Codependency and Addiction Explained
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Humans are social animals who live in groups or communities and are dependent on each other. Codependency is when individuals rely on others in an unhealthy manner. It is commonly found in dynamics where there are addiction and mental health challenges. As a result, at PCP – The Perry Clayman Project, we believe that addressing codependency is an important part of treatment as a whole. We help clients to learn new ways of relating to themselves and others. In addition, we assist individuals in building skills that ultimately help them to care for their needs in addiction recovery and overall well-being.
Codependency
When an individual is codependent, they do not have a clear understanding of where they end and another person begins. This means that they either ask for or provide support for others without a healthy set of boundaries. Essentially, an individual who is codependent cannot function on their own. Instead, they rely on others to find meaning, safety, and well-being in their lives.
Commonly Impacted Individuals
While every individual has some risk of developing codependency patterns, certain individuals are more likely to be in codependent relationships. Patterns in relationships are learned. Codependency is a pattern of how a person sees themselves and how they are in a relationship. It is a combination of behaviours and beliefs that make them reliant on others.
Therefore, when a person grows up in an environment with codependent role models, they are more likely to develop codependency in their lives. An environment that fosters codependency can include many different aspects. However, it is common for a codependent environment to go alongside substance abuse. Therefore, when a person grows up around substance abuse, they commonly develop codependent patterns. This is also true of individuals who live with or are close to an individual struggling with addiction or substance abuse.
Characteristics of Codependency
Every relationship with codependency is unique. However, they commonly share patterns of characteristics. One such pattern is denial. Denial in codependency is commonly found around a person’s own emotions. This looks like denying the truth of their feelings. However, it is also common to deny the existence of their codependency. This leads an individual to feel like they perceive themselves as a person who does not need anything from anyone.
Due to a person not seeing the boundary between themselves and others, individuals with codependency issues often try to control others. The method of control varies for each person. However, methods may include using favours, gifts, or guilt to persuade others to do as they wish. Control can also come in the form of advice, especially unwanted advice, which is pushed on others in order to make changes that benefit the individual giving the advice.
When codependency is present, an individual does not see their own value outside of their relationship with others. Therefore, individuals struggling with codependency often struggle with self-esteem. They base their own value on how others perceive them, looking for constant approval from others. As a result, it is difficult for them to ask for what they need, and instead seek to provide to others in order to feel that they are valuable as a person.
Codependency and Addiction
There is a close connection between codependency and addiction, as many individuals struggling with addiction also tend to have codependent relationships. A person with substance abuse issues commonly has a past history of trauma and familial substance use. Therefore, they often build a pattern of codependency in their lives. As a result, they have difficulty caring for their own needs which can lead to and contribute to their challenges with substances.
In addition, addiction and codependency commonly go together as addiction not only impacts an individual’s life but all people in contact with them. This is especially true of loved ones such as a spouse. The person struggling with addiction has a strong need. Therefore, a spouse or loved one will often want to come to the rescue. Over time, as a person is struggling with addiction, their need will continue to grow. This results in the entire relationship being built around the needs of the partner with a substance abuse issue.
Treatment
At PCP – The Perry Clayman Project, we believe that treatment for addiction needs to be all-encompassing. This means addressing issues that contribute to and are impacted by addiction. Codependency is one of these challenges that we address as part of treatment.
Treatment for codependency is a combination of therapeutic modalities. In treatment, clients learn to create healthy boundaries for themselves and respect the healthy boundaries of others. As a result, they learn to separate themselves from others, seeing what it is that is their responsibility and what is not.
In addition, treatment that incorporates codependency helps clients build skills to care for their own needs. Ultimately, it is a client’s responsibility to care for their recovery process. However, in order to do so effectively, they need to build the skillset that helps them know how. In treatment, clients learn what aspects of self-care they are lacking. Then, they learn both why it is valuable and how they can use these skills to facilitate their long-term recovery.
Codependency is commonly found alongside addiction, and at PCP – The Perry Clayman Project, we believe it is important to address these issues as part of treatment. To learn more about treatment at PCP – The Perry Clayman Project, call and speak with us today at 08000 380 480.