Originally Posted by cynical one

What Codependents Do

My name's Jane. I'm a codependent. And this is what codependents do.

You cannot nor will not change my behavior. You cannot make me treat myself better, let alone with any respect. All I care about, all I think about, is everyone else's needs and how to go about fulfilling them. Within five minutes of meeting you, I will be offering you help.

My own feelings are so pushed down and numbed by my enabling that I have no empathy for myself.

My behavior cannot and will not change until I make a decision to stop enabling and then follow it up with a plan of action to practice acceptance, self-compassion and self-care.

And until I make that decision, I will help again and again and again.

Stop being surprised.

I am a codependent. And that's what codependents do.