Influence of The Duration of Remission of an Addicted Relative on the Manifestation of Co-Dependent Behavior in The Family

Introduction. Co-dependence in the article is considered as a family problem, where a person, being close to the addict for a long time, learns to suppress his feelings, thoughts and needs. As a consequence, he/she shows low self-esteem, high level of anxiety, aggressiveness, distrust to people and the world. The connection between co-dependence and addiction is considered on the example of the phenomenon of increasing co-dependent care during the increase in the manifestations of dependence of a close relative. The "12 Steps" program as a condition for long-term remission in an addicted person, in our opinion, is an important criterion for reducing the level of co-dependent behavior in his or her close relatives.
Objective. To investigate the influence of the duration of remission of an addicted relative on the level of co-dependence manifestation in the family.
Materials and methods. The methodological tools of the study included the author's questionnaire, the Kuhn-McPartland test "Who am I?" (Modification by T. V. Rumyantseva), the interpersonal dependence test by R. Hirschfield (adaptation by O. P. Makushina) and the test "Diagnosis of the type of communicative attitude" by V. V. Boyko. Data processing was carried out by comparing mean values and one-sample t-criterion.
Results. The empirical object of the study is people exposed to the problem of co-dependent behavior (n=147) and students of the Faculty of Psychology as a control group (n=76).
 In the course of the study, the data on the state of actualized co-dependence in the study group with a pronounced negative attitude and high level of insecurity were obtained. Along with this, the assumption about the positive influence of long-term remission of a dependent relative on the level of co-dependence manifestation in the family was confirmed.
Discussion. It has been empirically proved that respondents subjected to the problem of co-dependence are characterized by an acute need for emotional closeness with another and acceptance from others. This can be traced in the emotional discomfort that co-dependents experience due to perceived rejection. Also, the obtained results indicate a decrease in the level of interpersonal dependence and an increase in personality reflection in respondents who have a co-dependent relative in remission for more than 10 years. In addition, the relatives of persons in remission for a longer period of time are characterized by a decrease in negative communicative attitudes, which favorably affects the process of communication, positive attitude towards the interlocutor, and a decrease in control in communication.

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