r/Codependency Aug 29 '23

Victim Blaming will not be tolerated

239 Upvotes

Hey all,

Codependency can lead to a ton of behaviors and relationship styles that are less than healthy, but as we all strive to better ourselves and shed these old habits that no longer serve us, it is extremely important not to victim blame in the feedback we give. There are ways to discuss and address things like being manipulative for example in a loving and constructive way - after all, with codependency/complex trauma it is born of fear, not malice - so please be mindful of how you are coming off in your comments. We are here to support, grow, and heal, not blame. Shame propels us in the other direction.

CoDA approaches the character defects of step 4 as traits/behaviors that once served us well, that once kept us safe in our childhoods, but no longer have a place as they set us back in our present lives. We strive to get to a healthier place where we no longer need to fall back on them, but instead can approach ourselves, others, and our relationships without fear, allowing these relationships to be healthy.

I was a very active moderator years ago, but now I'm a busy person, SO if someone reports something and it seems victim-blamey, I'm just going to remove it. Sorry in advance. Find a way to present your comment differently.

I wish you all the best on your healing journeys!


r/Codependency Jul 13 '26

Trying to conduct a study? Read here

2 Upvotes

Doing research? Please don't message the mods asking for permission. Just post it. If people are against it it will be downvoted, if people don't want to participate they won't.


r/Codependency 16h ago

The Language of Letting Go - Today's Reading

32 Upvotes

'Patience

Sometimes we get what we want right away. At other times, we wonder if our desires will ever be fulfilled.

We will be fulfilled in the best way possible and as quickly as possible. But some things take time. Sometimes, we have lessons to learn first, lessons that prepare us so we can accept the good we deserve. Things are being worked out in us, and in others. Blocks in us are being removed. A solid foundation is being laid.

Be patient, Relax and trust. Let go. Then, let go some more. Good things are planned for us. We will receive them at the first available moment. We will have all our heart longs for. Relax and trust.

Today, I will identify what I want and need; then, I’ll be willing to let go of it. I will devote my energy to living my life today, so I may master my lessons as quickly as possible. I will trust that what I want and need is coming to me. I will let go of my need to control the details.'

By Melodie Beattie


r/Codependency 51m ago

Dating and coparenting issues

Upvotes

I have done so much work in therapy from the abuse from my ex and breaking codependency. I still really struggle at times and am continuing to work at it.

So I left my ex 2 and a half years ago and we are divorced. We have a three year old. We both agreed that if we started dating someone and wanted to introduce her in person to them that we would let the other parent know.

Well I have been dating someone for 8 months. My ex found out months ago and continued to remind me of the agreement to not have her meet him without his knowledge. He continuously brings it up to which I stated I don’t need reminders.

Also when he has some things he’s been getting from my house that are his possessions from the marital home. I asked him to get the remaining things while I was on vacation. He took my old iPad, which is fine, as I probably put it in his pile, well my Apple ID must have been logged on, he won’t directly admit it, but admitted he got messages about me when he was in my home. He won’t tell me what messages he saved. But that he doesn’t care about my love life and is GLAD i moved on, he just cares about his daughter.

That happened and now this week, because of course there is something every week. He tells me to not allow our daughter to speak with my boyfriend. She’s 3, I am a stay at home mom Monday-Friday, as I work weekends, so she hears me call my boyfriend sometimes, who I mostly talk to when she’s asleep. She says hello, he says hi, then she gets embarrassed and leaves.

Recently, she’s been saying my boyfriends name and that she wants to call him. Becuase sometimes I have to call him, and she is 3 and tries to say hi to him, and he says hi back.

told my ex that’s not our agreement, and I’m not okay with that so I’m not following it, but will honor the original agreement.

He is so afraid he’s going to be replaced as a father but trying to monitor and control me all the time. And god it’s exhausting. All I want to do is date my boyfriend separate from involving my daughter at all.

The win I guess is, that I had no issues today setting the boundary and could clearly see I wasn’t in the wrong but I’m exhausted.


r/Codependency 13h ago

How to break the cycle

3 Upvotes

Woke up to our toxic history

Wanted better

She didn’t want to do the work with me

Made me feel so hurt told her I hated her

Wanted to move out of state and forget the past

She wouldn’t work with me I’m selling home etc and detaching

Now I’m facing ripping apart the life I built by moving to a new state and rebuild myself.

How did you guys rebuild yourselves after the fact of toxic codependency in a relationship/marriage?

Will moving, new places, new faces, help?


r/Codependency 11h ago

Erasing some of my diary

2 Upvotes

​

Waring : self harm, sexual abuse, drugs and suicide

I don't know where to start

I really don't know

If anyone can listen to me privately I really need to talk, to give me some advice

I feel like losing myself, my boyfriend isn't doing well

I had a relationship with someone terrible, he had BPD, we had a toxic relationship and sexual relationship and I did a lot of things to him even if i wasn't comfortable I had codependency and still but with my boyfriend

he was a friend for my current boyfriend

My boyfriend have this.. paranoid personality when it comes about my ex BPD person...he asked me to delete everything about him and I did,

But when I miss something he feels hurt again

Now he asked me to erase whatever that I wrote about the BPD person in my diary

And it's not about him, I just don't like to do that

He feels pain and I said I will, I would choose him over anything but I'm still hurt

I'm scared

When I was 15, my mom saw my diary where I wrote about some boy, she erased it, even took some pages, I had a complete melt down and crying asking her to stop

I write because I'm afraid to forget who I am, and it feels like taking some parts of my self, even if they are terrible parts

I do self harm to have control over myself but he doesn't want it and said he will do self harm too if I did

I'm sorry if it was unclear I'm just...I don't know how to put everything

This BPD ex friend had a sexual online relationship with me, he was terrible he even let his friend have sex call and sexting with me without me knowing

I haven't even got really over it, I didn't let my self, he even shared sexual contents of me with his Friends

And with my boyfriend, I deleted everything, but I don't think I had time to deal with it

I'm tired and my boyfriend currently suffer from depression, and had attempted suicide a few time a go, he also overdosed a few times on drugs

I don't know what to do

I will of course do anything to make him feel safe and better..but I'm scared of losing myself


r/Codependency 8h ago

Despertar e me confrontar

1 Upvotes

Nadie puede subir por ti
Ya van tres noches. Anestesia. Creo que hasta de la anestesia me estoy despidiendo. En realidad, últimamente me estoy despidiendo de muchas cosas. Personas, hábitos, expectativas, ciclos e incluso algunas versiones de mí misma que creía que todavía tenía que cargar conmigo.
Hoy no tengo ganas de nada. No quiero responsabilidades, no quiero buscarte, no quiero buscar a mi familia. Y lo extraño es que no me siento sola. Simplemente quiero irme. ¿Pero irme adónde? Ni siquiera yo lo sé. Quizás solo quiero estar lejos de aquí, lejos de esta vida exactamente como está ahora.

Tengo a mi gato. Lo miro y recuerdo que hay una vida aquí conmigo. Dejo la televisión alta porque el ruido ayuda. Hoy el silencio parece demasiado grande. La anestesia es buena porque durante un rato no tienes que decidir nada ni sentir nada. Pero creo que hasta de ella me estoy cansando.
¿Quiero morir? ¿Quiero vivir? No lo sé. Lo único que sé es que no quiero seguir viviendo exactamente de esta manera.
Y luego estás tú. Curiosamente, ya no te extraño tanto. Todavía tengo esa obsesión de mirar si has escrito, abrir lo que me mandas, observar, intentar entender. Quizás sea costumbre, quizás sea algo que todavía no ha terminado completamente dentro de mí. Pero ya no tengo tantas ganas de responder. Antes, cualquier silencio tuyo me destruía. Ahora miro, cierro y sigo en silencio.
Creo que algo está a punto de romperse. Solo que esta vez quizás no sea yo. Quizás sea el ciclo.
Lejos de ti estoy mejor. Soy más fuerte. Duele admitirlo, pero antes dolía muchísimo más. No sé por qué hice tantas cosas, no sé por qué me quedé tanto tiempo y tampoco sé por qué tú sigues repitiendo los mismos ciclos. Solo sé que yo ya no quiero repetirlos contigo.
Pasé mucho tiempo esperando que alguien me sacara del agujero. Quizás ese fue uno de mis mayores errores. Las personas pueden ayudar, pueden tenderte la mano, pueden lanzarte una cuerda y quedarse esperando afuera. Pero hay una parte que nadie puede hacer por nosotros: decidir agarrarla.

Quizás nadie salga completamente solo de ningún lugar. Pero hay una parte de la salida que es únicamente nuestra. La decisión de subir.
Y quizás sea exactamente ahí donde estoy ahora. No estoy feliz, no estoy curada y no me he despertado con ganas de empezar una vida maravillosa. Estoy cansada, un poco anestesiada y en silencio. Pero algo dentro de mí ha empezado a decir “basta”, y por primera vez no estoy intentando convencerlo de que se quede.
Quizás los ciclos no terminan cuando alguien se va. Quizás terminan cuando finalmente perdemos las ganas de volver.

No se preocupen.
“¿Estaré aquí mañana?”
¿Aquí, en el mismo agujero?
Espero que no.
Sarcasmo.


r/Codependency 20h ago

Grateful: CoDA win today🙏💗😁

8 Upvotes

I had a CoDA win today. I dealt with a confrontation and a disagreement today. I’m proud of myself that I was able to respond without being mean or shutting down. I spoke up, I asked questions, I said what was on my mind and told my truth.

Believe me, it all felt so scary to do in the moment and I still feel uncomfortable and insecure because my response went against how my feelings wanted me to respond. I felt panic, defensive because I believed my well-intended actions were being attacked. I felt fear, judgement, disbelief and shock. I could tell my amygdala was getting emotionally flooded and I wanted to shutdown, cry and flee ✈️
BUT! Another HUGE part of me could spot out the other person was only sharing with me their opinion. When I reminded myself of that, it’s like my amygdala went off and my prefrontal cortex switched back on and I was able to respond in a way that was productive to the conversation.

I’m realizing the aftermath after a CoDA Win is something I still struggle with. I struggle with the aftermath because it forces me to look at my behavior of rumination and not caring what others think of me. In the past when I would deal with confrontation or disagreements, I would ruminate a lot and spend so much time hung up on what others thought about what I said or didn’t say.
That behavior is spilling over into my CoDA win moments and I’m aware of it now. Self-trust and not caring about what others think of me is still hard and difficult. Progress not perfection, I remind myself.

Thank you for reading my CoDA Win. I’m going to hold onto this CoDA win for strength to continue to grow and be me.
I’m so blessed and grateful for Codependents Anonymous and all of you. 💛


r/Codependency 8h ago

Vier Jahre zwischen Liebe, D/s, Abhängigkeit und dem Gefühl, mich selbst verloren zu haben.

1 Upvotes

Ich weiß nicht genau, was ich mir von diesem Post erhoffe. Vielleicht Verständnis. Vielleicht Menschen, die etwas Ähnliches erlebt haben. Vielleicht einfach jemanden, der mir sagen kann, dass man aus so einer emotionalen Abhängigkeit tatsächlich wieder herauskommen kann. Vielleicht ist das mein erster Hilferuf nach Jahren, wo ich nicht weiß mit wem ich über dieses Thema reden soll, denn keiner versteht mich.

Ich schreibe bewusst anonym, weil ich mich inzwischen für vieles schäme und Menschen in meinem persönlichen Umfeld nur einen Bruchteil dessen wissen, was tatsächlich in meiner Beziehung passiert. So war es aufgrund unserer speziellen Beziehung immer schon, aber nach außen hin, wirken wir wie das perfekte Paar.

Ich bin seit ungefähr vier Jahren mit meinem Partner zusammen. Er ist doppelt so alt wie ich. Er könnte mein Vater sein.

Das Problem ist: Ich kenne ihn nicht nur als den Menschen, der er heute zu mir ist.
Ich kenne einen vollkommen anderen Mann.

Als wir uns kennenlernten, lebten wir sogar in unterschiedlichen Bundesländern. Unser Kontakt bestand zunächst hauptsächlich aus Telefonaten und Nachrichten. Ich kannte Bilder von ihm aus dem Internet, aber unser tatsächliches Kennenlernen war sehr außergewöhnlich: Die ersten ungefähr drei Monate unserer persönlichen Begegnungen lernte ich ihn blindfolded kennen. Erst danach zeigte er sich mir vollständig.

Es klingt wahrscheinlich für Außenstehende unvorstellbar, aber so war es und für mich entstand dadurch eine unglaublich intensive Bindung.
Und der Mann, den ich damals kennenlernte, war unglaublich liebevoll zu mir.
Er war romantisch. Er machte mir Geschenke. Er gab mir das Gefühl, etwas ganz Besonderes für ihn zu sein. Er las mir gefühlt jeden Wunsch von den Lippen ab. Wir verbrachten praktisch Tag und Nacht miteinander.

Schon nach einem Monat Schreiben, zog ich für ihn aus einem anderen Bundesland zu ihm.
Danach haben wir ungefähr vier Jahre zusammengelebt.

Wir hatten nicht nur irgendeine sexuelle Beziehung. Wir hatten ein gemeinsames Zuhause und einen Alltag. Wir gingen gemeinsam auf Reisen, verbrachten unsere Freizeit miteinander und führten neben unserer besonderen Dynamik auch eine vollkommen normale Partnerschaft.

Gleichzeitig entwickelte sich zwischen uns eine immer intensivere 24/7-D/s-Beziehung auf Total Power Exchange Basis.

Als wir uns kennenlernten, hatte ich mit dieser Welt kaum Erfahrung. Er hat mich hineingeführt. Mit der Zeit entdeckte ich immer mehr Seiten an mir und wollte diese Dynamik selbst immer intensiver leben.
Wir haben gemeinsam sehr vieles ausprobiert und erlebt – BDSM, Swingerclubs, sexuelle Erfahrungen mit anderen Menschen, von ihm organisierte Gruppenerfahrungen, Bestrafungen, Rituale, aber genauso Zärtlichkeit, Nähe, Reisen und vollkommen gewöhnliche gemeinsame Abende. Er führte mich in diese Welt ein.

Ich erwähne das nicht wegen der sexuellen Details, sondern weil es wichtig ist, um zu verstehen, warum diese Bindung für mich so schwer mit einer gewöhnlichen Beziehung vergleichbar ist.

Er war irgendwann gleichzeitig mein Partner, mein Dom, meine wichtigste Bezugsperson, mein Zuhause und der Mensch, von dem ich mich führen ließ aber auch mein Papa.

Und ich wollte das.
Unsere Dynamik wurde mit den Jahren immer stärker. Ich wollte immer mehr Kontrolle abgeben. Seine Anerkennung wurde für mich immer wichtiger.

Es gab außerdem immer wieder andere Frauen in unserem Beziehungsmodell. Das war grundsätzlich etwas, womit ich einverstanden war. Ich bin selbst an Frauen interessiert und konnte mir durchaus vorstellen, dass daraus irgendwann eine Art gemeinsame Dreier Beziehung entstehen könnte.
Mehrmals gab es Frauen, die sich zeitweise mehr oder weniger stark unserem Leben beziehungsweise unserer Beziehung anschlossen. Langfristig hat es allerdings nie funktioniert.

Schon als ich meinen Partner kennenlernte, gab es eine andere Frau in seinem Leben. Diese Verbindung endete schließlich. Sie war nach meinem Eindruck wesentlich freiheitsliebender und wollte ihr Leben weniger stark von ihm bestimmen lassen. Mit der Zeit wurde der Kontakt zwischen ihnen immer weniger, bis es vorbei war.
Ich dagegen bin geblieben.

Und ich habe mich immer weiter in seine Welt hineinbegeben.
Vielleicht ist genau das heute ein Teil meines Problems.
Denn irgendwann war er nicht mehr einfach ein Mensch, den ich liebte.
Er wurde zu meiner gesamten emotionalen Struktur.

Ich habe aus meiner Kindheit ein sehr schwieriges Verhältnis zu meinem Vater mitgenommen. Beziehungsweise gar keines. Nach emotionalen und auch körperlichen Übergrifflichkeiten in meiner Kindheit, habe ich seitdem ich 7 Jahre alt bin, keinen Kontakt mehr mit meinem Vater und ich kenne ihn nicht. Mir haben dadurch Anerkennung, Führung, Aufmerksamkeit und das Gefühl geliebt zu werden gefehlt, für meinen Vater wichtig und „gut genug“ zu sein.

Und irgendwann hat mein Master, wahrscheinlich viel stärker, als es gesund für mich war, genau diese Stelle in meinem Leben eingenommen. Es geschah unbewusst aber es gefiel mir, sobald es mir klar wurde das ich in ihm genau meinen Vater wiedergefunden habe, das Aussehen, die Sprache und vieles mehr.

Ich wollte sein „braves Mädchen“ sein.
Ich wollte hören, dass er stolz auf mich ist.
Ich wollte seine Anerkennung.
Wenn er mich führte, fühlte ich mich sicher. Wenn er zufrieden mit mir war, fühlte ich mich wertvoll. Wenn er seine Aufmerksamkeit entzog, fühlte ich mich plötzlich wie das kleine Mädchen, das wieder nicht gut genug gewesen war.

Das alles wurde mir allerdings wie schon erwähnt erst viel später bewusst.

Dann kam dieses Jahr eine enorme Veränderung: Ich zog aus beruflichen Gründen ins Ausland.

Wir führen seitdem eine Fernbeziehung.
Vorher hatten wir miteinander vereinbart, dass wir das schaffen würden. Dass unsere Beziehung dadurch nicht kaputtgehen würde. Das ich jederzeit nach Hause kommen kann.

Seitdem habe ich jedoch das Gefühl, den Menschen, den ich vier Jahre lang kannte, immer weniger wiederzuerkennen.

Natürlich kann ich ihm aus mehreren Tausend Kilometern Entfernung nicht mehr das bieten, was unser gemeinsamer Alltag früher war. Ich kann nicht jeden Abend neben ihm sein. Unsere Sexualität und unsere D/s-Dynamik können nicht genauso stattfinden wie früher. Auch gemeinsame Begegnungen mit anderen Frauen sind wesentlich schwieriger geworden.
Und ich habe das Gefühl, dass insbesondere Letzteres bei ihm sehr viel Frustration auslöst.

Ich versuche trotzdem ständig, etwas für ihn zu tun.
Ich schicke ihm erotische Bilder. Ich versuche, Begegnungen und Kontakte mit Frauen für ihn zu organisieren. Ich verwende freie Tage darauf, möglichst nach Hause zu kommen. Ich versuche trotz der Entfernung, seine Aufgaben zu erfüllen und ihm weiterhin zu zeigen, dass ich ihm gehöre und unsere Dynamik für mich einfach alles ist.

Aber mittlerweile scheint nichts mehr genug zu sein.
Und genau hier beginnt der Teil, den ich selbst nicht mehr rechtfertigen kann.

Ich werde regelmäßig beleidigt.
Mir wird gesagt, ich sei dumm. Ein Trampel. Eine Beleidigung. Ein Witz. Eine Energie-Räuberin. Dass er nicht mehr stolz auf mich sein könne. Dass ich nichts zurückgebe. Dass ich ihn enttäusche.
Es gibt Kontaktsperren als Bestrafung. Wenn ich dann aus Verzweiflung weiterrede, werden sie verlängert. Teilweise wird damit gedroht, geplante gemeinsame Zeit abzusagen.
Es gibt körperliche Bestrafungen innerhalb unserer Dynamik und Ankündigungen sehr hoher Zahlen von Schlägen.

Und hier möchte ich etwas ganz deutlich sagen:
Ich mag BDSM. Ich mag Unterwerfung. Ich mag Führung. Ich mag bestimmte Formen von Demütigung und Schmerz.

Ich möchte deshalb nicht hören, dass diese Bedürfnisse automatisch krank oder falsch seien.
Aber mittlerweile weiß ich selbst nicht mehr, wo meine freiwillige Unterwerfung endet und tatsächlicher Missbrauch beginnt.

Denn inzwischen fallen Aussagen, die mir Angst machen.
Er hat beispielsweise gesagt, dass er mich erschlagen beziehungsweise umbringen würde, wenn ich nach Hause komme.
Und ich weiß, dass das nicht mehr einfach „Dominanz“ ist.

Trotzdem passiert etwas vollkommen Irrationales in mir und ich weiß ich bin verrückt.

Ich will einfach zu ihm. Ich bin bereit meine Karriere hier zu beenden und ich will einfach diese Beziehung zurück die wir damals hatten.
Ich möchte ausgerechnet zu dem Menschen zurück, der mir solche Dinge sagt.
Ich möchte, dass er mich in den Arm nimmt.
Ich möchte den Mann zurück, den ich kennengelernt habe.
Und genau deshalb fühle ich mich mittlerweile wie in einem Gefängnis, dessen Tür vielleicht offensteht, aus dem ich aber emotional trotzdem nicht herausgehen kann.

Dazu kommt ein finanzielles Thema.
Über längere Zeit habe ich ihm immer wieder Geld gegeben beziehungsweise geliehen. Insgesamt sind inzwischen mehrere Tausend Euro zusammengekommen. Die entsprechenden Gespräche, Forderungen und Zahlungen habe ich dokumentiert.

Auch dort frage ich mich mittlerweile, warum ich keine Grenze gezogen habe.

Aber sobald dieser Mensch etwas von mir braucht, entsteht in mir dieses Gefühl: Jetzt kann ich endlich wieder etwas richtig machen. Jetzt kann ich wieder gut für ihn sein. Ich glaube das verstehen auch nur Leute, die eine D/s Beziehung geführt haben oder führen.

Mein Selbstwertgefühl ist inzwischen praktisch nicht mehr vorhanden.
Und das Schlimmste daran ist, dass seine Worte mittlerweile zu meiner eigenen inneren Stimme geworden sind.

Wenn er mir oft genug sagt, dass ich dumm bin, beginne ich selbst zu glauben, dass ich dumm bin.
Wenn er sagt, dass ich nichts richtig mache, suche ich ständig nach meinem nächsten Fehler.
Wenn er mir seine Aufmerksamkeit entzieht, frage ich nicht zuerst, ob sein Verhalten angemessen war. Ich frage mich: Was habe ich wieder falsch gemacht? Was kann ich tun damit er wieder glücklich ist und das ich seine Laune wieder kippe, sodass er zufrieden zu mir ist und mir wieder Aufmerksamkeit gibt.

Eine enge Freundin sagte kürzlich einen Satz zu mir, der mich sehr getroffen hat:
(Freunde und Familie wissen das wir eine normale Beziehung führen, aber nichts von unserer Dom/Sub Beziehung.)

„Er hat den Respekt vor dir verloren.“

Vielleicht stimmt das.
Ich habe so viel zugelassen und immer versucht, noch mehr zu geben, dass ich irgendwann überhaupt keine eigenen Grenzen mehr hatte.

Gleichzeitig möchte ich aber nicht so tun, als wäre unsere gesamte Beziehung vier Jahre lang schrecklich gewesen.
Das macht es für mich nämlich noch viel schwieriger.

Ich habe wunderschöne Erinnerungen mit diesem Menschen.
Ich kenne seine liebevolle Seite. Ich weiß, wie es sich angefühlt hat, nachts neben ihm einzuschlafen und morgens neben ihm aufzuwachen. Ich weiß, wie es war, gemeinsam zu verreisen, zusammen zu lachen, Geschenke zu bekommen, begehrt zu werden und das Gefühl zu haben, dass dieser Mensch mich niemals fallen lassen würde. Denn das hat er damals versprochen. Wenn du dich mir anvertraust, lasse dich nie wieder los…

Aber ich suche permanent diesen früheren Menschen in ihm.
Und jedes kleine bisschen Zuneigung lässt mich wieder hoffen, dass er vielleicht zurückkommt.
Ich bin mir sicher, die Entfernung hat unsere Beziehung nicht zerstört. Es kriselte schon bevor ich ging. Er war die treibende Kraft dazu, das ich diesen Job mache. Eigentlich glaubte ich, er ist der, der das Beste für mich will. Mittlerweile bin ich mir nicht sicher, ob er mich nicht nur Schritt für Schritt aus seinem Leben verdrängen wollte.

Ich weiß das seine Frustration darüber, dass andere Frauen fehlen, eine Rolle spielt. Er hat zu mir von Anfang an gesagt, das er mehrere Frauen braucht. Wie gesagt, das hat mich auch nie gestört und ich bin überhaupt nicht eifersüchtig, sondern selbst bi.

Um das aber auch nochmal klar zustellen, er hat zu mir gesagt ich muss die zweite Frau für uns finden. Nur leider ist das nicht so einfach vor allem, weil die Frau uns beide mögen muss und zwischen uns doch ein starker Altersunterschied ist. Ich habe alles getan um Sie zu finden, das tue ich auch heute noch. Mittlerweile suche ich für ihn alleine eine Frau, die mich ersetzen könnte, während ich weg bin. Ich habe aber kein Problem damit!

Der Mann, mit dem ich heute spreche, fühlt sich häufig nicht mehr an wie der Mann, bei dem ich damals mein Zuhause gefunden habe.
Und trotzdem kann ich mir ein Leben ohne ihn momentan kaum vorstellen.

Aber ich habe große Angst davor, was emotional mit mir passieren würde, wenn diese Beziehung endgültig zerbricht.
Ich habe Angst, in ein tiefes Loch zu fallen.
Ich habe Angst vor der Stille danach.
Ich habe Angst davor, morgens aufzuwachen und niemanden mehr zu haben, dessen „braves Mädchen“ ich sein kann.

Und vielleicht ist genau das mein eigentliches Problem:
Ich weiß nicht mehr, wer ich bin, wenn ich nicht ihm gehöre.

Deshalb schreibe ich hier.
Bitte sagt mir nicht einfach nur: „Trenn dich.“
Mein rationaler Kopf versteht längst, dass etwas nicht stimmt.
Ich möchte vielmehr Menschen hören, die selbst dort gewesen sind. Eine ähnliche Beziehung gelebt haben oder leben.

Ich will mich nicht trennen, aber ich weiß nicht was für ein Wutanfall morgen von ihm kommt, indem er mit erklärt, das ich nichts mehr für ihn tue.

Wie lernt man wieder, Entscheidungen für sich selbst zu treffen, nachdem jemand jahrelang das eigene Leben geführt hat?
Wie bekommt man seinen Selbstwert zurück, wenn man jahrelang gelernt hat, seinen Wert aus der Anerkennung einer einzigen Person zu beziehen?
Und besonders an Menschen aus der BDSM-/D/s-Welt:

Wie habt ihr gelernt, zwischen freiwilliger, intensiver Unterwerfung und einer Beziehung zu unterscheiden, in der eure Verletzlichkeit irgendwann gegen euch verwendet wurde?

Und meine wichtigste Frage:
Wird es irgendwann wieder gut?

Kann man einen Menschen so sehr lieben, dass man glaubt, ohne ihn nicht existieren zu können?

Ich möchte nicht mein ganzes Leben so fühlen wie heute. Ich weiß etwas ist falsch, aber ich bin zu sehr in meiner submissiven Rolle, das ich nicht mehr vorstellen könnte, wie es ohne ihn wäre.

Ich möchte nur irgendwie wieder herausfinden, wer ich eigentlich bin.

Danke an jeden, der bis hierher gelesen hat. Und danke für eure Antworten oder eure ehrliche Hilfe. Bitte nur keine Beleidigungen, wie ich diese Beziehung führe und lebe.


r/Codependency 19h ago

Is this codependency?

2 Upvotes

My (52f) mom (78f) does this thing where she becomes obsessed with pleasing certain people in her life. It's mostly my brother's and their families. For example, my brother met a woman who recently moved here from another country to be with him. She asked him if I would have a hair straightener that she could borrow until she got one of her own. When my mother heard about this, she gathered up every hair tool I own (we live together) and put them in a bag for my brother's gf. When I realized what she was doing, I reminded her that those were my things, to which she responded "So? Why can't she have them?"

She does this frequently. I've given her gifts which upon opening she'll say "Oh, I'm going to give this to X" (usually one of my brothers or a friend.) Or I'll find out later that she's given away something special that I gifted her because she thought they would like it or might need it.

As far as I can tell, it seems to be only my gifts/things that she does this with and in the past, when I confronted her about it, she seems to not understand why I'd be hurt and reminds me that once a gift is given, it's hers to do what she wants with. No matter the situation, it always ends with her implying that I'm being selfish or silly

She has been previously diagnosed as codependent and does exhibit a lot of the traits or behaviors associated with it. Obsession with relationships to the alienation of all friends and family, toxic men with addictions and/or users. I'm just wondering if the behavior mentioned above is also part of codependency or something else.

Needless to say, we have a strained relationship which is getting worse and if I try to bring any of this up to anyone in my family, it always gets turned around to me being overly sensitive due to my chronic anxiety and depression. I'm becoming the black sheep of the family, excluded from conversations and events and to maintain my sanity, I've had to go no contact with some family members. To me, this is a boundary. To her it's me "being difficult." She's been gaslighting me for years but I can't find anything about that being a trait of codependency.

Any insights?


r/Codependency 21h ago

Books/resources with a positive outlook for relationships?

1 Upvotes

Does anyone have recommendations for a couple that is just realizing how much codependency is factoring into their relationship, neither one wants that dynamic, and is looking for healthy ways to work through it without breaking up?
My partner and I are just coming to terms with the dysfunction in our relationship. I would say that in many circumstances I am the "taker" and he is the "giver," though it does flow both ways at times. However, this is not a role or dynamic that I ever wanted. I feel like most of the resources I've looked at so far are just written for the giver to read, and seem to have a very negative view of the taker - basically it feels like they are saying "your partner is toxic, your relationship is toxic, and you probably should end things so that you can heal, because your partner will never change." (Ok, that's hyperbole, but still.) I'm hoping I can find something that we can both read and use to help us establish healthier patterns without just...calling it quits.
I know that it will be hard work. I definitely have issues I need to work on, and am in the process of it. But man...there has to be more optimistic advice out there somewhere, and I'm struggling to find it.

ETA: Also, we're atheist...so books that push a 12 step program don't hold much interest for me. Yes, yes, I know the Higher Power doesn't have to be "God," but still.


r/Codependency 1d ago

My parents are buying my brother a condo. At what point is helping actually just enabling?

16 Upvotes

Throwaway-ish. Looking for outside perspective because I’m too close to it.

My brother is in his mid-30s and lives across the country from my parents. He’s had a long run of instability — legal history (felon), mental health stuff he’s mostly declined to treat/undiagnosed as an adult, jobs that don’t stick (never really had one until now). He also has a felony record that makes renting genuinely hard, so I don’t want to pretend he’s just being lazy.

Here’s my issue. My parents have paid for hotels, covered gaps, and now they’re buying him a condo outright. No lease, no rent, nothing he’s contributing. Every time he hits a wall, the wall gets removed for him. Before he went away, then had already bought him a house that got trashed.

They’re also in their 70s and I’m the sibling who will be left holding whatever this becomes. They recently talked about removing the trust protections that were set up for him, because they feel he’s “doing better.”

What I’m actually asking:
- Is this level of parental support normal for an adult child with real barriers, or is it textbook enabling/codependency?
- For those who’ve been here — did the buying-a-house move ever end well?
- How do you raise this with aging parents without it becoming “you don’t care about your brother”?
- How do I stay in a sibling role and not become his de facto manager later?

I don’t want to punish him. I want to stop the pattern where every consequence gets absorbed by someone else.


r/Codependency 1d ago

7 essential resources to help break toxic cycles & build healthy relationships

7 Upvotes

Happy Friday, pathfinders!

My latest curated list is designed for anyone exploring healthy relationship practices, recognizing toxic dynamics, or working to better understand their own emotional landscape. I’ve rounded up a selection of insightful resources - books, podcasts, and YouTube channels. Grab a cozy nook or listen on the go, and find the exact insights you need right now.

Podcasts

  • Where Should We Begin? by Esther Perel If you want an unscripted, fly-on-the-wall seat inside real therapy sessions, this eye-opening podcast lets you listen in on couples navigating heartbreak, conflict, and connection. It’s all about stripping away judgment, recognizing familiar relationship patterns, and discovering how deep listening can transform friction into intimacy.
  • Unlocking Us by Brené Brown If you want to explore what it actually takes to be authentically brave with the people you love, this grounded series dives into the messy reality of human connection. It’s all about unpacking vulnerability, building unshakeable trust, and mastering the hard communication skills required to show up fully.

Books

  • Attached by Amir Levine & Rachel Heller If you’ve ever wondered why you react the way you do when intimacy feels close or threatened, this fascinating read breaks down the science of adult attachment styles. It’s all about identifying whether you lean anxious, avoidant, or secure so you can break toxic cycles and choose partners who meet your emotional needs.
  • Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab If you struggle with people-pleasing, resentment, or feeling drained by loved ones, this practical guide offers clear, compassionate strategies for drawing healthy lines. It’s all about learning how to say "no" without guilt, speaking up for your needs, and creating relationships built on mutual respect.
  • Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel If you want to understand how to sustain long-term passion without sacrificing emotional safety, this provocative classic explores the delicate tension between security and desire. It’s all about maintaining personal autonomy, embracing erotic intelligence, and keeping the spark alive in modern relationships.

YouTube Channels

  • Esther Perel’s Talks on Intimacy If you need a quick, high-impact perspective shift on modern love, these masterclass-level talks deconstruct complex relational dilemmas into brilliant, actionable truths. They focus on rethinking fidelity, understanding desire, and navigating conflict with curiosity instead of defense.
  • The School of Life If you prefer visually engaging, bite-sized philosophy on human emotion, this beautifully animated channel breaks down the psychology of love and relationships. It’s all about developing emotional intelligence, unlearning unhealthy communication habits, and approaching your flaws with self-compassion.

r/Codependency 1d ago

Friends above romantic partner, exes, parents and siblings

3 Upvotes

I find that dependents will slide the romantic partner down the social hierarchy, once non-compliance to demands appears.

It’s a lot better being their distant friends, who meet up once in a while, be light hearted, have fun.

Once thing that sticks out to me, is they tend to penny pinch on food with the romantic partner and when alone as well. Then upgrade to much better food with friends. Friends get the impression that they’re doing better than they really are.

Same for their blood family, older sis offers a nepotism hire job, parents offer 15 years of 20-35 year old free lodging, free utilities, free transport. Not a word of thanks, only finding fault with them.

No gratitude, no helping out at home, no care performed for any blood family member, no savings as well.

Then the romantic partner is expected to offer free lodging for life, free utilities for life, free car for life, free food for life exposed to the same nonchalant treatment as blood family, calling it family values.

These family values don’t have to be upheld by friends in any way.

But drop $1,500 in a day, on hobbies = not a big deal. Buy a $5 meal for blood family, including gf = an arm got chopped off.

Have you noticed similar discrepancies in treatment towards different people and spending on themselves?


r/Codependency 1d ago

The Language of Letting Go – Codependency - Today's Reading

5 Upvotes

Denial

I’ve been recovering many years. I’ve used denial many times. It has been a defense, a survival device, a coping behavior, and, at times, almost my undoing. It has been both a friend and an enemy.

When I was a child, I used denial to protect my family and myself. I protected myself from seeing things too painful to see and feelings too overwhelming to feel. Denial got me safely through many traumatic situations, when I had no other resources for survival.

The negative aspect of using denial was that I lost touch with my feelings and myself. I became able to participate in harmful situations without even knowing I was hurting. I was able to tolerate a great deal of pain and abuse without the foggiest notion it was abnormal.

I learned to participate in my own abuse.

Denial protected me from pain, but it also rendered me blind to my feelings, my needs, and myself. It was like a thick blanket that covered and smothered me.

Eventually, I began to recover. I had a glimpse of awareness about my pain, my feelings, and my behaviors. I began to see myself, and the world, as we were. There was so much denial from my past that had the blanket been entirely ripped from me, I would have died from the shock of exposure. I needed to embrace insights, remembrances, awareness, and healing gently, gradually.

Life participated in this process with me. It is a gentle teacher. As I recovered, I was brought to the incidents and people I needed in order to remind me of what I was still denying, to tell me where I required more healing from my past, as I could handle these insights.

I still use, and break through, denial–as needed. When the winds of change blow through, upsetting a familiar structure and preparing me for the new, I pick up my blanket and hide, for a while. Sometimes, when someone I love has a problem, I hide under the blanket, momentarily. Memories emerge of things denied, memories that need to be remembered, felt, and accepted so I can continue to become healed – strong and healthy.

Sometimes, I feel ashamed about how long it takes me to struggle through to acceptance of reality. I feel embarrassed when I find myself again clouded by the fog of denial.

Then something happens, and I see that I am moving forward. The experience was necessary, connected, not at all a mistake, but an important part of healing.

It’s an exciting process, this journey called recovery, but I understand I may sometimes use denial to help me get through the rough spots. I’m also aware that denial is a friend, and an enemy. I’m on the alert for danger signs: those cloudy, confused feelings . . . sluggish energy . . . feeling compulsive . . . running too fast or hard . . . avoiding support mechanisms.

I’ve gained a healthy respect for our need to use denial as a blanket to wrap ourselves in when we become too cold. It isn’t my job to run around ripping people’s blankets off or shaming others for using the blanket. Shaming makes them colder, makes them wrap themselves more tightly in the blanket. Yanking their blanket away is dangerous. They could die of exposure, the same way I could have.

I’ve learned the best thing I can do around people who are wrapped in this blanket is to make them feel warm and safe. The warmer and safer they feel, the more able they are to drop their blanket. I don’t have to support or encourage their denial. I can be direct. If others are in denial about a particular thing, and their activity is harmful to me, I don’t have to be around them. I can wish them well and take care of myself. You see, if I stand too long around someone who is harming me, I will inevitably pick up my blanket again.

I tend to be attracted to warm people. When I’m around warm people, I don’t need to use my blanket.

I’ve gained respect for creating warm environments, where blankets are not needed, or at least not needed for long. I’ve gained trust in the way people heal from and deal with life.

God, help me be open to and trust the process that is healing me from all I have denied from my past. Help me strive for awareness and acceptance, but also help me practice gentleness and compassion for myself–and others–for those times I have used denial.

By Melodie Beattie.


r/Codependency 2d ago

What If I Don’t Want to Be Less Attached?

46 Upvotes

I can’t be the only person who sometimes wonders why codependency has to be something we’re so determined to “work on.”

What if I don’t actually want to be less attached?

What if I don’t want to learn how to need someone less?

What if I genuinely want a relationship where two people are deeply intertwined, heavily involved in each other’s lives, and yes… maybe even a little dependent on one another?

I understand that codependency can become unhealthy. I understand the difference between loving someone and losing yourself in them. I understand that there are things worth looking at, patterns worth questioning, and boundaries worth having.

But I also find myself wondering where the line is between healing something unhealthy and being taught that the way you naturally love is inherently wrong.

Because honestly, I don’t necessarily want someone to tell me I should be more independent.

I want someone on my wavelength.

Someone who wants to talk all day. Someone who wants to share everything. Someone who wants to be involved in the little things. Someone who feels safest when they’re close to their person. Someone who doesn’t see needing each other as a weakness or something to grow out of.

Maybe two people can be equally intense, equally attached, equally dependent and still consciously choose to make sure neither person disappears inside the relationship.

Maybe the answer isn’t always “learn to need people less.”

Maybe sometimes it’s “find someone who needs and loves in the same way you do, and learn how to do it without hurting each other.”

I don’t know.

But I do know I’m tired of feeling like wanting that kind of closeness automatically means there’s something wrong with me.

Maybe I don’t want less.

Maybe I just want someone who wants the same amount.


r/Codependency 2d ago

When will this constant suffering end? Is there any hope for the future?

9 Upvotes

I can't cope with this. I know i fucked things up. I know i was the one responsible. I would do anything to take back what I did. But I can't. She won't listen.

All that time, all we went through. I poured so much love into her and into her family. But I broke her trust, and she didn't trust me anymore. Now im alone. I know where she is, just 10 minutes away. But I can't do anything. She blocked me and told me to stay away.

She was meant to be my soul mate, the woman to spend my life with. But now she wants nothing to do with me, and it makes me feel sick..

Guys how do I accept this? Do i have any hopes of meeting someone ever again?


r/Codependency 2d ago

I know a relationship is bad for me but why is it still so hard to let go?

20 Upvotes

Like logically I can see all the things that are wrong. I can tell my friends the relationship is toxic, i can even imagine my life without this person.

But when it comes to actually walking away... completely different story.

Why does your brain know you should leave but emotionally you just can't seem to detach?

Has anyone actually figured out how to get past that attachment?


r/Codependency 2d ago

How to act when my partner returns after 8 days of needing space because of my irrational insecurities?

8 Upvotes

TLDR: When you and your partner come back together after your partner asked for space, how do you behave?

Longer context: I’ve struggled with codependency for a long time but years of meds and therapy have done wonders until this. If relevant, I’m 30sM and partner is 30sNB, together about a year.

Yesterday, we had a long, awful (them yelling, me crying) argument about my ongoing insecurities about my place in their life. The first two months of our relationship was a messy polyam situation where my partner was push-pulled pretty badly by their other partner, ended in that partner dumping them, and the way it all went down left me with permanent “they wanted her more” insecurities. We’ve talked and worked through a lot of it. I’m good 90% of the time, but I have bad days where I just innately believe she’s more valuable than me. Normally I’m just quiet and we can go about our day but in the last month or so, my partner asked me to be more open about all my feelings which means I bring up those insecurities.

This recent argument was so bad because they feel like they’re “at square one” and “can’t move the needle” whenever this topic comes up. They said they are taking a week of space “because they have a lot to think about”, so zero contact and muting me on all socials until the day of our usual overnight the week after. They assured me they aren’t reconsidering the relationship, and I don’t think they’re lying but my nervous system doesn’t believe it. The most space we’ve ever taken has been a single night and we reconnect in the morning. So my insecurities and anxiety are wildly out of control.

My question is this — When I see them again for our overnight date, how do I act? I don’t know whether to honor my feelings and be open, or focus on calm de-escalation and then seek reassurance later.

I feel like I shouldn’t be fully open because if I do, it’s gonna be a lot of teary “why do you still love me?” reassurance-seeking which is what got us into this mess, OR frankly defensive anger for feeing abandoned. But if I’m fake-cheerful, they’ll know I’m hiding my emotions and they hate that, they feel pushed away. If I’m just cold, it’ll seem like I don’t care if we repair or not. My priority is for us to repair and reconnect, without sacrificing myself too much or re-escalating the argument again.

So what do you folks do?


r/Codependency 1d ago

How do I deal with an excessive sense of responsibility for my family?

1 Upvotes

My father has done a lot of harmful and irresponsible things over the years. He used up all of our family’s savings and has caused a lot of financial and emotional stress for the people around him.

I know that I’m allowed to be angry with him, and I do feel a lot of anger and resentment toward him. But what makes things complicated is that I also feel deeply sorry for the people around him, especially my grandparents and his current wife.

When I see them struggling, I feel this strong urge to somehow compensate for the damage he has caused. I want to give them money, buy things for them, let them use things that belong to me, or otherwise make their lives a little easier.

But then I become angry and resentful about doing it. Part of me thinks, “Why am I the one trying to fix the consequences of his choices? Why should this be my responsibility?” At the same time, if I don’t help, I feel guilty because I can see that they are struggling.

So I seem to be stuck between compassion, guilt, responsibility and resentment.

I think the deeper problem is that when I see someone suffering, especially someone in my family, I have a very hard time accepting that I can care about them without taking responsibility for making their life better.

Has anyone experienced something similar? How did you learn to separate caring about your family from feeling responsible for rescuing them or making up for another family member’s actions?


r/Codependency 2d ago

Relating to partner with PTSD

2 Upvotes

Hi there,

I have struggled with codependency in many relationships. A lot of my self-work is about naming my needs and boundaries and tolerating negative reactions/feedback from other people in a healthier way.

I fell in love with someone who has PTSD episodes. Part of responding to that is being a grounded, calm presence for them and affirming their reality and safety—it often means my POV or reactions aren’t appropriate to share in that moment.

I am having trouble with so much affirmation and being grounded etc because it feels like backsliding from so much of my work around codependency. If I react too quickly, it often lands as fawning and actually escalates the situation more.

Can anyone else relate? I have a therapist to support me with this too, I just want to feel less alone


r/Codependency 2d ago

Don't know if its manipulation or I'm ungrateful

1 Upvotes

I'm a 32M and know I'm codependent as hell. I have also been in AA for 5 years and am living with an older woman in recovery. They have let me stay there rent free while going back to school, paid for meals, give me an "allowance", etc. I didn't ask for any of that, and it felt weird but they insisted.

Recently I have wanted to be move out/ be independent again, and they keep telling me I'm ungrateful and am not trusting God, and that it's a terrible financial decision. I feel trapped. I have done the 12 steps like 5 times but feel stuck, especially since they've been so important to my program and spiritual life.


r/Codependency 2d ago

Spiraling and questioning my childfree status due to a recent relationship. Is it just codependency?

12 Upvotes

I feel like I fucked up really bad and now I’m spiraling. This is going to be long, appreciate everyone who takes time to read it and maybe offer me some support.

I’m 39F, sterilized some years ago and never ever wanted children. It’s not the result of rational thinking, I truly just never felt the urge and haven’t honestly even thought about it that much. It’s just who I have always been. I’ve never looked at other people’s kids and thought “it would be nice to have one”. My brother has kids, and while I enjoy being their aunt, that’s enough for me.

I’ve not had much luck in relationships with men in my life. I was with a guy who turned out to be a serious gambling addict, then a guy who was an alcoholic. All in all, my first serious boyfriend in my mid 20s is the only healthy relationship I’ve ever had. I recognize I probably have some codependent tendencies, likely due to one of my parents being an alcoholic. I tend to give too much of myself in relationships and sometimes lose myself in them. I set boundaries but don’t often enforce them. I’ve been taken advantage of financially in several relationships.

A little over six months ago, I met this amazing guy. It truly felt like one of those once-in-a-lifetime connections. Insane chemistry, same very niche interests, a true gentleman and extremely kind, handsome as hell and just my type… we clicked instantly. Felt like I finally found my person.

Then the topic of kids came around. Told him I was already sterilized. He was crushed and told me he had always pictured having a family. We had a serious discussion about whether we should end things. He told me he would like to continue dating me and see if he eventually changed his mind. I stupidly agreed to this, because everything just felt so amazing.

Next four months were an absolute bliss. It was like I was on a drug trip. From time to time, he told me he was still unsure about the kids topic and was feeling some anxiety about the decision. I told him not to hurry about it, I didn’t mind waiting. And at that point, I truly didn’t.

Then I started noticing him becoming a bit more distant. We talked about it, and he told me he was having serious doubts about us because of the kids issue. Told me he felt like he had only bad options from which to choose. I became super anxious. Couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat.

And then I started doubting my entire life.

Did I fuck up? Would I have actually enjoyed being a mother? Maybe I just didn’t think it enough when I was younger? What if my life will feel empty and unfulfilling without kids? Will I be lonely when I’m old and regret staying childfree then?

I told him that I was feeling super unstable, questioning everything in my life and that I needed a break. During the next two weeks, I went through the worst rollercoaster of my life. One day I would want the white picket fence dream, wanting kids like kids want puppies. The next day I would be like “what the hell am I thinking, absolutely not!” In the end, I wasn’t even thinking about him that much. I was just utterly confused with what I want in my life.

After a couple of weeks of silence, I sent him a message where I told him I felt like we should call it quits, at least for now. That until he’s sure he’s okay being childfree, he cannot be with me, because there’s just too big of a risk he’s going to change his mind and resent me in the future, and I cannot deal with the uncertainty anymore. He took some time to reflect and told me that he agrees with me, and apologized for putting me through all this.

I’m feeling so utterly empty and lost with my life right now. Rationally I know a huge part of it is the relationship ending, but I’m super worried about me questioning my choice of being childfree in the future. I keep telling myself that I would’ve been too old for it to happen anyway, that I don’t want to spend next 20 years parenting, that the only reason I’m questioning myself is because I was just so infatuated with this person. That if we had kids and split up, I would resent being a 50/50 or a single parent. That I would have to sacrifice my very demanding, time consuming & rewarding career which I absolutely love. That I would lose my freedom and being able to travel and do what I want, when I want, which has always been a huge deal to me.

I’m also really worried about ever finding someone like him. Our connection was truly magical and I’ve never felt like this before. I’m afraid I’m not going to get over him and will get stuck on hoping he will one day change his mind, or never find someone else to have a family with.

Has anyone ever gone through something like this? Did it get any better with time and what helped you?


r/Codependency 2d ago

Getting over a breakup when you are codependant and have anxious attachment?

4 Upvotes

Hi all, this is my first post here. 9 days ago I split from my partner, she dumped me. After I crossed some boundaries and betayed her trust and privacy (not cheating or anything like that). I have also discovered that I am most likely codependant, and the anxious attachment that comes along with that. I'm also unsure of whether I may be trauma bonded.

Basically I have realised I have no life without her. I was always dropping all my interests for her, not because she asked me to. But because I felt like if I wasn't there with her then our relationship would end. Or she would stop loving me etc.

I used to panic if she stopped texting back for 30 minutes, I would presume she was cheating on me or talking to other men. Which ultimately caused the ending of the relationship. How do I work on this codependancy? And how do I manage this breakup as a codependant person?


r/Codependency 2d ago

Unhealthy Relationship Attachment?

2 Upvotes

- long rant ahead (its messy, hope u guys understand it despite my grammar)

im kinda getting paranoid. i feel like whenever i have a boyfriend i get limited, i interact less with people like friends other than my family well i dont know. i just stay in my room waiting to spend time with him. where as when i'm alone, i mean i still bedrot at times but i can be creative, i explore my skills yk and i think that's my toxic trait and not a good thing for me, i'm becoming more dependent it appears so.

when i see him goin out with friends and i'm just at home it makes me sad and jealous? like don't judge haha i tried spying on a server he was in and i saw that uhm he seems close but like not in a really close but i guess somewhere between that, he is quite respectful like he always mention he has a gf and all but not also in a way that brags but more like when it comes to an attention idk oh well.

i don't want that, like monitoring and getting affected with his every move, i want to be fine with whatever he is doing with his life while i do my own thing yk but when i do gets busy its not like i am upset that he is doing okay or what i do wish he could like say stuff like he misses my presence but yeah i dont know.

my boyfriend is a great guy but i feel like me as a person isn't handling the effects of the relationship towards me very well.

when i feel like we spend less time i immediately get guilty that i wish i wasnt so busy but then it creates the expectation for him to do the same thing. we do not live for each other so i really want to remove that side of me. i do not want this unhealthy feeling of mine.

do you guys have any suggestion?