THE CO-DEPENDENCY CONCEPT - DOES IT OFFER A SOLUTION FOR THE SPOUSES OF ALCOHOLICS

The popularity of the co-dependency concept has grown rapidly in the a lcoholism treatment field. At the same time, empirical findings gained through scientific research have raised questions concerning the vali dity of the concept. This paper discusses some of the problems that ar e created by the disease model of co-dependency and highlights some al ternative views that may be more appropriate. It is argued that the fi eld's understanding of the alcoholic/spouse relationship and its abili ty to help the spouse are limited unless other conceptualizations are seriously considered.