Prodependence revolutionized addiction healthcare by improving
the ways we treat loved ones of addicts and other troubled people by
offering them more dignity for their suffering rather than blame for the
problem. This revised edition builds on the model, revealing many more
ways to put the method into practice and strategies for setting healthy
boundaries.
Do you love an addict? Do you sometimes feel like their addiction is
your fault? Are people calling you codependent? If our treatment
toward loved ones of addicts alienates them, it's time we change our
approach.
With Prodependence, Dr. Robert Weiss offers us the first fully new
paradigm in nearly 40 years for helping those who love and care for
addicts. An attachment-focused model, prodependence recognizes that no
one can ever love too much, nor should anyone be pathologized for
whomever they choose to love as is often the case. Prodependence
informs caregivers how to love more effectively, but without having to
bear a negative label for the valuable support they give. When treating
loved ones of addicts and other troubled people using prodependence, we
need not find something "wrong" with them. Instead, we acknowledge the
trauma and inherent dysfunction that occurs when living in relationship
with someone whose life is failing and keep moving forward. Validating a
caregiver's painful journey for what it is opens the door to support
them in useful, non-shaming ways.
Helping people take incremental, positive steps toward intimate healing
is what Prodependence is all about!
