Managing co-dependency in a marriage – the second five steps in learning to support rather than rescue

By |2016-12-13T05:19:18+00:00March 26th, 2013|Anxiety therapy, relationship issues|

Despite the relief that Craig felt when his wife Sophie did his bookkeeping for his landscape business he was frequently choked with shame. The conflict made him snappy and uninterested in spending leisure time with her. He dreaded going to bed at night because he didn’t want to face his impotence when he forced himself to try and make love to her. He was trapped in a cycle of neediness, shame and anger at the very person whom he relied upon to keep his business afloat. The more ashamed he got the less he wanted to be with Sophie. She got angry at him and accused him of being ungrateful and irresponsible. Of course the criticisms added more shame onto Craig’s pile. He hated his wife for making him so dependent on her. The lethal combination of shame and hate made him aggressive towards her. He wanted his power back, but being in a co-dependent relationship made it impossible. He just melted with fear when he tried to stand up for himself

Comments Off on Managing co-dependency in a marriage – the second five steps in learning to support rather than rescue

Is Co-Dependency the Currency of Your Family Relationships?

By |2017-09-11T18:09:06+00:00March 13th, 2013|Anxiety therapy, relationship issues|

Driving home from his last landscape design consult, thirty-three year old Craig’s stomach was in knots wondering if Sophie would have gotten over the row she had with her mother the other day. He felt bad for his wife who had tried and failed to arrange a family dinner, taking out her frustration on him. His temples began throbbing and his breathing became quick and shallow as he felt the overbearing sense of heaviness that came over him when he approached his front door.

Comments Off on Is Co-Dependency the Currency of Your Family Relationships?
Go to Top