Codependency is defined as a relationship in which one person suffers from an addiction to alcohol or drugs and the other person is dangerously attached to the addict. Without a codependency intervention or treatment, codependent parties will go to extreme and ill-advised lengths to make their loved one happy, including helping them perpetuate their addiction. The codependent party in a relationship scarcely considers the long-term damage of their contribution to their loved one’s drug and alcohol abuse. In the worst-case scenarios, this sort of enabling can inadvertently result in the addicted party dying from an overdose.
A codependent party often feels a compulsive need to please the other person. As providers of mental health care in South Florida, we have seen codependent relationships between significant others, family members, and even friends. From the husband who has come to rely on their spouse’s finances, to the parent who desperately wants to be a friend to their children, codependency is a condition that can affect anybody. In order to fix these toxic relationships and the parties’ declining behavioral health, the first step is recognizing the signs of codependency.
Signs of Codependency Include:
- Giving an addicted loved one money
- Providing transportation for them to buy drugs or alcohol
- Making excuses to others for their behavior
- Fear of honestly confronting an addicted loved one about their problem
- Constantly putting their needs ahead of yours
Addicts aren’t always the only ones in denial; the codependent party in a relationship often requires an intervention of their own to not only see how their behavior is hurting their loved one but to see how their condition has hurt their own well-being.
Codependency Intervention at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches
At our drug and alcohol treatment center in Palm Beach, we also offer a codependency intervention program. An intervention for a codependent relationship illustrates to the codependent how each party suffered in the relationship and how they need help to confront their codependency issues. By exploring the origins of a patient’s problems during the codependency intervention, our professionals will work to build that client’s strength and self-confidence in a safe and nonjudgmental environment so their independence is restored, and they can live fulfilling lives. Codependency is a complicated mental disorder that severely detracts from the victims’ quality of life and may also require mental health treatment. By pushing through denial and recognizing the signs of codependency early, anybody can make a full recovery.
Codependency and Addiction
Because the codependent party has been enabling their loved one’s addiction, an intervention for codependent relationships can help them recognize why this is so harmful. It also helps them honestly, safely, and objectively assess their addicted loved one’s substance abuse. When the codependent party gets help with therapy for codependency, it may lead to the addicted party receiving the help they need with our addiction treatment programs in Palm Beach.
When you consistently put another person’s needs before your own, there may be a serious problem. By taking that first step with a codependency intervention, you can help reclaim your independence and help your addicted loved one as well. If you or a loved one needs help with codependency or looking for a South Florida detox center for addiction, contact us today for more information.
Sources:
Mental Health America – Co-Dependency
Co-dependent Anonymous International – Patterns and Characteristics of Codependence
