Steps to Get Out of a Codependent Friendship

Do you feel like maybe you are in a codependent friendship, and it’s starting to affect how you feel about this person and the friendship? Maybe you are wondering how to get out of the friendship without offending this person, or maybe you’re hoping there’s a way to bring it up and change the dynamics of the friendship.

Let’s talk about what a codependent friendship entails. Someone who is codependent tends to be an empath, but not all are. They are very focused on the desires of other people and try to put someone else’s needs and wants ahead of their own. They try to save people, but at a cost to themselves, unfortunately. Doing this gives them validation and helps to fill a void they have within themselves.

Codependency can and will create an unhealthy balance in a friendship. One person is typically the giver and the other is the taker. It really becomes an issue when the taker is unable to do the same in return. There is usually a lack of boundaries in the friendship, which also creates some problems along the way. Codependents unconsciously seek love and validation from others. Many don’t even realize they are seeking anything. They don’t bother to ask themselves, “what do I need?” This is not self care. They were likely neglected by their parents on many levels, and not taught to do this. This behavior forms a story in our subconscious…