Psychological analysis of codependent behavior

   The article deals with the problem of co-dependence within the framework of developmental psychology through the phenomenon of mother-child fusion, also in the key of general psychology through the main interpretations of the concept of "codependence" and in the context of clinical psychology through the interdependence of the manifestation of dependent behavior and co-dependent behavior in a dysfunctional family. In the Introduction the scientific significance of the problem of codependence, as well as its ambiguity, is given.

   The novelty of the study lies in a new look at the formation of codependence as a primary education, on the basis of which a dependent family system is already being built, or as a secondary problem arising from interaction with an addicted person.

   The Theoretical justification provides a theoretical overview of the problem of codependence within the framework of developmental psychology through the phenomenon of the fusion of mother and child. Merging with the child serves to gratify the parent's sense of security, which may be a way of reducing one's own heightened anxiety through nurturing the child. Consideration of the problem of co-dependence in the key of general psychology is given through the main interpretations of the concept of "co-dependence" and the most common manifestations for different groups of people codependencies: low self-esteem, focus on the life of the other, value substitution, high levels of anxiety, progression over time, and self-destructive behavior. In the context of clinical psychology, consideration of co-dependent behavior is presented through the interdependence of the manifestation of dependent behavior and co-dependent behavior in a dysfunctional system as different manifestations of the same disease. Addiction and codependency is seen as a family disease. In the section Discussion of the results, an analysis of the theoretical review of the problem of codependency is carried out, brief conclusions are presented on the features that should be considered in scientific research on this problem. In the «Сonclusion» section, it is concluded that codependency capture includes all scopes of a person’s life possibilities and, to a greater extent, communicative, exclusive dysfunctions within the family and can provoke the formation of codependence among other members of the family system.

1. Artemtseva, N. (2022). The phenomenon of codependency. General, typological, individual. Moscow: Cogito-center. (in Russ.).

2. Avdulova, T. P. (2018). Features of maternal care at an early age and the risk of forming codependent relationships. In: Psychological Problems of the Modern Family. Collection of materials of the VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference (pp. 408–412). Ural State Pedagogical University. (in Russ.).

3. Bacon, I., McKay, E., Reynolds, F., McIntyre, A. (2020). The lived experience of codependency: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 18, 754–771. doi: 10.1007/s11469-018-9983-8

4. Blagov, L. N., Demina, M. V. (2005). Opioid addiction and the phenomenon of codependency. Questions of pathogenesis and clinic. Narcology, 4(1), 42–49. (in Russ.).

5. Kondratenko, E. S. (2020). The phenomenon of codependency in psychological science. In F. V. Kadol, V. P. Gorlenko (eds.): The scientific heritage of Academician IF Kharlamov and actual problems of the holistic educational process in the modern pedagogical space (pp. 119–122). Gomel: Francysk Skorina Gomel State University. (in Russ.).

6. Nordgren, J., Richert, T., Svensson, B., Johnson, B. (2020). Say no and close the door? Codependency troubles among parents of adult children with drug problems in Sweden. Journal of Family Issues, 41(5), 567–588. doi: 10.1177/0192513X19879200

7. Osinskaya, S. A. (2012). Significant factors in the development of primary codependency. Siberian Psychological Journal, 43, 18–22. (in Russ.).

8. Pagano-Stalzer, C. (2021). Reconceptualizing Codependency: Psychometric Properties of a Novel Instrument and Clinical Correlates (doctoral dissertation). Adelphi University.

9. Paramonova, Yu. A. (2019). Modern views on the phenomenon of codependency. Deviantology, 3(1), 12–17. (in Russ.).

10. Petrovskaya, V. G. (2019). On the issue of adolescent codependency. Questions of Pedagogy, 10–2, 150–155. (in Russ.).

11. Posokhova, S. T., Stryapukhina, Yu. V. (2022). Some approaches to the definition of the phenomenon of codependency. In V. A. Egorov (ed.): Modernity: human and culture. Collection of materials of the XXIV Interuniversity scientific conference (pp. 130–138). St. Petersburg: Publishing House of the Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy. (in Russ.).

12. Sala, G. M. (2018). Song, Sound and Mantra: Therapeutic Applications in Healing from Codependency. Journal of Heart Centered Therapies, 21(2), 29–46.

13. Shabanina, V. A. (2019). On the problem of defining the concept of "codependency" as a psychological phenomenon. In I. B. Shuvanov, V. P. Shuvanova, A. A. Smirnova (eds.): Druzhinin Readings. Proceedings of the XVIII All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation (pp. 264–269). Sochi: Sochi State University. (in Russ.).

14. Sultanova, A. N., Fil', T. A., Gadzhieva, U. Kh., Stankevich, A. S., Chut, U. Yu., Zhdanova, A. G., Baranova, D. E., Orlov, A. E., Shkirya, E. E., Toshmirzaeva, G. E., Sycheva, T. Yu., Lobastov, R. L., Karafinka, P. M., Kiseleva, A. A. (2022). The essence of the phenomenon of codependency in the representation of different authors. International Research Journal, 5(119), 212–217. doi: 10.23670/IRJ.2022.119.5.040. (in Russ.).

15. Trishina, V. A. (2021). The definition of the concept of "codependence". In N. V. Osipova (ed.): Youth in science and creativity. Materials of the International scientific forum of students at 6 pm Part 3. International scientific and practical conference "Pedagogy and psychology in the practice of modern education" (pp. 271–272). Gzhel: Gzhel State University. (in Russ.).