Loved Ones often need help with codependency even after the addict/alcoholic/person with other compulsive mental health illness starts to recover. Codependent people are very reactionary and it can help for them to learn techniques for breaking dysfunctional relationship patterns and start to focus on their own self-care.

Sometimes relationships don't last because the people never really knew each other when both parties were sober and mentally stable. Sometimes the trust has just been so violated.

My therapist recently advised me to start reading up on codependency. I'm the adult child of an alcoholic. I'm a recovering addict. My ex got me hooked on meth on purpose so I would have to come to him for it and not leave him. I was crazy codependent on him as my addiction got worse. I have co-occurring mental health disorders that started in childhood along with my role as a Scapegoat to my alcoholic Dad. So my family members are codependent on me. So yeah, the entire family needs help. If not, the situation compounds and people can stay really emeshed in each others life. I read some quotes from the codependent book and my mom told my father, "She has a book on our family." Mine is just one example.

Good luck with your papers. Maybe they'll help someone as codependent as my poor Mom realize that she doesn't always have to be the strong one and that going to therapy would not be shameful. "I'm not the one who ____... I don't need therapy."