How To Stop Co-Dependency!
Femina|August 24, 2019

The first step to get out of a co-dependent relationship is to recognise you are in one. Anindita Ghosh talks to experts who help you navigate your way

Anindita Ghosh
How To Stop Co-Dependency!

For Saheli Sen*, a 29-year-old Kolkata-based research scholar, dealing with her husband’s substance abuse had become a matter of routine. What started off as ‘social’ indulgence in marijuana, eventually graduated to hard drugs. What she thought was a one-off occurrence, soon developed into an addiction. “When it started affecting his career—he got thrown out of the newspaper he was working at—I convinced him to check into rehab,” she says. It helped him clean up for a bit, but before long, he had lapsed. Since then, it has become a vicious pattern, and each time Sen takes on the role of the primary caretaker, while her husband yo-yos between a new high-risk episode and an attempt to get sober. Sen’s situation, however, is not a unique one. Surprisingly, it is one in which many women find themselves— trapped in unequal relationships, where they are left to shoulder the burden of not only the relationship, but also a dependent, and often irresponsible, partner.

It is interesting and ironic that in many such cases, where a partner has a chronic issue, such as an addiction, a mental health problem, a disability, or is plain irresponsible, the other partner, who is compelled to take on the role of the carer, feeds off the neediness of her partner. Over a period of time, she begins to rely on her partner for approval as well as her sense of identity. She takes on the responsibility of the partner at the expense of her own well-being. It’s a complicated situation to be in. A few experts advise on how to get through it.

WHERE DOES IT STEM FROM?

Denne historien er fra August 24, 2019-utgaven av Femina.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra August 24, 2019-utgaven av Femina.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA FEMINASe alt
Get Out Of Text Tension
Femina

Get Out Of Text Tension

Ravina M Sachdev shares insights on how fexting might be ruining your relationship and how it can backfire in the long run

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Pick Your Patterns Of Love
Femina

Pick Your Patterns Of Love

Prachi Rijhwani teaches you a thing or two about how to embrace healthy dating practices

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
TAME THAT TEMPER
Femina

TAME THAT TEMPER

You've probably seen children sprawled out on the floor in department stores or during festive occasions. Ever pondered the reason behind their behaviour? It is called toddler aggression and here's how to handle it.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
HOW YOUR PALS POWER YOUR LOVE
Femina

HOW YOUR PALS POWER YOUR LOVE

Prachi Rijhwani discusses the positive impact of healthy friendships on your love life

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
An ITALIAN AFFAIR
Femina

An ITALIAN AFFAIR

TOSCANO has just opened another outpost in Wakad, and Pune is all for it

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
MAKING IT BIG
Femina

MAKING IT BIG

Restaurateur DHAVAL UDESHI talks to Ravina M Sachdev about starting from scratch in hospitality and making it big

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
SUNDAY BRUNCHES WITH Avartana's Award-Winning Food
Femina

SUNDAY BRUNCHES WITH Avartana's Award-Winning Food

Enjoy a Sunday brunch with the meticulously-curated menus at concept restaurant AVARTANA at ITC Maratha, Mumbai.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Of Culture And Curry
Femina

Of Culture And Curry

EDDIE SCOTT, winner of MasterChef UK 2022, knew that he needed to expand the West's horizon of Indian food beyond the notion of butter chicken and curry. He tells Shraddha Kamdar how he has attempted to do it with his book Misarana

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
THE WAY OF THE WATER
Femina

THE WAY OF THE WATER

Happy, luxurious, chic, good times are the only way to roll on a vacation. AMBIKA MUTTOO has found her new favourite spot in the Indian Ocean, and is letting you in on the secret

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
HOT RIGHT NOW
Femina

HOT RIGHT NOW

All things fresh and fun in the beauty space

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024