Story Of Recovering Codependent Son:
A recovering codependent and son of an alcoholic speaks about his experiences as a child and how they affected his life since.
How It All Started?
He grew up learning how to take care of his mother in an alcoholic family from a young age. When his father divorced his mother, his father got custody of his brothers. By the age of 13, his father bought him a car, and he was given the task of looking after his younger brothers. His father’s alcohol addiction became a common factor in his searching for girlfriends; he sought out girls that had similar problems so he could build his self-worth.
How Did He Feel As A Codependent?
The codependency gave him thoughts such as if he worked harder, then he would receive more love. He went into relationships hoping they would make him feel full and complete inside through giving money helping his girlfriend excessively. All this caused him to break, and he realized he had problems with setting healthy boundaries and saying no to those around him.
How Counseling Helped Him?
A counselor recommended going to Al-anon meetings and Codependency Anonymous. At his first meeting, he felt as if the speaker was telling his story; thus, he felt a deep connection. He realized that he was being an extremist by caring for others at the expense of his own health.
Now he takes time for himself and has a desire for healthy relationships with healthy boundaries. In short, by attending Al-anon meetings, his perspective about himself and others changed, which opened a new and healthy path of life to him. Now that he is recovering from codependency, he is excited to explore new things.