In this series of articles, we have examined codependency and various types of trauma. We’ve learned that living in a home where there is familial violence and neglect can spark in a child the need to be needed and thus set them up for becoming codependent in later life.
This article will focus on how to overcome codependency to live a healthier, happier life.
A Reminder of What Codependency Is
To talk about the cure for codependence, we must first remind ourselves of what comprises codependency. If the following quotes look familiar, it is because I copied them from piece one of this series.
Melody Beattie is the author of Codependent No More, a book that explores codependency and how it affects the lives of those who exhibit it. The book advises, explains, and makes plain compassion for people who live with the overwhelming condition of codependency.
Beattie states the best definition could be as follows. “Codependency is a stress-induced pattern of behavior that dictates how a person treats another and how she allows that other person to influence her. The codependent obsesses over the other person and seeks to control them.”
Darlene Lancer goes further in her definition of codependency:
“Codependency is more than a relationship problem. Wounds of codependency affect our psyche and individual development. Make no mistake. It’s to no fault of our own. Codependency is adaptive and helped us survive growing up in a dysfunctional family system. But that change cost us our individuality, authenticity, and our future quality of life.”
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