How to overcome codependency is an important question nowadays. The concept of codependency involves a social and emotional tendency to care for others.
A codependent feels responsible for another person’s problems, and they depend on playing that role. Patients who suffer from codependency often face unhealthy relationships that hurt their feelings: as a caregiver, the codependent individual makes sacrifices for another person, only to feel resentment if the person is not appreciated enough.
The destructive cycle of codependency can lead to feelings of resentment within the codependent, resulting in damaged relationships.
A codependent individual has a spouse who constantly cares for him or her. This means that codependent people either hide the addiction’s behaviors or help the addicts cope with its consequences.
When we parent children and care for our elderly parents, codependency may also occur, but it is still a problematic situation that must be addressed in order to recover from it.
They only pertain to behaviours that are displayed in a relationship where one person has a codependent partner. While it is possible to develop primary codependency, once an individual reaches a certain point within their life, it becomes tough, if not impossible, to recover from that addiction. Studies to address how to overcome codependency question tells even the most well-intentioned friends and family members can become consumed in helping the addict to recover from their addiction.
Symptoms of Primary Codependency
While codependent people show unique traits, people with this condition also show many similar symptoms. The primary characteristic of codependency is caretaking, and it often causes many problems.
To manage everyone’s problems, codependent people often expend considerable effort on others while disregarding their own needs.
Other Signs of Codependency Include the Following Examples:
- Perfectionism is a personality trait
- Obsessive attention to detail
- Suffering from depression
- Stress-related illnesses
- Reluctance to deal with emotions
A victimized codependent feels unappreciated for the constant help they give to others. Some codependents feel taken advantage of since they continue to provide care.
Codependent people often feel victimised and underappreciated for the work they do as a result of their daily caretaking of others. They may believe that others take advantage of them, particularly if they are not recognised for the assistance they provide.
They will often start to blame the problems in their marriage or situation even when there are obvious signs that their partner has issues of his own, but their partner will try to convince them that it is just part of the family makeup. Studies to address how to overcome codependency question tells the symptoms may be more than just one or two, but it is essential to see if you can spot them in your spouse or loved one. A good example would be constant criticism, ultimatums, and controlling behavior. Often this occurs when there is a power imbalance. Their spouse will try to convince them that they need to change, but the codependent family member will do everything possible to keep them where they are.
Often, a primary codependent partner will threaten to leave if they don’t behave according to their standards. If you notice that this happens frequently, you need to take steps to break up the relationship. Even if your partner’s behavior towards you has changed over time, do not believe them when they say they don’t have a problem with you. It is easy to rationalize away the abuse, but you must take action to heal your relationship and stop the suffering.
The main symptom that is shared by many codependent relationships is a constant need for approval. Codependents live a life of continual self-pity, and they suffer greatly from a lack of self-esteem. Others may suffer from low self-esteem, and they may seek constant reassurance that they are not a wrong person or good enough.
Many people think that if their partner displays the symptoms of primary codependency, then they are exhibiting the behavior for the sake of being able to get back at their partner. While this may be true in some cases, the symptoms of codependency should not be used as a means of getting back at the other person. It is never healthy to use negative emotions as a way to punish a partner or a child. It only makes things worse and causes the other person to suffer in silence.
When suffering from these symptoms, individuals may spend a lot of time arguing, unable to communicate with each other. They may try to control the lives of everyone around them, including their own family. Studies to address how to overcome codependency question tells they may feel unwanted and unloved, and this causes them to seek out other people who will care for them so that they can be “put back in the right place.” At the same time, they may be afraid of being alone because they are so emotionally dependent on their partner. Also, their partner may suffer from the same problems, which causes them to be unable to communicate effectively or be open to new experiences.
Overcoming Codependency
Getting over a codependency can be difficult, but can be done with the right kind of help. People who are codependent often struggle with how to regulate their behavior in order to balance their relationships since they believe that everything they do is perfect and that they know how to solve all problems. Studies to address how to overcome codependency question tells they often assume behaviors that contradict their own are wrong, since they’re accustomed to thinking they’re right.
It’s important to take an objective inventory of your thoughts and feelings before you can overcome codependency:
- Is it true that you are always right?
- Does it really matter to you what others think?
Such pride can prevent you from critically examining yourself, which can impede your ability to discontinue codependent behaviors.
Studies to address how to overcome codependency question tellsthe consequences of addiction are far-reaching, and primary codependency impacts families, friends, and the families of addicts. Family members, who have experienced the devastating effects of alcoholism on their loved ones, share an even greater sense of shame and guilt. Friendships are strained to the breaking point as addicted individuals resort to alcoholic beverages to numb their painful emotions. All hopes of recovery are dashed when the alcoholic cannot stop drinking due to their underlying dependency on alcohol.
Learning how to overcome codependency is not easy because the family you grow up in plays such an essential role in your life. If you grew up in a codependent family, you are likely to feel unworthy, blame others for your problems, have a hard time trusting others, and be depressed when you do not get your way. If you grew up with a family where your parents had complex relationships or where violence was expected, you are at increased risk for codependency.
The first step is to figure out why you codependent behavior. There could be several reasons. You may be ashamed of your codependent nature, or you may feel like you should report your codependent loved ones to the proper authorities, but you fear they will abandon you. You may be afraid that people will leave you alone if you seek help to overcome your codependent nature. Don’t let your fears stop you from seeking help. In most cases, you can learn to live a codependent life if you work through your emotions and take some time to learn how to deal with your codependent family.
Many codependents need assistance when attempting to cut the cord so they must learn to develop healthy relationships, which requires effort. Get counselling to start your recovery because it will take a lot of time.
Another Important Step
Codependents tend to suffer from two primary problems: a deep emotional need and an inability to self-esteem. The first problem is much harder to overcome than the second, but it can be done. With the right support, you can begin to develop your self-esteem so that you no longer fear being around others who have problems, such as codependent behaviors. It is true that you may have always suffered from some kind of addiction or malady, and this is probably what drove you to seek help in the first place.
But now that you know why you became addicted to, or at least attracted to, codependent behaviours in the first place, you can use this knowledge to learn how to overcome codependency. If you have a codependent family member or spouse, you need to talk to them about your problem. Sometimes it takes a crisis to bring someone out of their shell, and once you have done this, they will likely do the same for you. In time, they will come around and realize that their behaviour is not worth standing up in front of others over.
When you want to learn to overcome codependency is to find the right resources. I know it is challenging, but if you have a support group, it can be beneficial. Some excellent therapists can help you work through your codependent issues. If you don’t have a support network or you don’t want to go through the trauma of admitting that you have a codependent family member, you can always work through your issues on your own.
Now that you know this, you are one step closer to finding out how to overcome codependency easily. The final steps to overcoming codependency are to take some time to learn what codependency is and why it happens to people. This will give you the tools necessary to make changes in your life to get help for your codependent family members. This is especially important if you have children because you will learn how to care for them and deal with them in an adult way.
Codependents need assistance in establishing healthy relationships because they need to learn to let go of the cord. For a full recovery, you will need to seek help and know about how to overcome codependency.
Ben Lesser is one of the most sought-after experts in health, fitness and medicine. His articles impress with unique research work as well as field-tested skills. He is a freelance medical writer specializing in creating content to improve public awareness of health topics. We are honored to have Ben writing exclusively for Dualdiagnosis.org.