What is CoDA and Co-Dependents Anonymous?
CoDA or Co-Dependents Anonymous is a twelve-step program of individuals who wish to learn how to have healthy, fulfilling relationships. Co-dependence is hard to define. It is not black and white. To some degree, we are all co-dependent. Like eating, a certain amount is healthy and necessary but eating too much is bad for your health. Similarly with relationships, when your self worth and happiness depends totally on the behavior of another person, you have problems. In my experience, CoDA starts from the premise that one of the reasons people have unsatisfactory or unhealthy relationships is that they dont know how to have a healthy relationship. For me the best definition of co-dependence revolved around examples of co-dependent behavior. I realized that I was behaving in a co-dependent manner if: • My emotional state depended on the emotional state of my alcoholic addict wife. If she was sad, angry or depressed, then I was sad, anger or depressed. • I found myself doing things for m
