The transfer of episcripts in the families of alcohol-dependent men and the relationship of this process to the family’s self-destructive behavior is described. The evolution of spousal relationships in these marriages is considered from the perspective of the transmission of self-destructiveness and changes in the course of alcohol dependence. The authors identify clinical types of the episcript model of family relationships, including single-level (husband ↔ wife) and multilevel (husband ↔ wife ↔ son) episcript transmission. The theoretical and therapeutic implications of the episcript transmission of self-destructiveness for the psychotherapeutic treatment of dependent and codependent conditions are discussed.