Usually one of the first telling characteristics of a toxic relationship with an addicted member of your friends & family is co-dependency. It is also one of the most overlooked. Co-dependency is when one person in the relationship continuously puts their partners’ or loved one’s’ needs before their own. Sounds kind of romantic, right?

Wrong. Often dismissed as neediness, co-dependency can cause both parties to have zero regards for self-sufficiency or autonomy. Your loved one will get so used to you bending to their needs that they won’t know how to function without you or you without them. Which only further enables them in their destructive behavior.

As your loved one’s addiction progresses, you will find yourself adapting your behavior to accommodate them. You may become obsessed with them and their behavior, emotionally giving all you have left in you so that there will be nothing left for you or the rest of your friends & family.

This is the point where you might turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like participating in alcohol or drug abuse yourself, or other behavior that is very uncharacteristic and self-destructive. The truth is that addiction is a family problem that needs to be worked through together and is vital for long-term recovery.

Living with an addicted loved one can cause many conflicting emotions; anger, anxiety, shame, guilt. All of which doesn’t make for a positive or loving environment.

As mentioned above these types of emotions will become overwhelming and will begin to affect the family and household dynamic. If you find yourself dreading spending time at home or if your children or other family members spend as little time as possible in the house, this is a huge sign. Along with this article, here are some other resources to consider on friends and family in addiction.

The destructive co-dependent behavior of friends & family interacting about addiction can lead you through a plethora of emotions that will eventually become intoxicating on their own.

These are emotions that eventually get so entangled and complicated that you end up feeling emotionally exhausted, thus making you perpetually less emotionally available to those around you. These feelings are usually referred to as intoxicant emotions and they tend to throw off the family dynamic to the point that you and your family will be unable to function healthily.