What is the difference between codependency and interdependence

Codependency comes from good intentions. Many times, friends and family want to desperately help their struggling loved one. That said, codependency often causes more harm than good. When you enable your loved one, you usually allow them to:. Criticize or threaten you. Put themselves in dangerous situations.

Take advantage of your resources. Hurt you physically or emotionally. Instead, they reinforce destructive patterns. Although you might recognize the problematic relationship, you might feel scared or guilty about changing the status quo. As a result, the pattern persists. The individual continues to feel enabled by their loved ones. Loved ones feel a combination of helplessness, anger, sadness, and fear. There is a profound difference between codependency vs.

Remember that learning how to protect your personal integrity is important in any relationship. You are worthy of love and respect. At The Resurface Group, we help transform relationships by teaching our clients and their loved ones how to respect one another.

We understand the importance of support, and we will show you how to balance being supportive without being enabling. Ready to learn more about our process? Contact us today! Take time to reflect on who you are and what you want in your most important relationships.

Being mindful of this in the dating process can help ensure that your relationship will be healthy and more solid for the long term. If you are in a relationship already, it's never too late to examine your and your partner's values to ensure that you remain aligned.

Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Interdependence, interaction, and relationships. Annual review of psychology. Patterns and Characteristics of Codependence. Published online Front Psychol. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Interdependence vs. Building Interdependent Relationships. A Word From Verywell. What Is Codependency? Darlene Lancer, JD, LMFT [Codependency involves] someone who has lost their core sense of self, so that his or her thinking and behavior revolves around someone or something external, including a person, a substance, or an activity, such as sex or gambling.

She suggests the following ways to maintain a sense of self in a relationship: Knowing what you like and what matters to you Not being afraid to ask for what you want Spend time with friends and family Continue pursuing your personal goals Be mindful of your values Make time for hobbies and interests Don't be afraid to say "no" Don't keep yourself small or hidden to please others. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback!

Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. But there are ways to manage it and…. Masturbation can be a stress reliever, exercise in body awareness, and workshop to know what to ask for with your partner.

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If you were a scapegoat child, it may have felt like you were always wrong and to blame for everything in your family. Understand how to heal. Stonewalling and gaslighting are two tactics people use as defensive or offensive measures. Learn what they might look like. Codependency vs. Ways to Deal with Resentment in a Relationship.