If you have ever struggled to stand up for yourself, to put your needs first, it might be time to consider a codependent relationship recovery program. What starts as simple selflessness can quickly become codependency. You will do anything to ensure the other person in your relationship is happy, even if that means forsaking your well-being. But it shouldn’t be that way. At Water Gap Wellness Center, we can teach you how to heal from codependency.
Water Gap Wellness Center provides outpatient mental health services near New Jersey. Contact us today to learn more.
What is Codependency?
Codependency is a mental health issue where you put the needs of your partner before your needs, and you don’t have an independent identity. Instead, you define yourself through your partner. In many codependent relationships, there’s a disconnect between friends and family. Many people isolate themselves from others when they fall into codependency, and it can be difficult to break out of that.
Healthy relationships need mutual respect and support, but codependent relationships don’t have any of that. It might be time for a codependent relationship recovery if:
- Your partner is the only person who helps you meet your needs;
- You don’t have an identity of your own without your partner;
- You consciously or subconsciously choose partners or relationships with people you want to “fix” to feel like you are valued in that relationship;
- You take responsibility for your partner’s well-being above yourself, and you don’t set any boundaries;
- You react poorly when there’s any shift in communication, and you always try to fix the problem or take the blame.
If these signs sound familiar to you, maybe it’s time for you to learn how to heal from codependency.
How Can Codependency Impact Substance Abuse?
Without the proper codependency treatment, a codependent relationship can significantly impact substance abuse risks. If you are codependent, you might make excuses for your partner when you see drug or alcohol abuse happening. You might tolerate harmful behavior if they are addicted.
Conversely, the power imbalance and lack of mutual respect in your interdependent relationship might mean that your partner takes advantage of you and presses you to use drugs and alcohol when you might be trying to get clean.
Consider this:
Tina is in a codependent relationship with Greg. She doesn’t have an identity of her own, and she is far too willing to do anything that Greg wants. So Greg pressures Tina into giving him her prescription opioids even though Tina is from surgery. Tina is happy to do it, and she ends up using none of the pain medication for herself and giving it all to Greg, who says he’s feeling “stressed out.”
In this example, Tina becomes an enabler. She makes excuses for Greg’s behavior, puts his needs above hers, and says that substance abuse will negatively affect everyone in the family.
Consider this:
Mark is a codependent relationship with Sylvia. He defines himself through his marriage to Sylvia and does anything she wants. Sylvia doesn’t respect him, and they aren’t equal partners. So when Sylvia starts making fun of him and telling him that he should do drugs with her, Mark gives in even though he doesn’t want to. Mark develops an addiction, and when he tries to quit or get help, Sylvia tells him not to, so he complies.
In this example, Mark ends up with an addiction and doesn’t get the help he needs because of his codependent relationship.
In either example, Tina and Mark both need to learn how to heal from codependency.
How to Heal From Codependency
If you are ready to take care of yourself, we can show you how to heal from codependency. A large part of our codependency treatment is helping you get comfortable speaking up for yourself, figuring out what you need, and setting boundaries.
Through our codependent relationship recovery, we help you develop self-soothing practices like going for nature walks or meditating to manage your emotions better. Identifying ways to regulate your emotions better can help you communicate healthier.
Codependency treatment involves making yourself a priority and overcoming that codependency by nurturing other relationships so that you are less isolated. With our 18-hole private golf course, hiking trails, frisbee golf, swimming pool, and other activities, you can socialize in a healthy way while prioritizing yourself.
Contact Water Gap Wellness Center today at 877-414-3281 to learn about our codependent treatment program at our mental health IOP treatment center.