Codependency often arises when someone has a substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health disorder. It manifests as a pattern of bad behavior and unhealthy life choices. When someone is in a codependent relationship that thrives on their disorders, overcoming an addiction or mental health disorder is even harder.
Engaging in effective therapies that address co-occurring disorders is the best choice for someone to break the cycle of addiction and learn how to manage triggers and unhealthy relationships in everyday life after they have completed a treatment program. Find out more about dual diagnosis treatment programs at The Arbor Behavioral Health and see how treatment and therapy can help you—or a loved one—heal from codependency.
What Is Codependency?
Codependent relationships are relationships that enable unhealthy behaviors. The fact is that not all close friends or family are supportive of someone being a healthier version of themselves and pursuing a more productive lifestyle.
This type of relationship is a very unbalanced one. One person in the relationship is usually taken advantage of by the other. One person is a giver and the other is a taker. When one of the people in the relationship has a substance use disorder, this can be an especially dangerous dynamic. Codependent relationships can be between romantic partners, friends, and even family members.
Signs of codependency between two people include:
- An obsessive and unhealthy focus on the other person
- Poor communication between the two people
- Lack of emotion or empathy
- Controlling behavior on one side of the relationship
- Putting someone else’s needs above yours
- Enabling behavior such as encouraging drug or alcohol use
- Normalizing bad behavior
Getting help for a substance use disorder is the first step in also addressing a codependent relationship.
What Causes Codependency?
There is not one singular thing that causes codependency. There are many factors in one’s life that can lead to a codependent relationship and lifestyle.
Codependent relationships tend to be short-term and revolve around control. This control extends to all aspects of one’s life, including a possible dependence on drugs and alcohol. Getting to the root cause of the addiction and the codependency is a major focus when enrolled in a treatment program. Therapists will work one-on-one and in group therapy sessions to address the addiction and codependency head-on.
In a codependent relationship, one person tends to control the other. So, if a person is more passive and easily influenced, this can cause them to be an easy target for a dominant personality to engage them in a codependent relationship.
Codependency + Addiction
When a person in a relationship has a substance use disorder, they can easily become codependent as they rely on their partner to accept their missteps and enable their addiction. In this instance, an addiction only becomes worse.
The two people in the relationship get to the point where neither of them can function in a healthy way without the other person in their life. Codependency and addiction are so intertwined in this scenario. Therefore, it’s necessary to treat both issues at the same time as part of a dual diagnosis treatment program.
Join The Arbor’s Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program Today
It isn’t uncommon for people dealing with an addiction to also receive a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. It has been proven that treating co-occurring disorders alongside one another rather than treating them separately generates better outcomes. Addressing toxic relationships can be part of the therapeutic process as well.
Arming yourself with effective coping techniques to manage dealing with people who enable unhealthy behavior is critical to a successful recovery. Find out what treatment options may be right for you by calling The Arbor today at 844.413.2690 or filling out our online contact form. Help is just a phone call away.