My mom use to get upset everytime she heard the phrase "dysfunctional family" for many years. Whether she read it in print. heard somebody utter it in a televiosn show, or it came up in conversation. I learned not to use the term in front of her. lol I couldn't understand how she could let a treatment term like that cause such an emotional reaction. Until I could understand my disease I couldn't fathom codependancy either. Eventually I began to see how the root of both conditions is based in self esteem, lack of faith and unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves and others.