What is Codependency?
This is another condition likely to play a part in the lives of all of us to some degree. It can become chronic, debilitating, toxic, extremely unhealthy and unpleasant if left unchecked and untreated. It usually shows up as an overly excessive psychological and/or emotional dependence on a romantic partner but can also include parents, children and siblings. It is common for the partner or family member to be engaged in addiction or suffer from an illness.
Common symptoms include enabling, a difficulty in saying “NO!”, people-pleasing, care taking, low self-esteem and lack of boundaries. Often you can feel trapped in the relationship or even trapped inside your own head. The roots of codependency often lie in early childhood experiences and these are often pre-verbal. This indicates that talking therapies are not enough. Whilst counselling can be helpful, on its own it is rarely efficient to get to the core; we simply don’t have the words for the way we feel and the way we feel just seems like some version of ‘crazy’.
The body stores information in feelings, not in words. It assumes that our early experiences, which affect the way we react today, is the only way and seeks to maintain this arrangement. Words are helpful in the sense that we can hear of more skilful and loving relationships but the mind tends to store this information in the file marked “SHOULD”. This can make us feel worse, we have an idea of what we should be doing and feeling and are left disappointed when we don’t marry up to this expectation.
That is why our programme is designed using the ‘bottom-up’ approach; we work with the body, releasing the tension stored there and help you to pay attention to this felt sense of well-being. That is a good time to start talking.
Common symptoms include enabling, a difficulty in saying “NO!”, people-pleasing, care taking, low self-esteem and lack of boundaries. Often you can feel trapped in the relationship or even trapped inside your own head. The roots of codependency often lie in early childhood experiences and these are often pre-verbal. This indicates that talking therapies are not enough. Whilst counselling can be helpful, on its own it is rarely efficient to get to the core; we simply don’t have the words for the way we feel and the way we feel just seems like some version of ‘crazy’.
The body stores information in feelings, not in words. It assumes that our early experiences, which affect the way we react today, is the only way and seeks to maintain this arrangement. Words are helpful in the sense that we can hear of more skilful and loving relationships but the mind tends to store this information in the file marked “SHOULD”. This can make us feel worse, we have an idea of what we should be doing and feeling and are left disappointed when we don’t marry up to this expectation.
That is why our programme is designed using the ‘bottom-up’ approach; we work with the body, releasing the tension stored there and help you to pay attention to this felt sense of well-being. That is a good time to start talking.
Get in touch about our Mental Wellness Programme
