Codependency Basics
A pattern of excessive emotional or psychological reliance on another person, often someone struggling with illness or addiction.
What is codependency?
Minimizing or denying your emotions is part of this pattern.
What is a denial pattern?
Harsh self‑criticism and perfectionism fall under this pattern.
What is a low‑self‑esteem pattern?
One question asks: “What boundary is hardest for you to set right now?” This relates to which concept?
What are personal boundaries?
Replacing people‑pleasing with honesty promotes this.
What is healthier interdependence?
This becomes problematic when your sense of worth depends on being needed.
What is excessive self‑sacrifice or emotional dependence?
Using anger, humor, or isolation to mask pain.
What is emotional masking?
People in this pattern struggle to receive praise or recognition without discomfort.
What is low self‑esteem?
Signs your needs are being pushed aside often show up in this emotional reaction.
What is emotional discomfort or resentment?
This codependent pattern is often most damaging to recovery.
What is people‑pleasing, rescuing, or controlling?
This term describes when caring shifts into self‑sacrifice and connection becomes emotional survival.
What is unhealthy codependency?
People with denial patterns often see themselves as this, while ignoring their own needs.
What is selfless or “the helper”?
This external factor is often needed to feel “good enough.”
What is validation from others?
Avoiding, withdrawing, exploding, or shutting down are all responses to this.
What is conflict?
Sobriety often changes the way people do this with others.
What is relate to others?
One sign something is becoming “too much” is when you ignore your own needs to focus on helping someone else.
What is over‑caretaking?
Projecting negative traits onto others is a behavior found in this codependent category.
What are denial patterns?
This difficulty makes communicating one’s needs almost impossible.
What is difficulty asking for needs?
Letting someone solve their own problems instead of stepping in is an example of this.
What is respecting boundaries or not rescuing?
Allowing natural consequences is part of this coping behavior.
What is letting go of fixing others?
A question from the slides asks what examples come to mind when you hear this phrase: “excessive reliance.”
“What is excessive emotional or psychological reliance?”
This group is often attracted to emotionally unavailable people.
Who are people struggling with denial.
People in this pattern often rely on others for this type of safety.
What is emotional safety?
Limiting draining relationships and saying “no” are examples of this boundary skill.
What is healthy boundary‑setting?
Recognizing small wins is a behavior from this list.
What is celebrating progress?