Once the “honeymoon” phase of a romantic relationship starts to wane, many couples begin to settle into a deeper love that grows stronger roots over time. This often creates a healthy bond, but there are times when increased closeness and reliance on a partner can become a problem. That happens in a codependent relationship—an unbalanced relationship where one or both partners spend lots of effort catering to, or even enabling the needs of, the other partner in order to stay together.
I experienced some major codependency issues in a previous partnership of my own. It initially seemed cute (and normal) that my partner and I needed to spend all our time together and do everything in tandem. But over time, we realized how unhealthy it had become. We anxiously struggled through our respective workdays, eager to see each other back at home. Both of us experienced some jealousy and even stress when we spent time separately, with others.
Experts In This Article
- David Tzall, PsyD, licensed psychologist based in NYC
- Featured Fitness Health
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