Codependency: a critique

An examination of the origins and development of the codependency concept finds it rooted in an obsolete disturbed-personality hypothesis. Both the current literature and treatment philosophy in the chemical dependency field reflect this perspective and continue to perpetuate a pathogenic view of wives who have chemically dependent husbands. Methods of treatment and the validity of treatment for what remains an unverified diagnostic entity are challenged on the grounds of professional ethics and therapeutic efficacy.