Books like codependent no more

Codependent No More is the debut book of self-help author Melody Beattie. It was originally published in 1986 by the publishing division of the Hazelden Foundation, and became a phenomenon of the self-help movement, going on to sell over eight million copies, six million copies of them in the United States.

Melody Beattie popularized the phenomenon of codependency through the success of her bestseller. The subtitle of the book offers a hint at the apparent contradiction that accompanies codependency: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself.

The term codependent originated as a way to describe people who use relationships with others as their sole source of value and identity, and built on the experience of Alcoholics Anonymous that the addict's problem could be compounded by the enabling role of those who made up their network.