September 21, 2009 International Peace Day

Let us remember with love in our hearts...

Health and health care is a human right, not a privilege for the wealthy and few.

I used to subscribe to the belief in co-dependency (through my work with battered women from 1985-1993) as it is generally defined, but through its application in real-life situations with those women I worked with, I learned it was just another way of blaming the victim and saying they are at least, in part, responsible for the drinking partner's (or the abusive partner's) behavior. Does a man become addicted to porn because his wife won't do what he wants? No. He alone is responsible for his behavior. A person drinks because they choose to, not because of their partner's enabling. Anything else is just an excuse. It's ridiculous to place any responsibility anywhere else except where the behavior originates. Other family members learn maladaptive coping mechanism's out of love for the addicted person, but they are in no way responsible for that person's actions.