Co-dependent... What a Bore and Other Clinical Observations [Paperback]

Rick Goodner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2003

Codependent. . . What a Bore, and Other Clinical Observations is timely, full of satire, cannot be considered politically correct, and will leave no one who reads it without an opinion.

Issues covered are:

Codependent Disorder (Not only is it a bore but it is not real, never was and never will be)

Battered Women Syndrome (A cop-out for murder)

Perception Deception (Perceive it as you wish)

Multiple Personality Disorder (As if one is not too much)

Cookbook Therapy (Self help?)

Repressed Memories Syndrome (Who could forget this one?)

Treatment for Sexual Molesters of Children (The great con-game)

The Media and Violent Behavior (Is there a connection?)

Common Sense (Much too common)

Treatment for Persons traumatized by Unidentified Flying Objects (Yes they really treat this)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rick Goodner is a harmless social worker who is a refugee from the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex, now living in central Texas. He is recognized as a Licensed Master Social Worker-Advanced Clinical Practitioner within the State of Texas. Although his primary focus is in the mental health field, he has worked his craft in an assortment of areas, such as: mental retardation, family violence, hospital services, bereavement, home health, child and adolescent mental health services, mental health day treatment and social security benefits eligibility work. He has also provided court ordered treatment to sexual molesters of children, developed an incarceration suicide prevention program and is a provider of education for professional mental health workers. At this time, Rick is the Director of Behavior Health and Social Services at Comanche and DeLeon Hospitals in Texas, is engaged in private practice, and provides continuing education to mental health professionals via the internet at www.singularmind.com. In his spare time, Rick is a volunteer at the American Red Cross – Disaster Mental Health Services, and dabbles in writing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Imprintbooks (June 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591097746
• ISBN-13: 978-1591097747
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,863,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Professional, August 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Co-dependent... What a Bore and Other Clinical Observations (Paperback)

A friend loaned me this book and he is not getting it back. I found Co-Dependent... What a Bore excellent. An important work for the layperson and, I'm sure, the professional practitioner alike. The work is extremely well written, straightforward and thorough, presented in a candid, colorful and humorous style. I found that it explained and cleared up many issues, and the arguments against the "co-dependency construct" were strongly and convincingly presented. I enjoyed the way Mr. Goodner linked it to Plato's "The Cave", and the Shadow Priest metaphor used throughout provided a coherent, practical image for me to envision and understand.

Co-Dependent... What a Bore was a fast and enjoyable read. At many points in my reading, I just could not contain my enthusiasm! For it is frequently hilarious (I laughed out loud at many parts), often very opinionated (but he did warn us) and always thought provoking. An excellent work, dealing with a wide variety of topics. Mr. Goodner's sense of irony and his cynicism is highly developed, but they only serve to illustrate his points and help make what could be a dry subject into a fast and scintillating read.

Co-Dependent... What a Bore is wise, funny, shocking and thought provoking throughout. Definitely it is controversial and Mr. Goodner is going to have some eyebrows and possibly some pens raised against him in anger, but he should know that. I personally read the work with an open mind and a spirit of acceptance, and I believe that Mr. Goodner states his case and position very fairly, entertainingly and persuasively. Mr. Goodner pulls no punches, and boy, is that refreshing!

As I said before, I laughed out loud at many points - Mr. Goodner is gifted in breaking the tension and shaking up the rhythm of the work through humor and wit, so that the reader remains captivated.

Unfortunately I am not really in a position to comment on its psychological / scientific aspect, but I gathered from the "Acknowledgements" section that the content has been thrash out with other experts in the field. All I can tell you is that as a layperson, a reader of the type, which will be picking up the book in a bookstore, or coffee table as in my case, it works very well.

Again, I honestly have enjoyed reading this book, and got a lot out of it. I wish Mr. Goodner the best of luck in sending this out into the world. Will he have any problems selling it? I think not.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Proofreading: What a Bore..., June 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Co-dependent... What a Bore and Other Clinical Observations (Paperback)

Mr. Goodner's tone and voice are strong and enjoyable, and his logic is excellent. The book covers a considerably narrower set of definitions for "co-dependent" than I had hoped. I had wanted to read a refutal or new perspective on co-dependent relationship dynamics as described by Robert Burney and Melanie Beattie; instead, Mr. Goodner uses most of the book to support his case for refusing to accept the term "co-dependent." He points out the illogical origins of the term and emphasizes that mental health workers have a professional duty to stick to the DSM when making their diagnoses. I agree. Just, caveat emptor if you're looking to read about "love versus toxic love" as I was. And caveat emptor anyway for verbosity and shoddiness - Mr. Goodner has probably never read Strunk & White, and he is an inconsistent speller. Co-dependant or co-dependent? Got editor?

P.S. - My favorite thing in the book was an aside in which Mr. Goodner asserted that committing rape is not about being in control, but about using aggression to get what you want (in that case, sex), much as a mugger uses aggression to get money. That got me started thinking about the whole range of methods people use to manipulate others into giving them what they want - aggression, charm, negotiations, lawyers. I suppose if there's a level of mutual agreeability to the outcome of such manipulation, then it's no longer manipulation, just negotiation, or maybe just social interaction. I would imagine there's a mutual agreeability threshold below which the initiator of the interaction qualifies as "antisocial."

P.P.S. - I wish you the best, Mr. Goodner, and thanks for the cute raccoon picture.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Co-dependent...What a Bore and Other Clinical Observations, August 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Co-dependent... What a Bore and Other Clinical Observations (Paperback)

Even if you don't subscribe to Mr. Goodner's doctrine, which is so uncommonly sensitive, this book is a GREAT READ! (You will laugh aloud, even hysterically at one point.)

Full of daring witticism and intellectual perceptions, this book will jar the senses, especially in the professional world, I think.

Thank you for caring, Mr. Goodner. Will you be my personal spiritual guru?