What are the traits of a codependent person?

The Key Point: Codependency traits represent one's difficulties in loving, accepting, trusting, and being true to Self. Codependents carry , shame, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy which lead to constantly try to please others, prove worth of Self, and seek external validation at great costs, but little reward.

What are 10 characteristics of a codependent person?

What is a codependent person like?

Exelberg. “Codependency is a circular relationship in which one person needs the other person, who in turn, needs to be needed. The codependent person, known as 'the giver,' feels worthless unless they are needed by — and making sacrifices for — the enabler, otherwise known as 'the taker. '

What is an example of codependent behavior?

Example 1: A woman is married to a man who is an alcoholic. She always puts his needs before her own and thinks she can help him become sober through showing him affection. She is unknowingly enabling him by giving him everything he requests and covering up for his destructive behavior.

What is the main symptom of codependency?

Signs of Codependency

One of the primary signs of potential codependency is feeling like you can't live without the other person. People with codependent tendencies often feel a compulsive need to keep themselves connected with the other person.

What is Codependency?

What triggers codependency?

Codependency issues typically develop when someone is raised by parents who are either overprotective or under protective. Overprotective parents may shield or protect their children from gaining the confidence they need to be independent in the world.

Are codependents narcissists?

[i] Although most narcissists can be classified as codependent, the reverse isn't true – most codependents aren't narcissists. They don't exhibit common traits of exploitation, entitlement, and lack of empathy.

What do codependent relationships look like?

But, a person who is codependent will usually: Find no satisfaction or happiness in life outside of doing things for the other person. Stay in the relationship even if they are aware that their partner does hurtful things. Do anything to please and satisfy their enabler no matter what the expense to themselves.

How do you deal with a codependent person?

How do you recognize codependency?

Codependency is a set of behaviors that cause an unhealthy attachment between one person, a codependent, and someone with whom they have become codependent. Rather than be independent or even interdependent, someone who is struggling with codependency needs to depend on someone else to create their sense of self.

Are codependents toxic?

Codependency in relationships can be extremely toxic, especially to the individual who is struggling with the codependent issues. A codependent person tends to make their relationship more important than anything else—including their own well-being.

Why do codependents attract narcissists?

People with codependency sometimes form relationships with people who have NPD. Typically the two partners develop complementary roles to fill each other's needs. The codependent person has found a partner they can pour their self into, and the narcissistic person has found someone who puts their needs first.

Is codependency a mental disorder?

Codependency is neither an officially recognized personality disorder nor an official mental illness. Rather, it is a unique psychological construct that shares significant overlap with other personality disorders.

How do codependents act?

People in codependent relationships tend to have a problem where one person doesn't recognize boundaries and the other person doesn't insist on boundaries. Thus, one person is controlling and manipulative, and the other person is compliant and fails to assert his or her own will.

How are codependents manipulative?

The codependent manipulates themselves as well. Their need for perfection keeps them going in order to avoid failure. They often have two speeds: all or nothing. Manipulating Others – Their desire for perfection often seeps onto others.

What are codependents afraid of?

Codependent fears

As a result, codependents tend to fear rejection, criticism, not being good enough, failure, conflict, vulnerability, and being out of control. So, situations and people that trigger these fears can spike our anxiety.

What is a narcissistic codependent relationship?

Narcissist and codependent relationships occur when two people with complementary emotional imbalances begin to depend on each other, leading to an increasing spiral of harm for both people.

How do you stop codependent behavior?

What happens when a codependent leaves a narcissist?

When narcissists leave a codependent, they often make them feel like they will never come back. They do this to put you on edge so you will be lost and overwhelmed by fear that you have been abandoned. Being in a state of fear and anxiety makes it harder to think clearly about what's happening.

What's the difference between dependent and codependent?

Healthy dependency, otherwise known as interdependency, involves a mutual give and take; both people give and receive support, encouragement, practical help, and so on. However, in codependent relationships, one person is doing most of the giving, but not being given much in return.

What is the opposite of codependency?

What is counterdependency? Codependency, the habit of gaining your self worth from pleasing others, is something most people know of nowadays. But it's lesser known opposite, called counterdependency, can be just as much of a problem and is often related to codependency.

Are codependents nice people?

Codependents are nice. If you are codependent, people will usually describe you as sweet, loyal and selfless. But if you were to plunge an emotional stethoscope into the core of the codependent, you'd likely find fear, loneliness and neediness that runs contrary to their “I'm so nice and together” image.

Are codependents immature?

Is codependency a sign of emotional immaturity? No, codependency is just a coping style, and can be used by mature or immature people. Codependent behavior will look different depending on the emotional maturity level of the person using it.

Do codependent marriages last?

Codependent relationships are not doomed for failure. They are possible to be worked on, but the work has to come from both partners. If you have signs of codependency in your marriage, you will have to change your behaviors and thought processes to recreate a balanced relationship.

What are the tools of recovery for codependency?