Codependency

Codependency is a widely used clinical concept, it is not a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5. Instead, it is defined as a learned behavioral pattern characterized by a dysfunctional, one-sided reliance on a partner or family member. Specifically, it involves a person sacrificing their own physical, emotional, or psychological needs to care for or "fix" another person, often someone struggling with addiction or chronic illness. This cycle creates a pathological loss of self, where the "giver" derives their entire sense of worth from the approval and dependence of the "receiver," effectively enabling the other person's irresponsible or self-destructive behavior.