Developing.

Why do some people develop addictions while others develop perfectionism, people-pleasing, workaholism, or emotional withdrawal?

Developing introduces the idea that long before addiction appears, we begin developing coping mechanism codes—patterns of thinking and behaving that help us survive difficult experiences but can quietly shape the rest of our lives.

Through a collection of true stories from his own life, Nii Dodoo Otoo traces how his coping mechanism code formed, how it eventually led to addiction, and how recovery became the process of understanding and consciously rewriting that code.

More than a memoir about addiction, this is a framework for understanding human behavior. Whether your coping mechanism became substances, achievement, isolation, control, relationships, or something else entirely, this book will help you recognize the patterns beneath your own life and begin developing healthier ones.

Because addiction is rarely the beginning of the story. It's usually a symptom of a code that was written much earlier.