If in relationships, you feel like you're always anticipating others’ needs, walking on eggshells, or taking responsibility for everyone else’s emotions, this episode may help you understand why. In this first episode of our four-part series on codependency, we unpack what codependence is, the five roles that keep people stuck in unhealthy patterns, and how childhood mirroring (or lack of it) can shape adult relational habits. You'll hear relational life examples as Katie shares a personal reflection on how her own codependent tendencies formed and how she is learning to reconnect with her authentic needs. By the end, you will see that healing from codependency is not about becoming less caring; it is about becoming more centered.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• What codependency actually means and why it is rooted in self-abandonment, not neediness or clinginess.
• The five roles that appear in codependent relationships: the caretaker, people pleaser, rescuer, dependent, and avoidant, and how they interact.
• How formative experiences of not being emotionally mirrored can lead to later over-functioning or emotional avoidance.
• Why codependent behavior often begins as a survival strategy and becomes part of your identity.
• The difference between being “easy to love” and being emotionally unavailable or self-silencing.

RELATED EPISODES:

• Episode 6: How to Set and Keep Boundaries
• Episode 42: The Drama Triangle

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DISCLAIMER: The Self Centered with Katie and Allie Podcast is intended for entertainment, educational, and reflective purposes only. The views, opinions, experiences, and content shared by the hosts and guests are personal and subjective. They are not presented as objective facts or as representative of any professional body, organization, or field, including psychotherapy, coaching, or personal training.

This podcast includes personal reflections on dynamics in various relationships, platonic, family, romantic, and professional. General references to “family,” “an ex,” or “a friend”, for example, are intentionally vague to protect anonymity and do not refer to every individual in those categories. When names are used, they are fictitious, and identifying details are altered. Some information shared is based on research or professional experience, not personal history.

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