Codependence: Is It Time for a New Model?

After 35 years of codependency, maybe it’s time to start celebrating dependence. In this Psychology Today article, Dr. Robert Weiss writes, “The codependency paradigm’s enduring emphasis on finding ‘something wrong’ with the non-addicted family member, to me, ignores the power of our deep and enduring human experiences of attachment and connection.” Later he states, “With prodependence, clinicians need not find that something is wrong with caregiving loved ones of an addict in the early stages of treatment. Even when a spouse’s caregiving is less than productive or outright problematic, we can reframe the behavior in a positive light as having initiated from love and attachment.” To read the entire article, click the link below.

Codependence: Is It Time for a New Model?

What is Prodependence?

Prodependence is a new concept in addiction healthcare. It is intended to improve the ways we treat loved ones of addicts and other troubled people, offering them more dignity for their suffering than blame for the problem. With its attachment-focused view, prodependence pushes aside the flaws of the codependency model, which generally suggests that family members of addicts need to “detach with love” and if they don’t neither the family member nor the addict will change or grow. That advice typically leaves loved ones of addicts feeling confused and misunderstood rather than supported and validated. Prodependence approaches the matter differently, choosing to celebrate and value a caregiving loved one’s willingness to support and stay connected with an addicted family member, while promoting healing for the entire family.

Buy the Book