terrifi Codependency is characterized by a person belonging to a dysfunctional, one-sided relationship where one person relies on the other for meeting nearly all of their emotional and self-esteem needs. It also describes a relationship that enables another person to maintain their irresponsible, addictive, or underachieving behavior. Do you expend all of your energy in meeting your partner s needs? Do you feel trapped in your relationship? Are you the one that is constantly making sacrifices in your relationship? Then you may be in a codependent relationship. The term codependency has been around for decades. Although it originally applied to spouses of alcoholics (first called co-alcoholics), researchers revealed that the characteristics of codependents were much more prevalent in the general population than had previously imagined. In fact, they found that if you were raised in a dysfunctional family or had an ill parent, you could also be codependent. Researchers also found that codependent symptoms got worse if left untreated. The good news is that they re reversible. Symptoms of Codependency The following is a list of symptoms of codependency and being in a codependent relationship. You don t need to have them all to qualify as codependent. Low self-esteem. Feeling that you re not good enough or comparing yourself to others are signs of low self-esteem. The tricky thing about self-esteem is that some people think highly of themselves, but it s only a disguise they actually feel unlovable or inadequate. Underneath, usually hidden from consciousness, are feelings of shame.Guilt and perfectionism often go along with low self-esteem. If everything is perfect, you don t feel bad about yourself. People-pleasing. It s fine to want to please someone you care about, but codependents usually don t think they have a choice. Saying No causes them anxiety . Some codependents have a hard time saying No to anyone. They go out of their way and sacrifice their own needs to accommodate other people. Poor boundaries. Boundaries are sort of an imaginary line between you and others. It divides up what s yours and somebody else s, and that applies not only to your body, money, and belongings, but also to your feelings, thoughts and needs. That s especially where codependents get into trouble. They have blurry or weak boundaries. They feel responsible for other people s feelings and problems or blame their own on someone else.Some codependents have rigid boundaries. They are closed off and withdrawn, making it hard for other people to get close to them. Sometimes, people flip back and forth between having weak boundaries and having rigid ones. Reactivity. A consequence of poor boundaries is that you react to everyone s thoughts and feelings. If someone says something you disagree with, you either believe it or become defensive. You absorb their words, because there s no boundary. With a boundary, you d realize it was just their opinion and not a reflection of you and not feel threatened by disagreements. Caretaking. Another effect of poor boundaries is that if someone else has a problem, you want to help them to the point that you give up yourself. It s natural to feel empathy and sympathy for someone, but codependents start putting other people ahead of themselves. In fact, they need to help and might feel rejected if another person doesn t want help. Moreover, they keep trying to help and fix the other person, even when that person clearly isn t taking their advice. Control. Control helps codependents feel safe and secure. Everyone needs some control over events in their life. You wouldn t want to live in constant uncertainty and chaos, but for codependents, control limits their ability to take risks and share their feelings. Sometimes they have an addiction that either helps them loosen up, like alcoholism , or helps them hold their feelings down, like workaholism, so that they don t feel out of control.Codependents also need to control those close to them, because they need other people to behave in a certain way to feel okay. In fact, people-pleasing and care-taking can be used to control and manipulate people. Alternatively, codependents are bossy and tell you what you should or shouldn t do. This is a violation of someone else s boundary. Dysfunctional communication. Codependents have trouble when it comes to communicating their thoughts, feelings and needs. Of course, if you don t know what you think, feel or need, this becomes a problem. Other times, you know, but you won t own up to your truth. You re afraid to be truthful, because you don t want to upset someone else. Instead of saying, I don t like that, you might pretend that it s okay or tell someone what to do. Communication becomes dishonest and confusing when you try to manipulate the other person out of fear. Obsessions. Codependents have a tendency to spend their time thinking about other people or relationships. This is caused by their dependency and anxieties and fears. They can also become obsessed when they think they ve made or might make a mistake. Sometimes you can lapse into fantasy about how you d like things to be or about someone you love as a way to avoid the pain of the present. This is one way to stay in denial, discussed below, but it keeps you from living your life. Dependency. Codependents need other people to like them to feel okay about themselves. They re afraid of being rejected or abandoned, even if they can function on their own. Others need always to be in a relationship, because they feel depressed or lonely when they re by themselves for too long. This trait makes it hard for them to end a relationship, even when the relationship is painful or abusive. They end up feeling trapped. Denial. One of the problems people face in getting help for codependency is that they re in denial about it, meaning that they don t face their problem. Usually they think the problem is someone else or the situation. They either keep complaining or trying to fix the other person, or go from one relationship or job to another and never own up the fact that they have a problem.Codependents also deny their feelings and needs. Often, they don t know what they re feeling and are instead focused on what others are feeling. The same thing goes for their needs. They pay attention to other people s needs and not their own. They might be in denial of their need for space and autonomy. Although some codependents seem needy, others act like they re self-sufficient when it comes to needing help. They won t reach out and have trouble receiving. They are in denial of their vulnerability and need for love and intimacy. Problems with intimacy. By this I m not referring to sex, although sexual dysfunction often is a reflection of an intimacy problem. I m talking about being open and close with someone in an intimate relationship. Because of the shame and weak boundaries, you might fear that you ll be judged, rejected, or left. On the other hand, you may fear being smothered in a relationship and losing your autonomy. You might deny your need for closeness and feel that your partner wants too much of your time; your partner complains that you re unavailable, but he or she is denying his or her need for separateness. Painful emotions. Codependency creates stress and leads to painful emotions. Shame and low self-esteem create anxiety and fear about being judged, rejected or abandoned; making mistakes; being a failure; feeling trapped by being close or being alone. The other symptoms lead to feelings of anger and resentment, depression , hopelessness, and despair. When the feelings are too much, you can feel numb. There is help for recovery and change for people who are codependent. The first step is getting guidance and support. These symptoms are deeply ingrained habits and difficult to identify and change on your own. Join a 12-Step program, such as Codependents Anonymous or seek counseling. Work on becoming more assertive and building your self-esteem. Related Articles About Darlene Lancer, JD, MFT Darlene Lancer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and expert on relationships and codependency. She s the author of Conquering Shame and Codependency: 8 Steps to Freeing the True You and Codependency for Dummies and six ebooks, including: 10 Steps to Self-Esteem , How To Speak Your Mind - Become Assertive and Set Limits , Dealing with a Narcissist: 8 Steps to Raise Self-Esteem and Set Boundaries with Difficult People , and Freedom from Guilt and Blame - Finding Self-Forgiveness , available on her website, http://www.whatiscodependency.com and Amazon. Ms. Lancer has counseled individuals and couples for 28 years and coaches internationally. She s a sought-after speaker in media and at professional conferences. Her articles appear in professional journals and Internet mental health websites, including on her own, where you can get a free copy of 14 Tips for Letting Go. Find her on Youtube.com, Soundcloud, Twitter @darlenelancer, and at www.Facebook.com/codependencyrecovery. View all posts by Darlene Lancer, JD, MFT Hot Topics Today 1 PTSD Patients Show Heightened Sensitivity to Deviant Sounds 2 Developing the Evidence Base for Mindfulness Therapies 3 Dominant Hand May Begin in Womb 4 Why Empaths and Sensitives Must Take Special Care of Their Energies 5 5 Types of People Who Are Naturally Attracted to Each Other Most Popular News PTSD Patients Show Heightened Sensitivity to Deviant Sounds Developing the Evidence Base for Mindfulness Therapies Dominant Hand May Begin in Womb Bipolar or Depression? 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