Can codependents be selfish?

Codependency is often associated with excess selflessness. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is often linked to excess selfishness. Many narratives depict codependent people as victims who fall prey to those with narcissistic traits.

Can codependents be toxic?

These intimate relationships that we develop over a lifetime are fountains of energy, inspiration, joy, and comfort and they’re also probably the best part of being alive. Unfortunately, these relationships can sometimes grow into toxic codependency.

Are codependents immature?

In addition, many people learn codependency from their families and repeat these behaviors in their own adult relationships. People with codependency are not weak or immature; they are simply engaging in the same behaviors they witnessed when growing up because these are the ways they learned to interact with others.

How are codependents controlling?

Generally, people in a codependent relationship give control to the other person and subsequently desire to get that control back. The person being helped feels no control over their own life, so exerts power over the helper by making demands on their time and energy.

Why do codependents stay?

Codependents dedicate themselves to trying to fix and heal their partners. When you’ve invested so much, it’s hard to give up! Codependents stay because because they’re still holding out hope that their partner will change. For codependents, changing, leaving, or setting boundaries feels like giving up.

What is a codependent narcissist?

Codependency is a disorder of a “lost self.” Codependents have lost their connection to their innate self. Instead, their thinking and behavior revolve around a person, substance, or process. Narcissists also suffer from a lack of connection to their true self. In its place, they’re identified with their ideal self.

Why do codependents attract narcissists?

Someone who has codependency traits demonstrates low self-esteem, a desire to take care of others, poor boundaries, and a need to please others. The narcissistic partner needs someone else to boost their self-esteem while the codependent partner is more than willing to serve in this role.

Are codependents passive aggressive?

A passive aggressive person often is codependent – suffering from low self-esteem, unable to express their own anger. They fear being controlled by others and having their weaknesses exposed, and will therefore sabotage whatever your wants, needs, or plans are.

Do codependents try to control?

Since codependents struggle with empowering themselves and being assertive, they tend to seek control and power from external sources in order to feel good. A codependent may try to change others in order to find happiness, and feel helpless if their partner doesn’t appreciate the help.