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Codependency Treatment in Illinois

Table of Content

Table of Content

 

Codependency and addiction often go hand in hand. While each is a diagnosis, both can stand alone, and professional treatment can address them independently. At Gateway Foundation, we specialize in dual diagnosis services to evaluate both conditions and provide a comprehensive treatment program. 

It’s essential to understand codependency and the leading causes and symptoms of the disorder so you know when to seek help for yourself and a loved one. 

What Is Codependency?

Codependency is a term used in relationships where a person emotionally relies on a partner. The dysfunctional pattern of behavior and emotional dependence often occurs in relationships involving substance use or addiction. Many people who are considered codependent are deeply impacted by others’ feelings, emotions, and behaviors, which can result in one-sided, emotionally damaging, or abusive relationships. 

In a codependent relationship, one person has an unhealthy reliance on the other, while the other will do whatever it takes to please their partner. The codependent person often focuses excessively on the needs and well-being of the person with addiction, to the detriment of their own needs and boundaries. The dynamic creates a cycle of codependency that can be challenging to break. 

Codependent people also often fear abandonment or being alone, leading them to stay in unhealthy relationships. They may experience significant emotional distress, resentment, and a sense of powerlessness in the relationship. 

Symptoms of Codependency

Symptoms of Codependency

Codependency in addiction can manifest through various symptoms, revealing specific emotional and behavioral patterns. Here are some key signs to be aware of if you believe you might be in a codependent relationship:

  • Difficulty expressing feelings: Codependent individuals often struggle to identify, acknowledge and express their emotions. You might be more focused on your partner’s emotions and find it challenging to communicate your needs.
  • A desire to feel loved by all: Codependent people have an excessive need for validation and approval from others. You might go to great lengths to gain love and acceptance from your partner, often at the expense of your well-being.
  • Difficulty setting boundaries: Another critical aspect of codependent relationships is the inability to set clear, personal boundaries. You might struggle to establish and maintain healthy limits in your relationship, which can cause a power imbalance and a disregard for your needs and values. 
  • Putting aside personal needs for those of others: Codependent people often prioritize the needs and desires of others over their own. This can result in going to great lengths to fulfill others’ expectations and demands, causing you to neglect your happiness and well-being. 
  • Remaining loyal without reason: Codependent relationships often involve loyalty and commitment without a real reason. You might remain committed to your partner even when it is detrimental to your emotional or physical health. You might also fear abandonment and enable destructive behaviors or make excuses for someone struggling with addiction.
  • Denying or ignoring problems: Codependent individuals often downplay or ignore problems in the relationship or within themselves. You might struggle to comfort or address relationship issues, choosing instead to maintain the status quo. 
  • Low self-esteem: Codependent people often have diminished self-worth and negative self-image. You might seek validation and approval from others to compensate for feelings of inadequacy. You might resort to passive or indirect communication styles, which can lead to misunderstandings and unmet needs. 
  • Feeling depressed and withdrawn: People in codependent relationships might have symptoms of depression, including persistent sadness, lack of motivation, and withdrawal from social activities. Over time, you may feel overwhelmed by your partner’s demands and internalize feelings of dissatisfaction. 
  • Refusing to seek help: It’s common for people in codependent relationships to refuse to seek help or support. You might deny your struggles, minimize pain, or feel unworthy of help. 

Recognizing these symptoms is crucial to determining whether you’re in a codependent relationship. From there, you can seek professional help to heal.

The Relationship Between Addiction and Codependency

The Relationship Between Addiction and Codependency

Addiction and codependency can have a complex, intertwined relationship. Codependent people often enable or support their loved one’s addictive behaviors to maintain control and stability. These behaviors reinforce the cycle of addiction, making it harder for the person with substance use disorder to get help.

Here’s a breakdown of what a relationship looks like with codependency and addiction:

Enabling and Caretaking

Enabling and Caretaking

Ultimately, codependency in the context of addiction involves enabling and caretaking for the person with the addiction. The codependent partner often prioritizes their partner’s needs over their well-being and engages in caretaking roles to control and attempt to fix the problems caused by addictive behaviors. This might include: 

  • Shouldering their partner’s financial responsibilities.
  • Providing money to support the addiction.
  • Bailing their partner out of legal trouble.
  • Keeping secrets about their partner’s behavior from friends and family members.
  • Justifying their loved one’s behaviors to themselves.

Caretaking and enabling perpetuate the cycle of addiction, preventing the person with addiction from recognizing the impact of their actions and seeking help. 

Instability and Emotional Turmoil

Addiction often fuels codependency by creating a sense of chaos, instability, and emotional turmoil in relationships. Unpredictability and a desire to maintain control can quickly become a massive part of your relationship. You might focus excessively on your partner due to wanting to manage or fix their problems and become hypervigilant by constantly monitoring their behaviors. 

Underlying Emotional or Mental Health Concerns

Codependency and addiction are often linked because both conditions stem from underlying emotional or mental health issues. Codependent people often have low self-esteem, a fear of abandonment, and difficulty setting boundaries. These patterns are often rooted in childhood experiences, dysfunctional family dynamics, or past trauma. At the same time, addiction can be exacerbated by mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and trauma. 

Why Is Codependency Dangerous?

Codependency can be dangerous for someone with addiction and their partner. Here’s how codependency affects people with addiction:

Why Is Codependency Dangerous?

  • Enabling behavior: A codependent relationship serves as an enabling influence in a person’s life. The codependent partner might want to help their loved one but, simultaneously, fear their partner won’t need them once the addiction is resolved. They might thwart any attempts for their partner to get help by financially supporting them and shielding them from the consequences of their actions.
  • Stunted personal growth: Codependency can hinder personal development for the person with addiction. The codependent partner might take on responsibilities that the person should handle themselves, further perpetuating a cycle of dependence and preventing the person with addiction from developing life skills, problem-solving, and resilience crucial for recovery and living a healthy, productive life.
  • Lack of accountability: Codependency can create an environment where the person with addiction does not recognize the impact of their actions. The codependent partner might make excuses for their loved one’s behavior and cover up or rescue them from the consequences. A lack of accountability can prevent the person with addiction from recognizing the need for change and seeking professional help.
  • Relapse triggers: Codependent relationships can foster an unhealthy atmosphere that might trigger relapse after a person completes addiction treatment. The intense emotional reliance, enabling behaviors, and lack of boundaries can create instability and stress, causing cravings.

At the same time, the codependent partner can struggle with the following:

At the same time, the codependent partner can struggle with the following:

  • Increased risk of developing an addiction: Codependent partners can face a higher risk. Constant exposure to addictive behaviors, stress, and emotional turmoil can cause poor coping skills, including an addiction to substances, food, or gambling. 
  • Loss of outside relationships: Codependency can result in the codependent partner neglecting or sacrificing relationships with friends, family, and other social connections. If you struggle with codependency, you might prioritize your partner’s needs above all else, causing isolation and loss of support. 
  • Inability to maintain other responsibilities: Codependency can make it challenging for the codependent partner to fulfill different life responsibilities, including work, school, or personal goals. You might become overwhelmed by the demands of the relationship and struggle with daily functioning. 
  • Neglected self-care: As mentioned, codependent partners often prioritize their partner’s needs above their own. This can lead to ignoring self-care, increased stress, and decreased physical and mental health.

Treatment Options For Codependency and Addiction

Treatment Options For Codependency and Addiction

If you are in a cycle of codependency with someone struggling with substance or alcohol use disorder, it’s crucial to seek professional help. The sooner you recognize the problem, the sooner you can seek help and start healing.

Gateway Foundation offers various treatments to help you and your partner prioritize your health and heal from the effects of the codependent relationship and addiction:

  • Medication-assisted treatment: The best treatment programs take a comprehensive approach. Medication-assisted treatment combines medications with therapy to help people with addiction manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings, supporting their overall recovery journey. 
  • Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): DBT can help both people in the relationship develop healthier coping skills, regulate emotions, and improve relationships, promoting recovery from codependency and addiction.
  • Mindfulness-based sobriety: Mindfulness-based sobriety incorporates techniques like deep breathing and meditation to cultivate awareness, reduce substance cravings and promote relapse prevention.
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT focuses on accepting challenging emotions and living a life aligned with a person’s values to change healthy behavior. This treatment can support both partners’ commitment to healing and healthier lifestyle changes. 
  • Motivational interviewing (MI): MI can encourage people with addiction to explore ambivalence, resolve conflicts and build commitment to recovery. This is a constructive approach for those still unsure about seeking treatment. 
  • 12-step facilitation: 12-step and other support groups can help both partners establish a support network by fostering connection. These groups can help people with addiction achieve lasting recovery by guiding them through the principles and practices of 12-step programs.

How Effective are Codependency Treatment Strategies?

You can overcome substance use disorder and codependency issues with the right personalized treatment plan. If you’re struggling, codependency rehabilitation centers can help you recover and begin developing healthy relationships.

How Effective are Codependency Treatment Strategies?

Gateway’s codependent and addiction treatment strategies are effective because we address issues within the family unit. Our family support and programming help: 

  • Locate codependent behaviors and discover how to change them.
  • Show family members how to establish boundaries for addicted members.
  • Develop practical communication skills.
  • Resolve family conflict.

The Benefits of Getting Help for Addiction and Codependency

Professional treatment, therapy, and support groups can help people caught up in a cycle of addiction and codependency. Here are a few benefits of seeking treatment for this co-occurring disorder:

Improved Mental and Physical Health 

Improved Mental and Physical Health

Addressing addiction and codependency can promote better health and wellness. Therapy and treatment can teach you healthier coping skills and manage stress effectively — leading to improved sleep, more energy, and enhanced emotional well-being. It can also help codependent individuals improve their self-esteem and live productive lives.

Increased Self-Awareness

The best treatment will help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself, including patterns of behavior and underlying causes of addiction and codependency. Self-awareness can help you grow, make positive changes, and break from destructive cycles. For instance, therapy might help a codependent partner address underlying issues that cause them to enable and prioritize others’ needs above their own. At the same time, substance use disorder treatment can help a person identify unhealthy thought patterns and behaviors that lead to addiction. 

Enhanced Communication Skills

Treatment and therapy can help you learn how to express your needs, set boundaries and engage in healthy dialogue. As a result, you can appreciate more beneficial relationships and fewer conflicts with others. More transparent communication can also help you reach out when you need help.

Greater Quality of Life

Seeking help for co-occurring addiction and codependency opens the door to a more fulfilling, meaningful life. With recovery comes the opportunity to explore personal goals and rediscover passions. You can grow and heal, enjoy healthier relationships, and live a life that aligns with your values. The more accessible you feel from codependency and other conditions, the more prepared you are to embrace the activities and loved ones that make you feel whole.

We Offer Effective Rehab for Codependency 

Codependency and addiction can be a challenging and complex cycle to break. Thankfully, various treatment options can help. If you or a loved one is struggling, Gateway Foundation can provide the tools and support to help you heal. Our comprehensive codependency treatment programs include evidence-based therapies, compassionate care, and individualized treatment plans for your unique needs. 

Our experienced team can guide you to break from destructive patterns and establish healthier relationships. Contact us to learn more about our codependency treatment programs — we’re in this together.

We Offer Effective Rehab for Codependency