Uppsatsen syftar dels till att försöka nå en djupare kunskap om medberoende som begrepp men undersöker även hur medberoendet kan förstås samt förklaras från en medberoendes eget perspektiv. Vidare undersöks också på vilket sätt tolvstegsprogrammet kan förstås som en fungerande behandlingsmetod för medberoende, varför samtliga intervjupersoner aktivt deltar samt verkar i en tolvstegsgemenskap för anhöriga till missbrukare. Studiens resultat presenterar olika typer av uttryck samt symptom som verkar framträdande för medberoende och knyter även an dessa till dels varandra och dels till varför samt hur tolvstegsprogrammet kan verka förebyggande mot dessa. Slutligen diskuteras även hur medberoende samt tillfrisknandet i tolvstegsprogrammet kan förklaras med hjälp av anknytningsteorin samt en sociokulturell teori om ett relationellt själv. / This essay partly refers to trying to reach a deeper understanding of codependency as a construct but also examines how codependency can be understood and explained from a codependents own perspective. The essay also examines in what way the twelve step program can be perceived as an effective treatment method for codependency, why all the interviews were taken with people who are active participants in a twelve step program for family and friends of an addict. The study’s result represents different kind of expressions and symptoms that seems most significant for codependency and partly attach these to each other but partly also examines how and why the twelve step program can prevent these. Finally it’s also discussed how codependency and the recovery by participating in the twelve step program can be explained with the help from the attachment theory and a sociocultural theory about a relational self.

The thesis introduces perception of guilt and sin in the Bible, in Christian tradition and in contemporary moral theology. It emphasizes that in the mentioned periods both phenomena belonged in the common talk and to the elemental moral concepts. It deals with perception of guilt (sin) and forgiveness at present and it does not omit the findings of empirical sciences. It takes into consideration the facts which led to the loss or deformation of awareness of both phenomena in the society in general. In practice it conducts the survey of the possible idea of the contemporary state of awareness of guilt and forgiveness and relates it to the specific group of Anonymous Alcoholics.