Co-Dependents Anonymous
Encyclopedia
Co-Dependents Anonymous is a twelve-step program
for people who share a common desire to develop functional and healthy relationships. CoDA was founded in 1986 in Phoenix, Arizona
. CoDA is active in more than 40 countries, with approximately 1200 groups active in the United States.
Codependence
is described as a disease that originates in dysfunctional families where children learn to overcompensate for their parents' disorders and develop an excessive sensitivity to others' needs. The term "dysfunctional family
" originally referred only to families with patterns of interaction associated with alcoholism. It is now, however, recognized as a disease occurring in family systems based on "denial
" or "shame
-based rules." This includes a wide-spectrum of pathological emotional interactions in families, but there is always an avoidance of confrontation and inability to resolve conflict. This is sometimes described in terms like "enmeshment" or "blurred ego boundaries
." Adult children of dysfunctional families often suffer from a sense of confusion and deprivation that has continued into their adult life — a feeling of "not knowing what normal is" — that has become an anguished desire to recover something emotionally missing in their upbringing. Co-Dependents Anonymous was formed to help individuals who grew up in all forms of dysfunctional families, not just those involving alcoholism
or substance abuse
.
Codependence can be defined as a process addiction — an addiction to certain mood-altering behaviors, other such examples being eating disorder
s, gambling
, sexual activity
, overwork
, and shopping
. Process addiction can be seen as a unifying principle, providing those in CoDA with a language to describe their disease. Codependence has been suggested as an underlying disease pervasive in all forms of addiction.
CoDA created a 38-item Likert
-type checklist allowing one to evaluate how codependent one is. Possible scores range from 38 to 190, with higher scores representing greater codependence. The results of this instrument are strongly related to those of the Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale
and other such tests measuring codependence.
CoDA has one book approved for use as standard literature in the organization, titled Co-Dependents Anonymous. In addition, there are two more CoDA-endorsed books including a workbook and a book of daily meditations.
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
for people who share a common desire to develop functional and healthy relationships. CoDA was founded in 1986 in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. CoDA is active in more than 40 countries, with approximately 1200 groups active in the United States.
Codependence
Codependence
Codependency is unhealthy love and a tendency to behave in overly passive or excessively caretaking ways that negatively impact one's relationships and quality of life. It also often involves placing a lower priority on one's own needs, while being excessively preoccupied with the needs of others...
is described as a disease that originates in dysfunctional families where children learn to overcompensate for their parents' disorders and develop an excessive sensitivity to others' needs. The term "dysfunctional family
Dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
" originally referred only to families with patterns of interaction associated with alcoholism. It is now, however, recognized as a disease occurring in family systems based on "denial
Denial
Denial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.The subject may use:* simple denial: deny the reality of the...
" or "shame
Shame
Shame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame....
-based rules." This includes a wide-spectrum of pathological emotional interactions in families, but there is always an avoidance of confrontation and inability to resolve conflict. This is sometimes described in terms like "enmeshment" or "blurred ego boundaries
Personal boundaries
Personal boundaries are guidelines, rules or limits that a person creates to identify for him- or herself what are reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around him or her and how he or she will respond when someone steps outside those limits.'Personal boundaries define...
." Adult children of dysfunctional families often suffer from a sense of confusion and deprivation that has continued into their adult life — a feeling of "not knowing what normal is" — that has become an anguished desire to recover something emotionally missing in their upbringing. Co-Dependents Anonymous was formed to help individuals who grew up in all forms of dysfunctional families, not just those involving alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
or substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
.
Codependence can be defined as a process addiction — an addiction to certain mood-altering behaviors, other such examples being eating disorder
Eating disorder
Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
s, gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, sexual activity
Human sexual behavior
Human sexual activities or human sexual practices or human sexual behavior refers to the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts from time to time, and for a wide variety of reasons...
, overwork
Workaholic
A workaholic is a person who is addicted to work.The term generally implies that the person enjoys their work; it can also imply that they simply feel compelled to do it...
, and shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
. Process addiction can be seen as a unifying principle, providing those in CoDA with a language to describe their disease. Codependence has been suggested as an underlying disease pervasive in all forms of addiction.
CoDA created a 38-item Likert
Likert scale
A Likert scale is a psychometric scale commonly involved in research that employs questionnaires. It is the most widely used approach to scaling responses in survey research, such that the term is often used interchangeably with rating scale, or more accurately the Likert-type scale, even though...
-type checklist allowing one to evaluate how codependent one is. Possible scores range from 38 to 190, with higher scores representing greater codependence. The results of this instrument are strongly related to those of the Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale
Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale
The Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale is a 16-item self-report instrument used to define and measure co-dependency in order to operationalize it as a personality disorder. Individual items are rated on a 6-point Likert scale, and then summed with two reversed items to describe co-dependency on a...
and other such tests measuring codependence.
CoDA has one book approved for use as standard literature in the organization, titled Co-Dependents Anonymous. In addition, there are two more CoDA-endorsed books including a workbook and a book of daily meditations.
See also
- Alcoholism in family systemsAlcoholism in family systemsAlcoholism in family systems refers to the conditions in families that enable alcoholism, and the effects of alcoholic behavior by one or more family members on the rest of the family. Mental health professionals are increasingly considering alcoholism and addiction as diseases that flourish in and...
- Al-Anon/AlateenAl-Anon/AlateenAl-Anon/Alateen, known as Al-Anon Family Groups, is an international "fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholicswho share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems." They "help families of alcoholics by practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving...
- CodependenceCodependenceCodependency is unhealthy love and a tendency to behave in overly passive or excessively caretaking ways that negatively impact one's relationships and quality of life. It also often involves placing a lower priority on one's own needs, while being excessively preoccupied with the needs of others...
- Emotions AnonymousEmotions AnonymousEmotions Anonymous is a twelve-step program for recovery from mental and emotional illness. there were approximately 1,100 EA groups active in the United States. EA is the largest of three organizations that have adapted the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous to create a program for people...
- List of twelve-step groups
- Nar-AnonNar-AnonNar-Anon is a twelve-step program for friends and family members of drug addicts. Nar-Anon is complementary to, but separate from, Narcotics Anonymous , analogous to Al-Anon with respect to Alcoholics Anonymous; Nar-Anon's traditions state that it should "always cooperate with Narcotics Anonymous."...
- Self-help groups for mental healthSelf-help groups for mental healthSelf-help groups for mental health are voluntary associations of people who share a common desire to overcome mental illness or otherwise increase their level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing. There are several international mental health self-help organizations including Emotions Anonymous, the...
- Twelve TraditionsTwelve TraditionsThe Twelve Traditions of twelve-step programs provide guidelines for relationships between the twelve-step groups, members, other groups, the global fellowship, and society at large. Questions of finance, public relations, donations, and purpose are addressed in the Traditions...