Nursing Management
May 1992 - Volume 23 - Issue 5
12 Step Conspiracy?
Unfortunately, the nursing literature does suggest that many nurses are co-dependent. The nursing profession has naively bought the "helping is a disease" concept promulgated by self-styled "experts" in the co-dependency movement.
These "experts" absurdly claim that 94% of the population is co-dependent. Most of the co-dependency "experts" make their living by counseling sufferers of the non-existent disorder and author books for followers of the co-dependency cult. Anne Wilson Sheaf (When Society Becomes an Addict and the Addictive Organization) claims that unless organizations “recovery” (commit to 12 step programs for life) they are doomed to failure due to addiction, co-dependency and early life issues.
A new book, THE CO-DEPENDENCY CONSPIRACY (Kats and Liu, 1991) warns of the dangers of the co-dependency movement. Co-dependency is not recognized as a disease by the medical profession (DSM III-R, ICD-9) and has over 200 supposed symptoms. With so many symptoms, anyone could be labeled as “diseased.”
Nursing is a helping profession. If helping is a disease and we all recovery, who would care for the sick?
Guy C. Lamunyon RN
Addiction Specialist
Addiction Awareness Recovery Services
Laguna Hills, California
