Therapy for emotional dependency
Finding your individuality in the relationship
What is Emotional Dependency?
Emotional dependency is defined as the feeling of a extreme need for affection that a person feels toward their partner, whether in one or multiple relationships.
Those who experience emotional dependency may feel that they cannot live without the other person. There is a real or imagined fear of breakup or abandonment, and they may exhibit submissive traits to avoid creating discomfort in the relationship. Sometimes, this leads to hiding part or almost all of their identity, blending in with the partner.
Signs of Emotional Dependency
People who suffer from emotional dependency may end up isolating themselves from their closest surroundings. Sometimes, those around them recognize that this dynamic is not beneficial for the person experiencing it, so distancing themselves serves the purpose of protecting the relationship.
Other Relational Signs
- Excessive need for the other person
- Prioritizing the partner above anything else
- Idealization of the partner
- Relationship based on submission and subordination
Individual Factors
Some individual characteristics that promote an emotionally dependent relationship include:
- Low self-esteem
- Insecurity, difficulty making decisions
- Fear and intolerance of loneliness
- Low mood
Strengthen Your Emotional Independence
If you believe you are in a relational dynamic of dependency, you can seek consultation so we can work on understanding the origins of this way of relating and create a balance.
It will be a space where “you”, as an individual, do not disappear into the “we” of the couple’s relationship.
