Typical Characteristics of a
Co-Dependent
- I
assume responsibility for other's feelings and behaviors.
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- I
feel overly responsible for other's feelings and
behaviors.
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- I
have difficulty in identifying feelings -- Am I Angry?
Lonely? Sad? Happy? Joyful?
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- I
have difficulty expressing feelings -- I am feeling ...
Happy, Sad, Hurt, Joyful.
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- I
tend to fear and/or worry how others may respond to my
feelings.
-
- I
have difficulty in forming and/or maintaining close
relationships.
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- I
am afraid of being hurt and/or rejected by others.
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- I
am perfectionistic and place too many expectations on
myself and others.
-
- I
have difficulty making decisions.
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- I
tend to minimize, alter or even deny the truth about how
I feel.
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- Other
people's actions and attitudes tend to determine how I
respond/react.
-
- I
tend to put other people's wants and needs first.
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- My
fear of other's feelings (anger) determines what I say
and do.
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- I
question or ignore my own values to connect with
significant others.
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- I
value other's opinions more than my own.
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- My
self-esteem is bolstered by outer/other influences.
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- I
cannot acknowledge good things about myself.
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- My
serenity and mental attention is determined by how
other's are feeling and/or behaving.
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- I
tend to judge everything I do, think, or say harshly; by
someone else's standards -- nothing is done, said, or
thought "Good Enough".
-
- I
do not know or believe that being vulnerable and asking
for help is both OKAY and NORMAL.
-
- I
do not know that it is OKAY to talk about problems
outside the family; or that feelings just are -- and it
is better to share them than to deny, minimize or justify
them.
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- I
tend to put other people's wants and needs before my own.
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- I
am steadfastly loyal -- even when the loyalty is
unjustified -- and personally harmful.
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- I
have to be "needed" in order to have a
relationship with others.