Family Response to Adults and Alcohol

SUMMARY Studies indicate that couple and family relationships play a significant role in alcohol dependence and recovery processes, yet a relational framework in alcoholism treatment and research paradigms remains largely absent. Reciprocal, interactive dynamics between the alcoholic and couple-family relationships suggests the need for a more comprehensive conceptualization of alcoholism, inclusive of a relational perspective in addition to the current individual emphasis on abstinence as the defining measurement of successful treatment. Family variables, especially the couple relationship, underscore the importance of the concept of “couple recovery.” Bridging the gap between individual and couple recovery requires: multiple levels of intervention, developmentally appropriate strategies through the stages of recovery, and openness to integrating various therapeutic approaches. The Couples Reciprocal Development Approach (CRDA), a theory of long-term couple recovery from alcoholism, identifies three distinct but interactive components of couple functioning.