Codependency in
Relationships
If you are
struggling with codependency in relationships, you are not alone!
Actually, it’s very common to find oneself in a codependent
relationship at some point in time.
What
is codependency..
In short,
codependency is “Giving up who you are in order to invest
most of yourself into someone else.”
What this means
is,
the codependent person has the tendency to put his or her
feelings and needs aside while focusing their attention on what the
other
person is “doing, saying, being, wanting, having, and
needing.”
In time, the
codependent person begins
to lose focus of who they are. However, when in actuality, the
codependent person never really knew who they were in the first place.
A lot of times this is due
to being raised in a dysfunctional environment where the codependent
person never learned how to
feel worthy of oneself.
Codependency in
relationships is all about depending on the other person to
take responsibility for your feelings, while also expecting the other
person to put their needs/priorities aside for you because that's what
you have
done for them...even though the other person didn't ask for this.
When
does codependency start?
Codependency often
develops in relationships when a loved one is an alcoholic, a drug
addict, mentally-physically-emotionally abusive, or when
one's normal development is stunted due to neglect from a
care-provider.
Codependency in
relationships can also occur outside of the family. For example,
let's say you caught your significant other in bed with another person.
Well you end this relationship, but you continue to find yourself
insecure that your current significant other will do the same thing. So
what do you do?
You make sure you spend all of your time with this new flame,
neglecting all other aspects of your life.
Overcoming
codependency
In order to
overcome codependency, you’ll need to learn boundary setting,
assertiveness, and self-esteem skills. After learning these skills,
you’ll begin understanding what a healthy, loving
relationship is all about.
Codependency
doesn't have
to be viewed as a "negative" behavior, however, if
you allow it, you can use codependency as a way to get to know yourself
better. Reading this information is a great start to self-discovery and
creating a life of mastery and self-worth.
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