Resilient marriages : from alcoholism and adversity to relationship growth / Karen J. Shirley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shirley, Karen J., 1951-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Alcoholics--Family relationships--United States.

Alcoholics.

Alcoholics--Family relationships.

United States.

Alcoholics--Rehabilitation--United States--Case studies.

Alcoholics--Rehabilitation.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xii, 209 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield, [2000]

Summary:

Resilience has come to rival insight as a fundamental therapeutic goal in bettering the lives of individuals in distress. And it is increasingly an important topic in fields as diverse as education, sociology, and family studies. Yet despite all the recent interest, until now, few in-depth studies have appeared. This book is a moving ethnography of five couples whose marriages survived over many years and ultimately transcended a partner's alcoholism. The couples' stories are poignant, full of wisdom, and carry important lessons. The author's insightful analysis sheds light on three recurring themes: residual resources, moments of choice, and building trust. This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of what makes relationships last over a course of many years or a lifetime, and serves as an engaging supplementary text for courses in family studies, psychology, and sociology.

Contents:

Resiliency: An Introduction to the Process 1

Part I. The Gundersons: From Survival to Striking Gold 17

1 Good Moments in the Midst of Bad 19

2 "It's a Two-Sided Thing" 31

3 Not Perfect, But Very Good 43

Part II. The Royers: Endurance 49

4 Never Expecting Anything 51

5 "I Wouldn't Call It Healing" 67

6 Hidden Resources? 77

Part III. The Bertolinos: Passion, Volatility, and Devotion 83

7 Finding a Soul: Two Survivors 85

8 Getting Closer by Inches 103

9 Blessed in the Midst of Love and Regret 115

Part IV. The Abbotts: Victim, Victimizer, Victory 121

10 Exquisitely in Love and Balanced on the Knife's Edge 123

11 Insight Is Not Enough: Therapy and Beyond 141

12 Renewal and Healing: The Mysterious Nature of Marriage 159

Part V. Lessons on Resiliency 163

1 Overview of Alcoholism, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Al-Anon 177

2 Alcoholism as a Disease and the Codependency Movement 181

3 Research 185.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 197-201) and index.

ISBN:

0847693821

084769383X

OCLC:

42290134