Codependency

I found this handout at a codependency group meeting I went to.  It has helped me so much that I want to share it.  Use it and believe it – it will help you!

Let Go

To ‘let go’ does not mean to stop caring. It means I can’t do it for someone else.

To ‘let go’ is not to cut myself off, it is the realization I can’t control another.

To ‘let go’ is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To ‘let go’ is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To ‘let go’ is not to change or blame another, it’s to make the most of myself.

To ‘let go’ is not to care for, but to care about.

To ‘let go’ is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To ‘let go’ is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To ‘let go’ is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their destinies.

To ‘let go’ is not to be protective, it’s to permit another to face reality.

To ‘let go’ is not to deny, but to accept.

To ‘let go’ is not to nag, scold or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To ‘let go’ is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To ‘let go’ is not to criticize and regulate anybody, but to try to become what I dream I can be.

To ‘let go’ is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To ‘let go’ is to fear less, and love more.

I hope this will give you hope each day.  Take each day as it comes and hold hope in your heart.  There is freedom from codependency!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

What is it with guilt? I feel guilt about EVERYTHING! My daughter’s date is late, I feel guilt. WHY? I wasn’t driving him! Yet, I still feel guilt. I don’t understand why I feel guilty about everything – why someone is sad, when the local sports team loses, when my husband has a bad day. The list could go on and on. The point is – I am NOT GUILTY for any of this! Now I just need to convince myself.

We have all experienced guilt at some time in our lives. And face it, guilt can be a great motivator! We feel guilty we made a huge mess so we hurry to clean it up. We feel guilt for leaving the kids home with a sitter so we bring home ice cream and a DVD to watch with them.

But, when your life is consumed by guilt – there is no motivation. In fact, you seem to have lost your will to go on. So guilt has the reverse effect. You feel so guilty that you can’t function, and then you feel even more guilty because you are not getting anything done. Now throw in an alcoholic spouse or significant other and the guilt goes through the roof!

One thing we need to always remember is that the guilt that is piled on us by and alcoholic or addict it THEIR guilt. It is not ours and we do not need to own up to it. Alcoholics have an amazing way of making their spouses crazy with guilt! After all, according to them, everything that goes wrong in their life is our fault. Because it certainly isn’t theirs! Alcoholics and addicts need to have someone to blame, it makes them feel better about what they are doing to themselves. If they can push the blame off, they do not have to claim the truth. Yes, it is an ugly thing that they do to us, but it is what they do.

So, what I want you to understand is IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT!! No matter how much your significant other tries to blame you, you did not cause his alcoholism or addiction. Remind yourself of this daily and start to break free from the guilt!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Did you know that at least one fourth of the population is in a family that is affected by addiction? Not just a relative who is an alcoholic/addict, but a first-degree relative! Close to 90% of all actively addicted persons live with their family or a significant other. That family or significant other is you, me and everyone else affected by addiction and who struggles with codependency.

Ask yourself, am I codependent? You look at yourself and you think ‘no, I am a loving, caring individual who is trying to help the addict in my life.’ This is true, you are a loving, caring individual. And you ARE trying to help the alcoholic/addict overcome their addictions. But, are you caring about you? Are you loving and caring toward the person who needs it the most – yourself?

Here are some characteristics of Codependent behavior. Can you see yourself in any of these?

  • You go the extra mile to keep the peace in your home
  • You feel responsible for other peoples feelings, choices, wants, needs, etc.
  • Try to please others all the time, regardless if you are happy or not
  • Are unable to say no even when your are already stretched thin
  • Feel guilty when someone is giving to you
  • Feel angry and victimized
  • You try to catch your addict in the act of misbehaving
  • You are constantly searching for clues or some concrete proof of alcohol in the home
  • You always try to prove yourself, yet you never feel you measure up
  • You fear rejection
  • You are very hard on yourself. You are unhappy with how your look, think, feel, & act
  • You blame yourself
  • You desperately need love and affection
  • You lie to yourself that you can fix it
  • You wonder why you can’t catch up and get things done
  • You say what you THINK people want to hear instead of what you THINK
  • You blame others for your problems
  • You feel guilt for everything. Guilt for enjoying something, guilt for spending money on yourself. Just GUILT!
  • You believe you opinion doesn’t matter
  • You lie to protect the ones you love and to cover up for them
  • You lie to cover up for yourself
  • You have difficulty expressing your emotions honestly

This list could go on and on and you may not feel like everything on the list applies to you. But even if some of it does, you could be codependent. Life does seem unbearable – at times you don’t want to put another step forward. But life is good! We just need to change our outlook and learn to deal with our alcoholics differently!

You are a person of worth! Remember that you CAN break free from codependency.

Codependency is a term that we seem to hear a lot, but what does it really mean? If a person is codependent are they a bad person? Are they crazy? Just what is Codependency?
The dictionary definition is:

co-de•pen•dent or co•de•pen•dent (kō’dĭ-pěn’dənt)
adj.
1. Mutually dependent.
2. Of or relating to a relationship in which one person is psychologically dependent in an unhealthy way on someone who is addicted to a drug or self-destructive behavior, such as chronic gambling.
n. One who is co-dependent or in a co-dependent relationship.
co’de•pen’dence, co’de•pen’den•cy n.

Hmm – I am not sure that definition describes me. Why would I be in an unhealthy relationship? Don’t I deserve better than that? The truth is, many people – both men and women are in unhealthy relationships. They just can’t see it or won’t admit it. I know this – I have been in a relationship like this for almost 30 years. Yet, I only admitted that it is codependent a few years ago.
We see ourselves as caretakers – people who do their best to look after the people they love. We protect them, clean up after them, make excuses for them, take care of them. We do all this to the point of destroying ourselves.

Does this sound familiar:

  • You have to be perfect all the time
  • You do not show emotion
  • You keep the family secrets
  • You make excuses & clean up the messes
  • Others opinions are more important than your own
  • You react from fear of rejection or anger – You do not voice your opinions because you fear the reaction you will get
  • Your quality of life is directly related to your relationships
  • Low self esteem
  • No boundaries or the boundaries are not firm

The list could go on and on. But we don’t want to dwell on the negative. This site is here to help us overcome our destructive behaviors and find the happiness and peace we crave. So let’s begin this journey together as we strive to break free! We will learn and explore just what is codependency.