Co-dependency!?

So I just finished a 12-week course on How to Conquer Co-Dependency. I didn't really know what that scary/therapyie word really meant. The class definition is basically "the compulsion to fix everyone and everything." Wow, Hmm yeah I do that. Geez! So what have I learned? Lots. A couple things of note. I am not responsible for other people's feelings. I can't make people happy, keep them from being angry. I also spend WAY too much time trying to figure out what people are thinking. The ONLY way to know what another person is thinking is to ask them. That seems simple enough! The thing about co-dependency is that it starts out "good." Wanting to help someone, wanting to protect others feelings, but it gets out of hand. Needing others approval to feel good about yourself is unhealthy. Taking care of other people while neglecting ones own physical and emotional needs is unhealthy. All of these things just seemed so natural to me but they produced a ton of frustration and anxiety in me. I am choosing to not be co-dependent, or at least try and recognize the behavior and make some changes. I can already feel a difference, it's little things. I can say things I am thinking now because I don't have to worry about what feelings my feelings may bring up in the other person I am talking to, hmm. I can say no to doing something that is not my responsibility instead of doing it out of false obligation and then resenting the person who asked me! Cool. So, Hi I'm Andrea, I am a recovering Co-dependent.

Birth of a Blog

Well a couple people in my life have been telling me I should write a blog. So I have been thinking about it. I have been journaling for myself for 10 years. I love doing that not only for the venting factor at the time of writing, but also I find a lot of value in re-reading. Comparing and contrasing where I am today versus a year ago, two years ago. I find patterns in myself. I learn things about myself. Sometimes I have even read things from my journal to people in my life because it expresses a revelation in such a great way. So I think this blog will be a little like the journaling but it's for others to read, for you to read-if you want.