Codependency / Codependent
The codependent is a person who loves caring for others, whose mission in life is to fix things in people's lives. Codependents are responsible people who can be counted on. They are often 'the Pillar' of the family or the church or the organization they are part of. They want to live in a peaceful world and they sacrifice themselves for it and that can work against them in the longterm.
Yes, codependency is a personality pattern that is deeply rooted and can mess with your life. For example,
In psychotherapy with one of our experienced professionals:
At Life Transformation Group we have two therapists available to join you in this journey. Call us to set up your first session. George: 416-939-0544 or Anna: 647-712-4848.
George is a registered psychotherapist with over 40 years clinical experience.
Anna is a registered and experienced psychotherapist with a completed doctorate in psychology with research in the area of resilience.
Yes, codependency is a personality pattern that is deeply rooted and can mess with your life. For example,
- Lack of self care can lead to burn-out or breakdown.
- Depression becomes systematic because of a nagging inner critic.
- You may have boundary issues that undermines work and home life.
- You may at times experience an overwhelming sense of failure.
- You tend to connect with others that need your help or worse
- Get connected to a life-partner who is narcissistic.
In psychotherapy with one of our experienced professionals:
- you gain insight into your relationship and personalty pattern,
- You have an empathic guide who can walk with you through the different issues you face,
- You learn to establish clearer boundaries,
- You establish better self-care, and
- You are encouraged to transition out of this life pattern .
At Life Transformation Group we have two therapists available to join you in this journey. Call us to set up your first session. George: 416-939-0544 or Anna: 647-712-4848.
George is a registered psychotherapist with over 40 years clinical experience.
Anna is a registered and experienced psychotherapist with a completed doctorate in psychology with research in the area of resilience.
Codependency Issues Q and A
How would you describe someone with codependent traits who is not necessarily a full-blown codependent?
There are several different ways to describe this person. Here are some:
I believe we all have personality labels of this more friendly type - a pattern that distorts our most authentic self, a pattern that is functional to a degree and dysfunctional to a degree. Another common example would be the People Pleaser.
How would you describe someone with codependent traits who is not necessarily a full-blown codependent?
There are several different ways to describe this person. Here are some:
- Over-functioning: the person who is always doing more than their share to keep the family system going.
- Over-caring: the person who throws herself into the care of another.
- Pillar of the system: the one who is always there and can always be counted on.
- Over-responsible: the one who keeps taking on more than their fair share of the work-load of the system.
- Enabler: in an alcoholic family the Enabler is overly helpful and enables the alcoholic to stay on the feet way past when they should have collapsed and faced their addiction to alcohol and dealt with it.
I believe we all have personality labels of this more friendly type - a pattern that distorts our most authentic self, a pattern that is functional to a degree and dysfunctional to a degree. Another common example would be the People Pleaser.
What are the primary concerns of codependent people?
Codependent people are first of all ordinary loving people who have the same concerns as everyone else. They are not freaks.
Remember that the codependent is someone who cares for other. They are responsible and nurturing people.
If you were married to a codependent one of your concerns might be that they are always off helping someone and not looking after you and the family. They like to help so much that it becomes a problem.
You might find that your codependent is so concerned about keeping the family peaceful that they are not open and direct about matters that might lead into a conflict. They might try to quietly control things rather than allow openness.
The Codependent is likely highly self-critical. they live with much internal blame and judging. Associated with that
the Codependent takes the blame for things that go wrong, say ‘sorry’ a lot and feel responsible for fixing whatever went wrong.
The primary concern of the Codependent is other people. The Codependent is highly motivated to care for others. The want to keep others safe and secure. The Codependent wants to create peace and order.
The downfall of the Codependent is that they do not take care of themselves. This is a real vulnerability - the hidden vulnerability of the Codependent.
Define Codependency
The codependent is defined as one person in a family system involving an addict, especially an alcoholic. In such a system the codependent acts as the responsible adult (Parent) to the addict who is acting like the dependent child.
However the ‘codependent’ may be found in other settings not involving an addict. In whatever the setting the codependent is in the role of either a Rescuer or a Caretaker or both. As a Rescuer/Caretaker they are involved with a person who needs rescuing/caretaking and their role is to ‘Rescue’ the person or provide for their care.
The following is generally true of the Codependent:
In an addictive family system, the addict is the dependent. Now the one who takes care of the addict is the codependent. The codependent is NOT dependent on the addict. Just the opposite. The codependent is supporting them.
The codependent is on a mission to ‘save the world’ one person at a time. This makes sense to them because it has been their life. They are good at creating order, reducing conflict and taking care of people.
One possible unfortunate and unintentional side-effect is that they kind of ‘support’ the addict in their addiction. If that is going on we call it ‘Enabling.’
In looking at writing in my web site Christian marriage couples & individual counseling retreat couple retreats search for the term super-responsible.
The codependent is defined as one person in a family system involving an addict, especially an alcoholic. In such a system the codependent acts as the responsible adult (Parent) to the addict who is acting like the dependent child.
However the ‘codependent’ may be found in other settings not involving an addict. In whatever the setting the codependent is in the role of either a Rescuer or a Caretaker or both. As a Rescuer/Caretaker they are involved with a person who needs rescuing/caretaking and their role is to ‘Rescue’ the person or provide for their care.
The following is generally true of the Codependent:
- In childhood their parents did not provide safety, security, peace and order and this lack effected the child who will grow into the Caretaker/Rescuer/Super-Responsible person.
- This person takes their responsibilities in life very seriously and their friends will observe they are too serious and as children they act like little adults.
- If anything goes wrong they assume it is their fault, or their responsibility to fix. If any work needs to be done they will assume they need to do it and they will take on disproportionate share of work. Not always good for team work.
- They have trouble with self-care and this is their Achilles Heel. They neglect themselves.
- They are self-critical especially seeing themselves as being too selfish, too immature, too childish. Most will admit they live with a huge load of self-criticism.
In an addictive family system, the addict is the dependent. Now the one who takes care of the addict is the codependent. The codependent is NOT dependent on the addict. Just the opposite. The codependent is supporting them.
The codependent is on a mission to ‘save the world’ one person at a time. This makes sense to them because it has been their life. They are good at creating order, reducing conflict and taking care of people.
One possible unfortunate and unintentional side-effect is that they kind of ‘support’ the addict in their addiction. If that is going on we call it ‘Enabling.’
In looking at writing in my web site Christian marriage couples & individual counseling retreat couple retreats search for the term super-responsible.
Is Codependency related to Depression?
Although Depression and Codependency are different disorders, I can see a relationship between them. I will suggest 3 of my observations of the codependent that support depression:1. The codependent is focused on helping others and neglects their own needs.
2. The codependent suppresses self-expression and keeps a thumb on their Inner Child.
3. The codependent is constantly self-critical.
Each of the above aspects of the codependent - a sub-type of the Super-Responsible - supports depression.
Depression is the human personality starved of the resources of love, joy and the flow of God's Spirit.
Although Depression and Codependency are different disorders, I can see a relationship between them. I will suggest 3 of my observations of the codependent that support depression:1. The codependent is focused on helping others and neglects their own needs.
2. The codependent suppresses self-expression and keeps a thumb on their Inner Child.
3. The codependent is constantly self-critical.
Each of the above aspects of the codependent - a sub-type of the Super-Responsible - supports depression.
Depression is the human personality starved of the resources of love, joy and the flow of God's Spirit.
What is an example of a Codependent relationship?
The concept of the codependent relationship may have grown out of observations of alcoholics and their spouses. It must have been observed that a particular type of spouse got paired up with the alcoholic. That spouse came to be called the codependent.
Let’s say the man has an addiction to alcohol. Perhaps he has trouble being firm and making decisions that need to be made.
His wife happens to be someone who knew he had a drinking problem when they got together but that was okay with her because she felt called to help him. She believed she could help him and all would be well.
His wife is attracted to people and situations that need her help. Consciously or unconsciously she believes she can (and must) rescue people. She is comfortable with situations where her ability to solve problems, care for others and take responsibility are called upon.
The alcoholic is the one with the drug problem. His partner is a support to him and that might or might not be the best thing. It sometimes enables the addiction.
This is an example of a ‘codependent relationship’ as if that was bad. No it is not. It is just an identification of a family system. It is not wrong, or pathological.
If it is unhealthy, it is because most of us grew up in unhealthy systems and produce unhealthy systems. It is normal unhealthy not abnormal.
One can live with it until one can’t. Until the day comes when, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, we feel compelled to grow up and get out of our unhealthy and be free. For more about that process search my name for Positive Breakdown or Mental Breakdown.
The concept of the codependent relationship may have grown out of observations of alcoholics and their spouses. It must have been observed that a particular type of spouse got paired up with the alcoholic. That spouse came to be called the codependent.
Let’s say the man has an addiction to alcohol. Perhaps he has trouble being firm and making decisions that need to be made.
His wife happens to be someone who knew he had a drinking problem when they got together but that was okay with her because she felt called to help him. She believed she could help him and all would be well.
His wife is attracted to people and situations that need her help. Consciously or unconsciously she believes she can (and must) rescue people. She is comfortable with situations where her ability to solve problems, care for others and take responsibility are called upon.
The alcoholic is the one with the drug problem. His partner is a support to him and that might or might not be the best thing. It sometimes enables the addiction.
This is an example of a ‘codependent relationship’ as if that was bad. No it is not. It is just an identification of a family system. It is not wrong, or pathological.
If it is unhealthy, it is because most of us grew up in unhealthy systems and produce unhealthy systems. It is normal unhealthy not abnormal.
One can live with it until one can’t. Until the day comes when, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, we feel compelled to grow up and get out of our unhealthy and be free. For more about that process search my name for Positive Breakdown or Mental Breakdown.
Why am I codependent when I did not grow up in an alcoholic family?
You need to ask yourself a few questions to know why you are a codependent. Here is my take. A codependent is a caring person who naturally responds to the needs of others. often while sacrificing their own needs.
In my writing ( see HealMyLife.com) search for George Hartwell and Super-Responsible.
The reason alcoholics create the super-responsible in children is that they, at times, are not acting as responsible adults. They are out of commission. They are acting like children or falling asleep. They are not keeping the children safe and the household in order.
Now how did you parents do at keeping your childhood safe and secure?
Did you parents provide order and act responsible?
Did your parents function as parents so you could function as a child and not get drawn into being responsible for order, safety etc?
These kind of situations in your family background can trigger parental inversion where a child takes on adult responsibilities. Does that sound familiar?
Define Codependent
Really it might be better if we did not try to label anyone as a codependent. I say this for several reasons:
What happens is that the spouse of the alcoholic has become entangled in the life of the addict. The spouse is trying to hold the family together while the addiction is trying to destroy the family. Relationships are deteriorating. Finances are at risk and the family standing is likely to be destroyed by the collapse created by the alcoholism.
The spouse may have grown up in a family situation in which they had a role in keeping the family together. They may be used to the role that they are being ‘forced into’ by the addiction. They take more and more responsibility from the family life.
One way to say this is that they are over-functioning just as the addict is under-functioning.
Rightly or wrongly the people in social services or addiction services begin to see the spouses role as part of the family system. This role, the one carrying the burden of keeping the family functioning is called the codependent.
When the Codependent becomes an Enabler
Sometimes this is taken to mean, rightly or wrongly, that the codependent is part of the problem. In particular, if the codependent is too supportive they may be blamed for the alcoholics in ability to recovery or take responsibility for themselves. The term for being too supportive is ‘Enabler.’
If the codependent is too supportive and enabling then they are consider to be part of the problem. This is the pathological side of codependency.
However, if the codependent is only trying to survive and keep the family together without over-supporting the alcoholic they are not part of the problem, just part of the family system. This is not pathology. It is healthy functioning.
Why is it so hard to cure codependency issues?
Do you believe that our lives get set on a particular path in childhood? I do.
Do you believe that some drive or motivation arising in childhood can be so strong that it remains the key driving force in a person’s life? I do.
Do you think a personality pattern can be established in childhood that has the momentum to continue for half a life-time? I do.
Now codependency fits right into the above patterns. It is part of a path that is set in childhood. It reflects a motivation or drive established in childhood. In fact it is one aspect of a personality pattern that has been established in childhood.
The fact that codependency is a reflection of a fixed personality pattern provides a clue as to why is is so hard to change. People live within the perceptions, beliefs and emotion of their personality. It is not so easy to ‘look in a mirror’ and be different.
As a psychotherapist I have made it part of my mission in life to discern and understand personality patterns. It is also part of my mission to guide people in recognizing and transforming their personality pattern.
Psychotherapy with those stated objectives cannot be undertaken by anyone. It is a job for a highly skilled professional. The understanding of how to transition out of personality patterns is not widespread even among professional counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists.
So do not be surprised that it is hard to cure on one’s own and may even take some time working with a professional. A 12 Step Group can help be raising awareness and providing support and accountability. These are big steps in the direction of a cure.
Really it might be better if we did not try to label anyone as a codependent. I say this for several reasons:
- Any label confuses our own sense of identity, if we are the one labelled, and
- Confuses how others see us, rather than seeing us as persons.
- Too many people are confused by the term ‘codependent’ because they think it means someone who tends to be dependent on someone or something. Of course, that is not what it means.
What happens is that the spouse of the alcoholic has become entangled in the life of the addict. The spouse is trying to hold the family together while the addiction is trying to destroy the family. Relationships are deteriorating. Finances are at risk and the family standing is likely to be destroyed by the collapse created by the alcoholism.
The spouse may have grown up in a family situation in which they had a role in keeping the family together. They may be used to the role that they are being ‘forced into’ by the addiction. They take more and more responsibility from the family life.
One way to say this is that they are over-functioning just as the addict is under-functioning.
Rightly or wrongly the people in social services or addiction services begin to see the spouses role as part of the family system. This role, the one carrying the burden of keeping the family functioning is called the codependent.
When the Codependent becomes an Enabler
Sometimes this is taken to mean, rightly or wrongly, that the codependent is part of the problem. In particular, if the codependent is too supportive they may be blamed for the alcoholics in ability to recovery or take responsibility for themselves. The term for being too supportive is ‘Enabler.’
If the codependent is too supportive and enabling then they are consider to be part of the problem. This is the pathological side of codependency.
However, if the codependent is only trying to survive and keep the family together without over-supporting the alcoholic they are not part of the problem, just part of the family system. This is not pathology. It is healthy functioning.
Why is it so hard to cure codependency issues?
Do you believe that our lives get set on a particular path in childhood? I do.
Do you believe that some drive or motivation arising in childhood can be so strong that it remains the key driving force in a person’s life? I do.
Do you think a personality pattern can be established in childhood that has the momentum to continue for half a life-time? I do.
Now codependency fits right into the above patterns. It is part of a path that is set in childhood. It reflects a motivation or drive established in childhood. In fact it is one aspect of a personality pattern that has been established in childhood.
The fact that codependency is a reflection of a fixed personality pattern provides a clue as to why is is so hard to change. People live within the perceptions, beliefs and emotion of their personality. It is not so easy to ‘look in a mirror’ and be different.
As a psychotherapist I have made it part of my mission in life to discern and understand personality patterns. It is also part of my mission to guide people in recognizing and transforming their personality pattern.
Psychotherapy with those stated objectives cannot be undertaken by anyone. It is a job for a highly skilled professional. The understanding of how to transition out of personality patterns is not widespread even among professional counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists.
So do not be surprised that it is hard to cure on one’s own and may even take some time working with a professional. A 12 Step Group can help be raising awareness and providing support and accountability. These are big steps in the direction of a cure.