Someone who’s deep in the grips of addiction has no control over their use. While the non-codependent people around them are firm in the behavior they’ll accept, a codependent individual may accept all types of abuse. Therefore, they’ll make excuses for the user instead of allowing them to be accountable for their actions. Codependent relationships don’t help users get the treatment they need. Instead, they allow damaging patterns to continue. However, they might know their relationship has flaws, but they need acceptance from someone, even if that person has a problem with drugs and alcohol.

To get out of the destructive cycle of codependency and addiction, someone has to take the big step of admitting to the problem and getting help for it. For example, this could be a spouse, parent, or child. Family therapy is especially beneficial if your loved one is grappling with addiction. With a counselor, everyone in the family can gain a better understanding of substance abuse. They’ll learn how to deal with the user in their lives to encourage them to get and stay clean.