CODEPENDENCY

Codependency is a relationship pattern in which a person becomes overly focused on another person's needs, emotions, or problems, often at the expense of their own well-being.

A codependent person may feel responsible for:

  • Fixing other people's problems

  • Managing other people's emotions

  • Keeping relationships together no matter the cost

  • Gaining self-worth from being needed

Common signs include:

  • Difficulty setting boundaries

  • People-pleasing

  • Fear of rejection or abandonment

  • Neglecting your own needs

  • Feeling guilty when you say "no"

  • Staying in unhealthy relationships because you feel responsible for the other person

For example, if someone has a partner struggling with addiction, a codependent pattern might involve constantly covering for them, making excuses for their behavior, or sacrificing one's own health and happiness to keep them from facing consequences.

It's important to note that caring deeply for others is not the same as codependency. Healthy relationships involve support and compassion while still maintaining:

  • Personal boundaries

  • Independence

  • Responsibility for your own feelings and choices

The term originally became popular in discussions of families affected by addiction, but today it's used more broadly to describe unhealthy patterns of emotional dependence and self-sacrifice.