Navigating a healthy relationship with your parent as an adult can be difficult, regardless of the situation you’re in. When that parent develops codependency toward you, it can feel impossible. When you try to picture a codependent relationship, many people visualize an unhealthy romantic relationship. While codependency does occur in marriages and between romantic partners, it’s not a hard and fast rule. Codependency can occur within any kind of relationship, and parents and their children experience it more often than you may think. Often, the most efficient way to manage possible familial codependency is to enroll in family therapy, where you can work through your issues with a neutral third party.
When dealing with a codependent parent, many people feel alone and as though no one is in their corner. This doesn’t have to be the case. When you work with Oceanfront Recovery in Laguna Beach, you can rest assured that we take all factors impacting someone’s recovery into account. We often recommend family therapy when someone’s family life has suffered from codependency stemming from a substance abuse disorder. In that setting, we can help repair and strengthen relationships while providing tools to ensure the relationship is healthy for all parties. To find out more, call us today at 877.279.1777 or visit us online.
Signs You May Have a Codependent Parent
In a long-lasting codependent relationship, it can be easy to ignore the warning signs. You can become so used to your parent’s behavior that it becomes normalized. Learning how to recognize these signs as abnormal is an excellent first step in finding the path to recovery:
- Your parent never listens. Many people with a codependent parent report that talking to them is like “talking to a wall.” Your parent will not acquiesce in an argument, especially one about their behavior, regardless of how good your points are.
- Your parent adopts a victim mentality. When faced with a problem, your parent will have a hard time accepting responsibility for anything they may have done to cause it. A codependent parent may guilt-trip their child for something as simple as being born or expressing worry over the parent’s behavior.
- Your parent seems desperate to control every situation. In a codependent parent-child relationship, it’s common to see the parent insist on maintaining control at all times. A codependent parent will expect devotion and submission from their adult children, even when the parent is in the wrong and needs to be corrected.
Recognizing an Enabling Relationship
The end goal for a codependent parent struggling with a substance abuse addiction is to present their behavior as normal. This can result in an enabling relationship, wherein you become the enabler. In this enabling relationship, the parent feels justified in their behavior and does not attempt to improve the situation for anyone. It can be very easy to fall into this trap, but you should know that keeping the peace without addressing the problem comes with a cost. You’re doing a disservice to yourself and your parent by allowing their behavior to rule you both.
Discover How Oceanfront Recovery Can Help
By including family therapy in our clients’ services, Oceanfront Recovery ensures that we address every aspect of your healing journey. If some of the indicators for a codependent relationship sound familiar, it may be time to contact us about what we can do to help. Our substance abuse and mental health treatment programs are catered to the individual and facilitated by a team of highly trained and compassionate staff members. To discover more about what we can do for you, reach out today by calling us at 877.279.1777 or filling out our secure online form.
