Codependency Treatment Center in Tucson, Arizona

In psychology, codependency refers to one person’s behaviors and attitudes rather than the partnership as a whole. Someone who is codependent frequently bases their identity on the needs of another. As such, they may rely on others to affirm their self-worth. To gain the feeling of acceptance, a codependent person may ignore their own desires, needs, or emotions. ​​A codependent person frequently attempts to save others from themselves. Some of the characteristics of codependency are:

• Difficulty defining boundaries
• Difficulty adapting to change
• A strong desire for acceptance and recognition
• Getting offended when people do not acknowledge your effort
• A tendency to give more than your fair share all the time
• Mixing up love and pity
• Overestimating of your responsibility for the conduct of others

Trauma and Codependency: When Two Halves Don’t Make a Whole

At Sabino Recovery, treating trauma is built into the DNA of our programs. Healthy relationships are possible when we learn to voice our needs without guilt or shame. Those negative feelings often come from long-held trauma. Codependency has been described as “a dance of wounded souls,” a mystical phrase illustrating something very real: codependency results when two people are in pain and act in ways that continue the toxic cycle.

The origin of the hurt may be dysfunctional family relationships experienced growing up. Survival mechanisms to cope with complex trauma in the past may be the only working basis for a relationship. If it was unsafe to be vulnerable, carefree, and honest about one’s emotions in childhood, it can be traumatic. Being punished for expressing your ideas or feelings, or for being immature, flawed, or having needs and desires, can leave lasting impressions. You may have been ignored or abandoned, leading to the conclusion that you cannot trust or rely on anybody.

You may take on an adult persona while young to care for a struggling parent. In adult relationships, when your partner struggles, you save the day–taking on another’s responsibilities while denying your own wants and needs. This can happen unconsciously and without bad intent on either side. Of course, healthy relationships are about caring for one another, but when one person experiences shame for having their own needs, things are out of balance. Enmeshment can occur when the healthy boundaries of a relationship become poorly defined. Re-establishing these boundaries with the help of our therapeutic team can breathe new life into a relationship.

At Sabino Recovery, we believe that happy relationships result from two emotionally whole and healthy people. You will reconnect with yourself, receive the care you need to treat past trauma, and learn vital self-care skills. We can treat the trauma that leads to codependency using evidence-based modalities, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Psychodrama therapists help us step outside ourselves, learn from our past, and see the dynamics of our relationships come to life in a safe environment. We recognize that beneath the cycle of codependency are people with wounds who can make themselves whole again.