The Link Between Substance Abuse and Codependency

Substance Abuse and Codependency Explained

Nearly 90% of Americans are codependent. Does this fact shock you?

Codependency and substance abuse, go hand in hand. It is difficult for those who battle with substance misuse and addiction and it is equally difficult for their families.

So, what does it mean to be codependent in a relationship? A healthy mix of give and take is needed in all relationships. An excessive imbalance may indicate codependency. Codependency is an unhealthy reliance on another person or an unhealthy readiness to compromise one’s own goals and wants to please another or to simply make things work.

Codependent relationships occur in a variety of situations: chronic illness, excessive rigidity, or dysfunction like abuse or addiction being present. It is particularly prevalent in families when ongoing stress or dysfunction is present. This dysfunction or stress could be a result of substance use disorders or abuse. Codependency and addiction behaviors become a cycle and pose long-term consequences in this symbiotic relationship.

What Is Codependency?

Codependency consists of both behavioral and emotional components. It impacts a person’s ability to establish a balanced rewarding connection with another person.

Codependents relationships frequently take on certain attributes:

Within a codependent relationship, there are two distinct sorts of personalities. These personalities are the manipulator and enabler.

Signs of Codependency

People who are in codependent relationships are often unaware that they are in one at a time! Denial, such as we speak of for people who are addicted, also exists in codependent individuals.

Codependency is not healthy for either partner in the long run. In this situation, one partner can continue to sink deeper into addiction. The other partner, in the meantime, forces themselves to forego their wants and needs to provide care for the other.

Approaches to Understanding Codependency

According to a recent study conducted by the scientific journal Substance Use and Misuse, a history of alcoholism in parents could have a strong contribution to the development of disruptive behavior that’s seen in adolescents.

Alcoholics may not learn how to manage intimate relationships until they are adults if they grow up in such a family. Therefore, they are unlikely to develop the social skills required for success in social settings.

Many psychiatric researchers believe that codependency is caused by hedonistic responses to traumatic childhood events.  Some people believe people who live with someone who abuses substances or drinks excessively may not be able to separate themselves from these people because they may not be able to resolve codependency issues between them.

Unfortunately, when addiction is in full control its makes bad decisions more likely for everyone. If an individual themselves does not have an addiction, non-addicts may feel compelled to take over the addict’s life to resolve the problem.

Approaches to Understanding Codependency

The loop of enabling behaviors and substance misuse in a codependent relationship will continue indefinitely unless something interrupts the cycle. In many circumstances, the event is sad, such as an overdose, a vehicle accident, a job loss, or a divorce.

According to Mental Health America, codependency is not always associated with drug usage, as previously stated. Codependency is widespread in persons who have personal relationships with people who are addicted but can also occur in homes where there are rigidly defined boundaries (as in militaristic families), where there is physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, or where there is a long history of chronic physical illness. 

It can appear in a variety of people:

In families, the evidence of family codependency shows itself as family roles become stratified, and readily identified roles of Hero, Scapegoat, Mascot, and Lost Child appear in addition to the adult Enabler. In addition, many alcoholism researchers and counselors identify that rules, roles and rituals become adapted to accommodate the alcoholic in the family’s needs. Children of drug and alcohol addicts are frequently codependent, especially when the addiction has progressed to the point where the child experiences the need to take on a caregiver role with the parent.

The codependent partner in the relationship does not have to be the spouse. Indeed, Psychology Today describes how to identify codependent behavior in youngsters. However, did you know that more than eight million children under 18 live with at least one adult who has a substance use disorder? That is one in ten!

A codependent relationship is further harmed by substance usage. For example, consider the case of a couple in which one person is a drug addict, and the other is an enabler. They’ve been together for years, and one partner has never attempted to assist the other in overcoming their addiction.

Instead, the one supplies the other the drugs they sorely need, suggesting that the partner will if they do not. The partner is so emotionally involved that he thinks he’s doing the correct thing to get others’ affection and attention.

As can be shown, the one partner or manipulator has gotten dependent on their partner to help their reliance. The leading partner, often known as the enabler, is entirely reliant on the other for love and self-esteem.

Avoiding supportive behaviors and codependency adds to the relationship and family’s troubles. The only way to stop codependency and addiction is to treat both problems and modify the addicted person’s thoughts and behavior.

Who Is at Risk of Becoming Codependent

Growing up in an emotionally stressful, negligent, or abusive household teaches a youngster that caring comes with conditions. Others may develop a fear of rejection, which can weaken their self-esteem and cause them to doubt their worth. This can result in codependent behavior later in life.

The same is valid for growing up in a home where alcohol or drugs was abused. According to one study, women whose parents were alcoholics were more likely to engage in codependent behaviors.
A depressed person may become prone to codependency.

All of the factors above can impact the codependent’s physical health, personality, or other health and mental concerns.

Helping an Addicted Partner

Trauma symptoms can cause a person to develop maladaptive ways of thinking. These are cognitive distortions.

Addicts who never have to face the consequences of their addiction will never know that they need help. Enabling an addict causes medical, financial, and relationship concerns in the family and allows the addict to avoid those consequences. Self-neglect is common in codependent households.

Some of the dangers linked with codependency and enabling are as follows:

While it is pretty normal to want to support someone you care about, in the long term, this serves no one. The first step in assisting a loved one who is addicted is to set boundaries. Confront them with the facts about their addiction and the ramifications of their conduct.

To accomplish this, you can:

Enabling will harm the addicted person’s efforts to obtain help both before and after treatment. Codependency must be addressed as part of an addict’s recovery process.

How To Treat Codependency

One person must admit that there is a problem in the codependent or dependent relationship to rebuild. The help, direction, and support of friends and family are often required, even though the tendency of codependent
people is to want to do it on their own.

To understand the roots of codependent behavior, the enabler should seek treatment. At the same time, the dependent/addict may gain the most from drug abuse treatment to recover from their addiction.

With the correct treatment and support, you can conquer codependency and substance abuse issues. A 90-day drug and alcohol detox rehab program helps the addict address the emotional, behavioral, and social elements of your addiction. A comprehensive drug rehabilitation program will also treat any co-occurring problems and behaviors, such as codependency.

Unfortunately, when addiction is in full control its makes bad decisions more likely for everyone. If an individual themselves does not have an addiction, non-addicts may feel compelled to take over the addict’s life to resolve the problem.

Because many codependent relationships occur while addiction is present, family counseling is an excellent place to start healing.

 

At Bridging the Gaps, our family program is designed to:

If you or a loved one is addicted to a substance and are involved in a codependent relationship, to discover more about drug and alcohol rehab, as well as family programs, contact us today.

Medical experts and counselors regularly give emotional and behavioral counseling. The codependent person’s self-image and capacity to set realistic expectations, identify desires and establish limits improve. Family members learn how to grow and support each other as a team.

It will be much easier for a codependent to have stronger self-esteem with this form of treatment
and foster positive emotional participation and preserve healthy relationships. Forming supportive relationships via clear communication, healthy boundaries, and utilization of an organization such as 12 step organizations will enable the family as well as the dependent (addict) to enter and continue in recovery.

Get Hold of Your Life and Steer Towards a Better Future

A few variables can create a happy, balanced relationship. Change takes time. Small changes lead to bigger changes in the long run. Spend time with loved ones that support you.

Individual or group counseling can help persons struggling with codependency and addiction. An expert will help you better understand and express your feelings. Our program begins with education for families then moves to Family Aftercare as residential treatment family members are moving on to their later stages of care.

Codependency and substance abuse patterns, such as needing to be needed, will be learned and understood by all codependent partners. Families will grow in understanding together and will seek additional help as needed. The value is in teaching both parties how to engage and create a balanced relationship.

If you or someone you love needs help, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right away. Our team will answer any questions with confidentiality, kindness, compassion, and understanding!

Sources

  1. Beatty, M. (1987). Codependent no more: How to stop controlling others and start caring for yourself. Hazelden.
  2. Ben LesserBen Lesser is one of the most sought-after experts in health. (n.d.). Ben Lesser. Dualdiagnosis.org. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://dualdiagnosis.org/codependency-substance-abuse/
  3. Co-dependency. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.mhanational.org/co-dependency
  4. Counseling center: Codependency. JMU. (2021, November 12). Retrieved from https://www.jmu.edu/counselingctr/self-help/relationships/codependency.shtml
  5. Family life matters: Combating codependency. www.army.mil. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.army.mil/article/137572/family_life_matters_combating_codependency
  6. HC;, L. L. T. (n.d.). Hedonic responses, variety-seeking tendency and expressed variety in sandwich choices. Appetite. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7611748/
  7. Lander, L., Howsare, J., & Byrne, M. (2013). The impact of Substance Use Disorders on families and children: From theory to practice. Social work in public health. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC3725219/
  8. MediLexicon International. (n.d.). Codependent relationships: Symptoms, warning signs, and behavior. Medical News Today. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319873
  9. Panaghi, L., Ahmadabadi, Z., Khosravi, N., Sadeghi, M. S., & Madanipour, A. (2016, April). Living with addicted men and codependency: The moderating effect of personality traits. Addiction & health. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5115643/
  10. Tough love. Urban Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Tough+Love
  11. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Substance use disorder: Medlineplus medical encyclopedia. MedlinePlus. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001522.htm
  12. Windle, M. (1996). Effect of parental drinking on adolescents. Alcohol health and research world. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6876511/
  13. Wong, B. (2016, December 17). 6 signs you — yes, you — are the enabler in a toxic relationship. HuffPost. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/signs-you-are-an-enabler_n_58545000e4b0390447089371