Codependency is an unconscious attempt to try to replace ones own needs with concern for another person, or in some cases with one's career. It is never really successful, but when one is in the grip of unpleasant feelings about ones self - such as fear, shame incompleteness or anxiety - focusing on someone or something else can temporarily make one's problems more tolerable.
Unfortunately, the habit of codependency can be psychologically and physically addictive. This is why some people stay in relationships way too long, or put up with circumstances that they would never want a friend or loved one to endure. Fortunately, with support and dedication, codependency can be overcome. When this happens, changes that one would not have seemed possible begin to happen.
Here's to living for our own selves,
Cheryl