Reply #47: Schaef's book is excellent

[Eloriel]

So is her "When Society Becomes an Addict," and Diane Fassel wrote a book everyone should read as well: "Working Ourselves to Death," about workaholism.

These books were in fact the beginning of my OWN recovery -- from workaholism as my own primary disease, after I'd ruined my heatlh by burning myself completely out being a good little workaholic, tho I agree with all those who define codependence as THE primary disease (even in alcoholism and other substance addictions).

I also believe, as some of the experts do, that we are all codependent to greater or lesser degree partly because we do indeed live in an addictive society. (In fact, I believe the codependence is the disease of patriarchy -- we are ALL "infected" with it from the moment of birth on, because our parents have it and pass it on starting immediately.) There are many addictive substances and processes that our culture either actively encourages (workaholism, for one, spending/hoarding aka: consumerism) or at the very least enables (sex, alcohol, others).

There's another really good book, "My Name Is Chellis and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization," by Chellis Glendinning, and anyone interested in the pathology of the fundies among us, be sure to read "When God Becomes a Drug" by Father Leo Booth.

RevCheese -- I wanna make sure you see this superb article, which I linked to upthread:

The Politics of Victimization
http://mathewgross.com/blog/archives/001041.html