Co-dependency

What is Co-Dependency?

Among the core characteristics of co-dependency is an excessive reliance on other people for approval and a sense of identity. It affects an individual’s ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. It is also known as “relationship addiction” because people with co-dependency often form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive and/or abusive.

Signs of Co-Dependency include:

• Having difficulty making decisions in a relationship
• Having difficulty identifying your feelings
• Having difficulty communicating in a relationship
• Valuing the approval of others more than valuing yourself
• Lacking trust in yourself and having poor self-esteem
• Having fears of abandonment or an obsessive need for approval
• Having an unhealthy dependence on relationships, even at your own cost
• Having an exaggerated sense of responsibility for the actions of others

Like all types of therapy, getting rid of unhelpful negative beliefs and changing them to updated empowering and positive beliefs, along with learning newer, better ways of behaving, will continue to serve each person for much longer than the therapy itself.