Codependency is a very complex behavior linked to an addiction and that significantly affects the developing person and their nearest environment, which can have a significant impact on the development of daily life, causing them to lose their own tools to face the day to day. Difficulties.
That’s why it’s important to know what it is and how it can affect us, not only to prevent you from developing it yourself, but also to detect if someone you know can develop this type of behavior.
- Codependency is defined as dependency relationships in which at least one member is dependent on any type of substance.
- The discord caused by addiction causes a change in the behavior of the nearest members.
- And as a result generates a new mode of operation.
Some research has shown that women are more likely to suffer from it, especially mothers and wives, which could be justified by the cultural development of society, with women most likely to assume the role of caregivers to the point of forgetting themselves in trying to meet the needs of their families in return.
This term originates from the families of the people who participated in Alcoholics Anonymous, during the different sessions very particular physical, emotional and psychological conditions were identified in these family nuclei.
People in this situation tend to develop a certain inability to express emotions and resolve personal and interpersonal conflicts, efforts are made to control the addictive behaviors of the person addicted to it, to the point of living it, so a dynamic is created. in which the addict, through his behaviors and manipulations, controls the life of the co-descendant.
Two types of codependency were found. Each of them has its own characteristics and consequences.
The first type is dependency-free codependency, in this case the person has an unhealthy or dependent or interdependent relationship with a dependent subject, it is important to note that in this type of codependence the person is not dependent on any type of substance.
This situation comes from the stress of living and dealing with a dependent person, so this phenomenon increases and intensifies over time, among the main characteristics of codependency are:
The second type of codependency is biodependence, a term that can be defined as an addiction addiction, that is, an addiction relationship in a dependent subject.
In this case, there is a set of attitudes, affections and behaviors that, in addition to a specific addiction, create an addiction to people or situations of a sociopathic nature, which significantly affects the daily activities of the two people corresponding to codependency. .
Therefore, the biodependent person adopts a passive attitude, just as he deliberately loses or significantly decreases his autonomy.
As a result, he makes no decisions and becomes “invalid. “We could say that the relationship you have with the person you depend on is similar to your relationship with the substance on which you depend.
However, it is important to note that this lack of autonomy is not maintained when taking steps to maintain your addiction. Therefore, the addict is able to create and perform actions to find resources, acquire and buy the object of addiction. Some of the clinical characteristics of people with biological agents include:
For starters, it’s important to note that codependency occurs when one of your family members is dependent on a certain type of substance, developing this disorder makes it easy for people around you to end up having behaviors that reinforce their own. Addiction.
However, this perverse adaptation has a set of unhealthy relational dynamics, in the case of the co-pendent person, when he sees important problems with addiction and minimizes the damage it causes, he begins to assume responsibilities that do not correspond to him. to them.
That is, he begins to get involved in activities and assumes roles that correspond to the dependent, encouraging the addict to give up even more.
As a result, the person begins to suffer from anxiety and stress. She also has feelings of shame, both for the attitude of the addict and for herself.
Besides, there’s a presence of fear of not knowing if you’re doing things right or being powerless so you can’t do everything. Finally, they develop a sense of guilt by believing that addiction is nourished by their attitudes.
Addiction not only affects the first person, the perverse consequences of addiction go further, the data tell us that the greater the dependency, the greater the likelihood that codependency will arise in the immediate environment.
When we reach that limit, the impact and consequences can be much greater, to the point of being one of the aspects that reinforce dependence, so in these cases the accompaniment that generates the most desirable effect is that offered in the context of a psychological intervention, where the professional is always present to advise and guide.