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There are many, many great books about alcoholism and it's partner, co-alcoholism, which has morphed into the term codependency.

Understanding the alcoholic can go a long way toward healing. In some cases, having the addict complete a treatment program and get sober can help the couple achieve R.

So I encourage any of the good folks here at S.I. who are married to someone who drinks, who used to be married to someone who drinks or who had a parent or grandparent who drank, to read the following:

I read it in 1983. I remember it as clearly as if it was yesterday. We had just moved to a little tiny town and I didn't know anyone. An old friend had called me because my life and my marriage were a mess and during the course of the conversation said that XWH was an alcoholic. I was aghast. Horrified. No, no way. Not him. He was never drunk. He didn't drink everyday. Every concept in my head of what an alcoholic says and does just wasn't him. But her husband had been my X's mentor, his boss, and they'd drank a lot together. Her husband had gone into treatment and was very involved in AA and she had started living the Al Anon program.

So after we talked, I sent the kids over to the neighbor's house and I went to the library. I looked in the card catalog (remember, it was 1983) and they had one book under the category alcoholism. So I took it home and sat down in my chair to read it. It was a Saturday afternoon, cold but sunny and crisp. There were so many things I needed to do, still hadn't even finished unpacking all the moving boxes. But by golly, I was going to set my friend straight and I was going to prove to her that she was wrong, that she was just caught up in what she and her family were going through and was projecting onto me. You know, sort of like one person goes gluten free and suddenly everyone they meet should do the same. And I was going to use a book to counteract her. So I sat in that chair and after the first chapter, began to bawl like a baby. That book saved my sanity and might have saved my life. I know it saved my family. And even though we ended up like we did, we had another 30 good years before we failed.

I won't say anything more but if there has ever been any drinking by people in your life, I encourage you to read this book. It changed my life and I can't recommend it enough. And in hindsight, I think if I'd kept the concept of this book and what I learned in AlAnon closer to my heart, my marriage wouldn't have ended like it did 34 years later.

Janet Woititz has written several books and they're all excellent.

I haven't read the following one yet, just saw it when I was looking the other ones up but I plan to buy it today. The description describes my life to a T.

Perfect Daughters: Adult Daughters of Alcoholics by Robert Ackerman

Dr. Ackerman identified behavior patterns shared by daughters of alcoholics. Adult daughters of alcoholics-"perfect daughters" -operate from a base of harsh and limiting views of themselves and the world. Having learned that they must function perfectly in order to avoid unpleasant situations, these women often assume responsibility for the failures of others. They are drawn to chemically dependent men and are more likely to become addicted themselves. More than just a text that identifies these behavior patterns, this book collects the thoughts, feelings and experiences of