Why Codependents Take on too Much

This is for all the helpers and the people who regularly feel the need to save the day for everyone. It’s a great quality to be so helpful all the time but it can be done for the wrong reasons. Codependency is grey, similar to narcissism. You can either be an extreme codependent or a higher functioning person with codependent tendencies.

The extreme codependent has a need to be around people all the time, always be in a relationship, is needy with a low self esteem and basically cannot take care of themselves in many ways. This person helps everyone and every situation, because they have no sense of self.

The higher functioning person with codependent tendencies is likely to only be this way with specific people, and not everyone. They somewhat know what they think and how they feel, and have some sense of relationship with themselves, but they don’t always honor that. Both of these people struggle with the same things but do it in a different way.

There are two big reasons codependents take on so much — poor boundaries and suffering from being the caretaker all the time. The caretaker just wants to help and feel it’s their responsibility to solve everyone’s problems. This person takes on other people’s problems as if they are their own. Oftentimes, being an empath and a codependent go hand-in-hand. If you don’t have any boundaries and…