Codependents is a relatively new term for people who have to depend on others for their own sense of self-worth and self-esteem. They often come from alcoholic or other dysfunctional families where there are rigid roles and behaviour patterns, and they have little sense of personal identity, concentrating instead on being needed. They can excel at coping and caring, but underneath there is always the wish to comply (ie to please others) and control (to manipulate others). This can lead to illness and depression and an inability to form satisfactory relationships. With the use of case histories, this book aims to show how codependency starts, how it manifests itself and how the problems it causes can be overcome.