Codependency and addiction often go hand-in-hand, and it prevents the person suffering from getting help. There’s a very fine line between helping someone that you care about and enabling their behavior. While generosity is an excellent quality that makes the world a better place, helping support those with an addiction can hurt both people involved. You’re about to learn about how your codependent nature may be keeping you as well as your loved one sick.
What are Codependency and Addiction?
Codependency means you have an excessive emotional relationship with someone who has an addiction. Being a codependent can be extremely difficult to acknowledge in the same way as an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Often, codependents get defensive because his or her mind says that they’re just helping the person. The reality is that if you’re in a codependent relationship with someone with an addiction, both of you are suffering.
To help yourself and help the person with an addiction, you need to get honest with yourself about the situation. You need to take a step back and ask if what you’re doing is helping the person or holding them back from recovery. Some of the critical signs of codependent behaviors that you should look for include:
- Making extreme sacrifices for the other person
- Finding it difficult to ever say no to the person
- Covering up his or her addiction to others
- Worrying about others’ opinions of you
- Staying quiet to avoid arguments
Stopping Codependency and Addiction with Steps to Recovery
Most people who are struggling with addiction would be unable to continue if it weren’t for a codependent relationship. There are far too many people out there who have lost a loved one to addiction due to the enabling. If you want to help the person you love to succeed in life, it involves setting up boundaries. In most cases, you need to cut the person of financially as well as emotionally for him or her to get help.
To those with codependent traits, this sounds like a ridiculous thing to do, but it’s what works. In some cases, your codependent may be such a problem that you need help as well. If you’re struggling to break ties and have your loved one get help, you may need to get support. The support you need can come in the form of your friends, family as well as a licensed therapist.
Overcoming your codependent nature can be the best thing to happen for you and your loved one. Once your loved one is ready for treatment, Steps to Recovery provides addiction help for families. Not only do we help those with an addiction, but we’re here to help you too. We want to ensure that after your loved one gets help, you’re able to break free from your codependent behaviors. This will help you have a healthy relationship with yourself as well as others.
Some of our programs include:
To learn more about codependency and addiction and how to stop the cycle, reach out to Steps to Recovery today. Call now at 866-488-8684 to learn about programs and services.
