believing she alone could put an end to the cycle of abuse. Determined to conceal her pain and feelings of inadequacy, she hid behind the façade of perfectionism. Though she resolved to never expose her family's secrets, she worked to do whatever it took to have a family completely different from the one she had been born into. Jackie's pursuit of perfection slowly descended into depression and alcohol dependence. Until at 55, she landed shattered and disillusioned behind bars after a drunken arrest ... and was changed forever. In this inspiring, true story, Jackie lays herself bare and decides to, as she likes to say, "just get nekkid." Ready to share her personal heartbreaks and failures, Jackie strips down emotionally to give a no-holds-barred account of spiraling as a fixer to recognizing codependency. Join Jackie as she exposes her messy journey of faith that leads to the truth of the redemptive love of a Father who never fails. As you follow her journey to freedom from small-town Alabama to the castles and countryside of Scotland, you'll discover an unflinchingly honest and ultimately hopeful message: Anyone can be set free from childhood trauma and find happiness. Sometimes you just got to get a little nekkid! has been a "creative type," telling stories and writing, as early as she can remember. She decided to "get nekkid" about ten years ago, preferring to live life uncovered and authentic, embracing her quirky boho style and sometimes awkward Southern bluntness.. Jackie is a Jesus-lover and a thrift-store shopping enthusiast. She relates to "junk" people throw away, believing that with a little love and a coat of paint, usefulness and beauty can be restored. Retired from her "real job," a life-long career of eye exams and helping people see better, she now likes to do "I" exams. Yeah, she loves a good metaphor.