Lies
Co-dependent relationships. Emotional traps. Marital prison. Mental death. Codependency is a compulsive behavior that usually develops during early childhood. It comes from a person’s need to survive or endure a painful, dysfunctional or traumatic situation that they are not able to escape (ie. Family structure). Mental Health America describes the phenomenon: Co-dependency is a learned behavior that can be passed down from one generation to another. It is an emotional and behavioral condition that affects an individual’s ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. It is also known as “relationship addiction” because people with codependency often form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive and/or abusive. The disorder was first identified about ten years ago as the result of years of studying interpersonal relationships in families of alcoholics. Co-dependent behavior is learned by watching and imitating other family members who display this type of behavior. The effects of co-dependency can be paralyzing in an abusive relationship. In fact, co-dependence can be used as a means to endure and justify the abuse, as most co-dependents put the other person’s feelings, desires, needs ahead of their own. Most individuals who experience co-dependency in a relationship are unaware. Understanding and becoming aware of our own behaviors and motivations are crucial when trying to escape abuse. Mental Health America provides the …