Cornerstone

Codependency

Get information on Codependency including effects, signs and symptoms, and treatment in Arizona.

Living with Codependency

Codependency, a condition often overlooked, can significantly impact an individual’s life. It involves a pattern of behavior where one person excessively depends on others for emotional, psychological, and sometimes physical support. The effects of Codependency can manifest in various ways, influencing not just personal well-being but also relationships and daily functioning. People with Codependent tendencies may find themselves constantly seeking approval and reassurance, leading to an imbalance in their personal and professional relationships. This reliance can result in feelings of low self-worth, anxiety, and an inability to make decisions independently. The condition can be a barrier to living a fulfilling life, as it often leads to neglecting one’s own needs and desires.¹ Understanding and acknowledging the effects of Codependency is the first step towards healing and finding balance.²

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Treatment Locations

Definition

Risk Factors

Diagnosis

FAQs

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Understanding Codependency

Codependency is a learned behavioral condition whereby people form unhealthy, dependent relationships that prevent them from developing a strong sense of self-identity.¹ Individuals struggling with codependency tend to have extremely low self-esteem and derive personal value almost exclusively from relationships with others. They continually compromise their own needs in attempts to satisfy the needs of partners, friends, or family members. Codependents feel a compulsive need to rescue or control those around them, often choosing emotionally unavailable, troubled, addicted, or abusive partners.

Setting and enforcing healthy boundaries proves very challenging. Communication tends to be indirect, with Codependents assuming caretaking roles to avoid conflict or disapproval. They are hypervigilant of the emotional states of others and take responsibility for their feelings, behaviors, and choices. A core belief persists that affection or closeness is only available through putting other’s needs first. Unfortunately, this leads to one-sided, dysfunctional relationships that perpetuate painful abandonment fears and sensations of martyrdom over time.

Many factors in one’s upbringing can heighten the risk of developing Codependent tendencies later in life. Growing up in a dysfunctional household with emotionally immature, mentally ill, addicted, or abusive parents fails to provide children with the appropriate love, care, support, and mirroring required to foster a healthy sense of self. In particular, having a narcissistic or borderline-disordered parent almost guarantees codependency issues through either excessive parental control and criticism or alternating nurturing and neglect.

Childhood trauma, including emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, also contributes as attention and affection become associated with mistreatment.² Cultural and religious emphasis on care taking roles socializes certain groups towards self-sacrifice. Only receiving parental affection through meeting another’s needs seeds the belief that abandonment and rejection will follow self-focus. Not learning reciprocity in relationships early on damages concepts of equity, respect, and compromise. Unfortunately, unresolved Codependency easily passes from one generation to the next.

Getting properly diagnosed is an essential first step in treating Codependency before the unhealthy relationship patterns become further entrenched. Trained mental health professionals will conduct thorough evaluations exploring the history and duration of Codependent behaviors across personal life, work settings, and intimate relationships. Assessing childhood upbringing and family dynamics provides context on the roots of Codependency and other mental health issues.

Interviews aim to identify how Codependency manifests, including care taking tendencies, poor communication skills, and boundaries, acute sensitivity to disapproval, lack of self-identity, and attempts to maintain feelings of self-worth through others’ successes. Personality assessments can aid diagnosis by measuring self-esteem, autonomy, intimacy, and identity issues. Ruling out contributing disorders like depression, anxiety, and complex PTSD leads to integrated clinical impressions. Codependents may initially resist the condition’s severity, which delays healing. Honest self-appraisal and letting go of denial allows customized treatment planning to promote relationship health.

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The Effects of Codependency

Emotional Over-reliance

Codependency often leads to an unhealthy emotional reliance on others, profoundly affecting personal happiness and autonomy. It can be one of the key factors in disrupting individual growth and self-realization.

Compromised Relationships

Codependency frequently results in strained and imbalanced relationships, impacting both personal and professional interactions. It is a significant barrier to forming healthy, mutually respectful relationships.

Chronic Stress

Codependency commonly leads to continuous stress and worry, primarily due to the need to constantly cater to others’ needs. This ongoing stress can significantly impact mental and physical health, making it a major concern for overall well-being.

Services We Provide

Get Help for Codependency in Arizona

For those struggling with unhealthy dependence in relationships, Cornerstone Healing Center provides dedicated Codependency treatment in Arizona. Our intensive programs in Scottsdale and Phoenix help clients break free from problematic caretaking, control issues, poor boundaries, and focus on the self. We understand how Codependency can negatively impact lives – the sense of purpose is solely through others, abandoning self to meet their needs first. Our compassionate therapists offer individual and group modalities using cognitive behavioral techniques, experiential work, and mindfulness practices to foster inner peace. You will develop the self-awareness, self-love, and assertiveness to engage in healthy, interdependent relationships.

Treatment Methods for Codependency

Individual Therapy

One-on-one counseling helps identify core issues behind codependent patterns like low self-worth, lack of identity, and childhood trauma.

Experiential Therapies

Interactive exercises allow expression of repressed emotions and experimentation with healthy boundaries and direct communication.

Holistic Therapies

Holistic therapies like art, music and equine assisted therapy, along with yoga, meditation and nutritional counseling allow creative and embodied healing to complement psychological treatment.3

Sources

[1] Codependence, Contradependence, Gender-Stereotyped Traits, Personality Dimensions, and Problem Drinking
[2] The Lived Experience of Codependency: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
[3] Codependency and related health variables

CLINICALLY REVIEWED

Lionel Estrada, LISAC

CLINICAL DIRECTOR

Lionel, a Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor (LISAC) with over 4 years at Cornerstone, specializes in addiction and mental health. Trained in EMDR therapy, he employs a trauma-informed, empathetic approach to address underlying causes of these issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Recognizing when Codependency effects warrant residential treatment is crucial. Key indicators include pervasive relationship problems, severe emotional distress, and significant disruption in daily functioning. If codependency leads to neglect of personal health, overwhelming anxiety, or depression, it’s time to consider inpatient treatment. Residential treatment becomes essential when the condition interferes with work, social life, and overall well-being. It offers a structured environment, professional support, and the necessary tools to heal and regain independence. When these symptoms become unmanageable and persistent, seeking residential treatment for Codependency is a proactive step towards recovery.

Yes, we treat co-occurring disorders, understanding the complexity of dealing with Codependency alongside other mental health or substance abuse conditions. If you are experiencing Codependency in conjunction with other mental health issues, our approach is designed to provide comprehensive care. We recognize the intricacies of dual diagnosis conditions and tailor our treatment plans to address both Codependency and any co-occurring disorders simultaneously. Our goal is to offer a supportive and effective treatment environment that addresses the full spectrum of each individual’s needs.

Reversing the effects of Codependency is indeed possible with the right approach and support. Treatment focuses on developing healthier relationship patterns, improving self-esteem, and learning to establish boundaries. Through therapy, individuals can uncover the root causes of their Codependent behaviors and learn coping strategies to overcome them. With time, effort, and professional guidance, one can achieve greater emotional independence and interpersonal balance. Recovery from Codependency involves both unlearning harmful patterns and embracing new, healthier ways of relating to oneself and others.

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