What is Codependency? Codependency refers to a mental, emotional, physical, and/or spiritual reliance on a partner, friend, or family member. The term was originally coined in the 1950s in the context of Alcoholics Anonymous to support partners of individuals who abused substances, and who were entwined in the toxic lives of those they cared for. This is still true — but today, codependency covers a much broader spectrum. Codependency is not a clinical diagnosis or a formally categorized personality disorder on its own. Generally…
