What are codependent relationships?
Codependency doesn't only occur in romantic relationships. It can arise between friends, parents and children, brothers and sisters. And although codependency has common features, each type has its own characteristics.

Romantic relationship
Codependent romantic relationships differ from healthy ones in that in them people “dissolve” in each other and build their lives around their partner. One person or both stop spending time with friends, abandon their hobbies, or replace them with something that interests the other. In such relationships there is also a lot of control, overprotection, anxiety and jealousy. Often people in codependent relationships feel good only if their partner is nearby. Thoughts of distance or separation cause worry, anxiety and even panic.

Friendly relations
In a healthy friendship, people have their own opinions, feel free to say no to each other, respect each other's boundaries, and understand that spending time apart is just as important as spending time together. If friends are codependent, they may forget about their interests and needs, are afraid to say “no,” do everything to keep their friend from getting upset, change their plans, or help to their detriment. Often they may only seek support from each other and ignore others.

Family relationships
It is important for all children to feel connected to their parents and receive their care. But if overprotectiveness continues into adulthood, it can become a problem. Codependent parents are convinced that they know what is best for the child, so they try to protect him from all dangers, even the most insignificant ones (scratches, “bad” food, travel, physical activity). Parents also doubt their children’s independence, control them and take all problems upon themselves. This is dangerous because, as children grow up, they depend on their parents for major aspects of life, such as career, finances, and relationships. They do not learn to build their own lives; it is important for them to meet the expectations of their family and receive support from them. This can lead to anxiety, depression, apathy, and fear of trying something new.

Codependent relationships can also arise between siblings, in which one person is always ready to help, and the other is constantly in need of help. Brothers and sisters can interfere with each other in their romantic relationships and work. It turns out that, on the one hand, people have support, but on the other hand, they violate boundaries and may demand increased attention to themselves or that important decisions be made instead of them.

The main problem of codependent relationships is that in them a person’s entire life gradually adapts to the other. People dissolve into each other, it becomes difficult for them to understand their emotions, take care of themselves, and it also becomes difficult to live separately from each other. And all this negatively affects the quality of life of both.
Why do people become codependent?
For some, such relationships are a way to cope with stress or forget about their problems. For others, codependency may be a habitual behavior pattern because they had similar experiences with their parents or a past partner. People who have had cold and controlling parents, alcohol or drug addicts, or emotional or physical abuse in the family can often enter into codependent relationships. Also, people with low self-esteem, fear of loneliness and fear of rejection can enter into codependent relationships.

People who were addicted to alcohol or drugs are especially prone to codependency. This is due to the fact that such relationships can become the same way of escaping reality as psychoactive substances, and the emotional connection with another person is the main source of dopamine.