How Codependency Destroys Relationships
One of the key signs of a codependent person is that their behavior is largely organized around another person. A codependent person is not at the center of their world. Another person is.
When you bring unaddressed codependency into your relationship, be it a friendship or a romantic connection, you will feel further destabilized. Having anybody aside from yourself be at the center of your life is an inherently disempowering way to live.
This will seep into small moments and big ones. It will color your interactions with the other person.
When we get into fights which seems to happen at least once a month, my partner says she hates me and wants to see other people, I’ve ruined her life, I’m incompetent, and the list goes on. I panic and people please and say I’ll do anything to make it right which means I’ve sacrificed so much of myself to keep the peace. We’re definitely trapped in a trauma bond. I’m terrified to leave but am dying a slow death here. I hope I can find the courage and self-love to set some boundaries and let the relationship end.
-Anonymous on Reddit
Psychology Today defines codependency as a dynamic where one member of a relationship is “the giver” and the other is “the taker.” The term originated in substance abuse circles. The caregiver partner will…
