

“Since people who are codependent have a fragile sense of who they are, they adapt to their partner’s needs,” says Hollander. Lori Hollander, licensed certified social worker, relationship expert, and co-founder of Relationships Work, says common manifestations can include putting your partner’s needs above your own, depending on your partner for self-esteem, giving too much to your partner, and minimizing dealbreakers in relationships. In everyday life and relationships, codependency can take on multiple forms. "We think we know what we need and believe ‘If I can just get this person to be this way, I would feel better.’ You’re essentially using the relationship to do deep healing within your own psyche.” “It’s about control - just like any addiction," she says. Catalina Lawsin.Ĭlinical director and owner of My La Therapy Brooke Sprowl describes codependency as the need to cling to someone to change or control their behavior. “Codependency is a controversial term that suggests that one person’s behavior supports or enables another’s behavior, generally leading to negative effects for both individuals in a relationship,” says licensed clinical psychologist Dr. While long associated with addiction and substance abuse (involving both the user and those in relation to them), these days, codependency casts a much larger net. To start things off, here’s a quick briefing on codependency.
OVERCOMING CODEPENDENCY PDF HOW TO
As a result, the surprisingly common behavior goes unchecked and one can never quite figure out how to overcome codependency.

However, certain issues like codependency most definitely land on the more taboo side of things, as it's not as easily defined or able to pinpoint in relationships. All of these feel relatable and easier to identify. There’s a plethora of relationship behaviors that feel familiar and safe to discuss, because they are easily recognizable: jealousy, infatuation, resentment, distrust.
