A Critique of the Codependency Concept considering the Best Interests of the Child

Abstract

C o d e p e n d e n c y (CD) is a c o n c e p t t h a t in itia lly e m e rg e d in th e a d d ic tio n s fie ld in th e 19 7 0 s t o address u n h e a lth y fa m ily re la tio n s th a t o c c u rre d as a re su lt o f su b sta n ce d e p e n d e n cie s. D e sp ite several fe m in is t c ritiq u e s o f th e c o n c e p t a ro u n d 1 9 9 0 , th e CD s e lf-h e lp m o v e m e n t has c o n tin u e d t o g ro w , re s u ltin g in o v e r o n e m illio n h its o n an o n lin e search to d ay. In th is a rtic le , w e re o p e n th e d e b a te a b o u t th e th e ra p e u tic u tility o f CD b y s u p p o rtin g p re v io u s fe m in is t c ritiq u e s , a n d b y p ro v id in g an u p d a te d c ritiq u e th a t addresses so cie ta l sh ifts in g e n d e r roles a n d th e m o v e m e n t in fa m ily la w to w a rd d e cisio n m a k in g in th e b e st in te re sts o f th e ch ild . R e c o m m e n d a tio n s are m a d e f o r fr o n tlin e social service w o rk e rs w h o use a n d /o r w o r k w ith p e o p le w h o use th e CD co n c e p t.

The Lived Experience of Codependency: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

“…However, there are no universally used definitions or diagnostic criteria, and codependency is not listed in the DSM-V (Diagnostic Statistical Manual V, American Psychiatric Association 1994). The concept has attracted much criticism due to lack of clarity, strong stereotyping, and negative labelling attributes (Gierymski and Williams 1986;Chiauzzi and Liljegren 1993;Uhle 1994;Anderson 1994;Orford 2005;Calderwood and Rajesparam 2014. The literature review demonstrated that the concept of codependency lacks a clear theoretical conceptualisation and, as a result, has generated a fair amount of discussion and contradictory evidence and theory among researchers. Most of the empirical evidence is formed by a body of quantitative research, attempting to categorise and quantify this contentious human experience.…”

Alkol-Madde Kullanıcılarının Bağımlılık Şiddeti İle Aile Üyelerinin Eş Bağımlılık Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişki

“…Kavram olarak incelendiğinde birçok yazında eş bağımlılık tanımına rastlanabilir. Cermak'a göre eş bağımlılık kavramı, alkol kullanım bozukluğu olan kişilerle yaşayan bireylerin, kişilik bozukluğu benzeri, kronik ve uyumsuz davranışlarla karakterize tanı kriterine sahip olmasıdır (10). Yapılan başka bir araştırmada ise eş bağımlılık, başkalarının ihtiyaçlarına aşırı odaklanma, aşırı bakım verme ve başkalarının düşünceleri üzerinde çok düşünmeden kaynaklanan bir ilişki sorunu olarak tanımlanmıştır (11).…”

"My god…how did I miss it?”: Women's experiences of their spouses’ alcohol‐related relapses

“…Women living with a partner diagnosed with AUD are often defined by researchers and clinicians as co‐dependent, a term that refers to unhealthy and dysfunctional family/couple relationships in which maladaptive coping strategies are implemented by the partner to maintain a sense of homeostasis, which paradoxically reinforces the maladaptive behavioural pattern of the family member who diagnosed with AUD (Steinglass, 2009; Zaidi, 2015). However, this term has been criticized by feminist scholars who claim that it blurs the power relations between men and women, ignores the role of oppressive socio‐political structures in shaping gender roles, and overall blames and pathologizes the victim (Calderwood & Rajesparam, 2014). Co‐dependency has also been criticized by proponents of the stress and coping perspective who view the spouse who does not have addiction problems as an active agent who employs multiple coping styles (e.g.…”