**The audiobook will only be available from the podcast until August 8, 2024. It will still be on Amazon, Spotify and other platforms for purchase.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Re-Making-Codependent-Mind-Codependency/dp/B0D2LYSJC3/

Get your Paperback or eBook copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYH7TMZ1

In this episode/chapter Brian reflects on the journey of overcoming codependency, a set of learned behaviors initially meant to ensure safety but which eventually became dysfunctional habits. He discusses how these behaviors can be unlearned and reprogrammed through awareness of their origins and impacts. This reprogramming process involves not just removing or replacing behaviors, but transforming them into functional versions.

To achieve this transformation, Brian first needed to clear unresolved emotions like shame, fear, and resentment that accumulated over time. Facing these emotions was challenging and often painful, but necessary for gaining self-awareness. Despite the difficulty,  the effort was worth it, leading to better understanding, healthier behaviors, and more fulfilling relationships.

Support from others played a crucial role in Brian's healing. Building deeper connections and opening up to people helped him break the cycle of codependency. Particularly, a supportive relationship with someone like Stephanie, who was invested and willing to challenge the author, was instrumental.

Journaling was another critical tool for healing, helping Brian reflect on past experiences and connect emotionally. Combining this reflection with discussions with Stephanie facilitated significant progress.

00:00:31 Getting Started

The full audiobook can be purchased on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Making-Re-Making-Codependent-Mind-Codependency/dp/B0D2LYSJC3/) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/4fzyWWfGTv34T5Hev7DsOP) and other platforms. 

If you are enjoying listening to the book, please leave a review on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance-detail&asin=B0CYH7TMZ1

**The audiobook will only be available from the podcast until August 8, 2024. It will still be on Amazon, Spotify and other platforms for purchase.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Re-Making-Codependent-Mind-Codependency/dp/B0D2LYSJC3/

Get your Paperback or eBook copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYH7TMZ1

In this chapter, Brian describes his mental and emotional state at the end of his relationship with J when he met Stephanie. As their relationship develops, he gets a glimpse of the kind of intimacy he always wanted, but his codependent habits start to threaten their connection and he has some tough decisions to make. 

After the reading, Brian and Stephanie discuss writing Part 1 of the book and the learning and growth they experienced in that process. 

Thank you for liking, reviewing and following the book and the podcast, it helps other people find us. 

The full audiobook can be purchased on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Making-Re-Making-Codependent-Mind-Codependency/dp/B0D2LYSJC3/) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/4fzyWWfGTv34T5Hev7DsOP) and other platforms. 

If you are enjoying listening to the book, please leave a review on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance-detail&asin=B0CYH7TMZ1

Contact us: [email protected] 

**The audiobook will only be available from the podcast until August 8, 2024. It will still be on Amazon, Spotify and other platforms for purchase.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Re-Making-Codependent-Mind-Codependency/dp/B0D2LYSJC3/

Get your Paperback or eBook copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYH7TMZ1

In this episode, Brian reads chapter 4, which details his back to back relationships with abusive narcissists. He describes the lovebombing that began both of those relationships, the trauma bonds that kept him stuck and the powerless way the relationships ended. Sex, power and shame were all at play, contributing to the dysfunction and despair he experienced during those two marriages. 

In this episode:

00:02:17 Relationship Beginnings - Love Bombing

If you are enjoying listening to the book, please leave a review on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance-detail&asin=B0CYH7TMZ1

Contact us: https://www.codependentmind.com/

**The audiobook will only be available from the podcast until August 8, 2024. It will still be on Amazon, Spotify and other platforms for purchase.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Re-Making-Codependent-Mind-Codependency/dp/B0D2LYSJC3/

Get your Paperback or eBook copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYH7TMZ1

In this chapter, Brian reflects on his struggles with codependency, which hindered his ability to form genuine connections with others. As a child, he learned to prioritize others' needs over his own, leading to a fragmented sense of self and difficulty understanding his emotions. As he navigated adolescence, he experienced sexual shame and a sense of unworthiness, further isolating him socially. He ended up passively accepting relationships with individuals who were also struggling emotionally, which often turned abusive.

A unique friendship with E, who shared similar struggles, provided safety but also enabled codependent behaviors. Reflecting on the friendship, the Brian acknowledges the complexity of their dynamic and the limitations of his codependent responses. Despite the challenges, the relationship taught him the value of intimate connections, planting a seed that would influence his understanding of healthy relationships in the future.

He then explores the many damaging relationships he has had with narcissistic individuals, highlighting the connection between codependency and narcissism, both stemming from trauma responses. While codependents seek safety by pleasing others, narcissists demand validation and entitlement. Narcissistic behaviors include grandiosity, entitlement, and lack of accountability. Brian's codependent tendencies made him susceptible to narcissists, excusing their abusive behavior. Different types of controlling behaviors are examined, with codependents managing emotions and narcissists asserting dominance aggressively.

00:02:35 Shame

If you are enjoying listening to the book, please leave a review on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance-detail&asin=B0CYH7TMZ1

**The audiobook will only be available from the podcast until August 8, 2024. It will still be on Amazon, Spotify and other platforms for purchase.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Re-Making-Codependent-Mind-Codependency/dp/B0D2LYSJC3/

Get your Paperback or eBook copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYH7TMZ1

In this chapter, Brian discusses the connection between trauma and his codependent habits.  His experiences, including childhood dynamics and an early, abusive friendship are explored as sources of trauma, shaping his behaviors and triggering ingrained responses to threats - specifically freeze and fawn. 

Brian’s journey of navigating trauma extended beyond physical safety to encompass emotional survival strategies. Amidst consistent fear and shame at home and with his childhood friend, emotional avoidance developed as a coping mechanism. Through dissociation and compartmentalization, painful emotions were suppressed and buried, leading to a solitary and chaotic inner life.  While these strategies initially offered relief, they ultimately perpetuated Brian's emotional turmoil, as the unresolved emotional pain continued to escalate, fostering a cycle of isolation and dysfunctional relationships.

In this episode:

00:01:07 What is Trauma?

Thank you for reviewing, rating and liking the book and the podcast. It helps other people find us. 

Contact us: https://www.codependentmind.com/

This episode, Brian reads Chapter One from the book, The Making and the Re-Making of a Codependent Mind.

The full audiobook can be purchased on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Making-Re-Making-Codependent-Mind-Codependency/dp/B0D2LYSJC3/) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/4fzyWWfGTv34T5Hev7DsOP) and other platforms. 

Buy now in paperback or eBook form: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYH7TMZ1/

Chapter One frames codependency as learned, strategic, adaptive response to feelings of powerlessness, to emotional pain. It also covers the dynamics within Brian's family that gave rise to the codependent behaviors that would eventually cripple him emotionally and relationally for most of his life. 

Based on the acclaimed podcast of the same name, follow Brian's transformative journey from codependency and despair to joyful, fulfilling and sustaining relationships. Gain guidance into examining your own life and crafting a personalized pathway to heal from codependency and trauma.

In Part 1 of his journey, Brian explores:

In Part 2, the re-making of a codependent mind, Brian describes:

Money talks, as they say, and in this episode we hear about the financial dimensions of Brian's codependency. For most of his life, money was not a tool for Brian to express his values and achieve his life goals; instead, it was fuel for his codependent habits - people pleasing, caretaking, lack of boundaries. His financial codependency, not surprisingly, did not lead to financial health; it lead to debt, stress and shame. Recovering from codependency also involved a recovery from financial codependency and we explore what it took for Brian to form a new relationship to money, one that has taken him to solvency and beyond. 

00:01:18 Codependency and Money

00:03:36 Financial Caretaking

00:05:38 Self-Centeredness in Financial Codependency

00:06:09 Throwing Money at Problems

00:10:09 Unveiling Financial Shame

00:10:37 Narcissistic Entitlement and Money

00:11:06 Facing Financial Resentment

00:12:48 Post-Divorce Financial Codependency

00:15:43 Using Money to Avoid Abuse

00:16:24 Financial Caretaking as a Coping Mechanism

00:17:12 Rationalizing Financial Decisions

00:18:52 Fear and Shame in Financial Choices

00:21:54 Overcoming Financial Codependency

00:25:17 Processing Financial Shame

00:30:22 Aligning Money with Life Goals

00:32:43 Conclusion and Book Announcement

The paperback, eBook and audiobook version of the first two seasons of this podcast are now available on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYB1K31V

Thank you for liking, reviewing and following our podcast. It helps other people find us. 

We have described codependency as an interpersonal relationship dynamic, but in doing so, we may have inadvertently left out a whole category of relationships in which codependency can manifest - relationships with our pets. In this episode, we discuss the pets that Brian has had (dogs and cats) and the ways in which his codependent behavior habits showed up in those relationships. We also reflect on possible connections between narcissism and pet ownership. 

00:00:45 Dogs and Cats

00:03:53 Codependent Behaviors with Pets

00:14:02 Boundary setting

00:16:18 Narcissists and Pets

00:22:52 Genuine caretaking vs codependent caretaking

The paperback, eBook and audiobook version of the first two seasons of this podcast are now available on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYB1K31V

Do you have a pet story to tell? Let us know on instagram or Facebook. @codpendendentmind

Thank you for liking, reviewing and following our podcast. It helps other people find us. 

Learn more about Nicole's coaching practice, Meaning in Medicine, here: https://www.meaninginmed.com/about

The Enneagram Test -  free test. Be sure to select the "Classical Test."  Read about your results through the Enneagram Institute here.  

In this episode we explore the phenomenon of codependency within professional environments, particularly the healthcare field, with our special guest, Dr. Nicole Piemonte. A PhD holder in Medical Humanities, Dr. Piemonte has dedicated her career to the human facets of medical practice.

In this discussion, we delve into Dr. Piemonte's career origins and personal journey with codependency. She describes a prevalent pattern of trauma-induced codependency within the health sector, typically characterized by 'rescuing' and 'fixing' patients—a behavior that draws parallels with institutional people-pleasing and poses significant hindrance to effective care.

Further in the conversation, we examine how codependency—stemming from a deep-rooted need to be needed—leads caregivers to self-neglect due to their inherent desire to help others. Surprisingly, narcissism and codependency share this common root of trauma, offering a new perspective on the familiar trope of the narcissist physician.

Nicole sheds light on the falseness of the emotion-free detachment often seen in medicine. Arguing that compassion fatigue emerges from not feeling anything, rather than ‘feeling too much’, she emphasizes the role of emotional reconnection in aiding clinicians to regain self-contentment and fulfillment.

Nicole discusses how through supportive coaching and introspection, it's possible to replace these maladaptive coping mechanisms with healthier ones. 

00:00:07 Exploring Codependency in Professional Spaces

00:10:26 The tendency to fix and rescue in medicine

00:14:03 Recognizing codependency in personal and work relationships

00:20:51 Caretaking and Codependency

00:23:11 Coaching and Reconnecting to Meaning and Purpose in Medicine

00:31:12 Reconnecting with Emotions and the Healing Path

00:33:11 Compartmentalization as a Life Strategy and its Consequences

The paperback, eBook and audiobook version of the first two seasons of this podcast are now available on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYB1K31V

Thank you for liking, following and reviewing this podcast. It helps others find it.

website: https://www.codependentmind.com/

The paperback, eBook and audiobook version of the first two seasons of this podcast are now available on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYB1K31V

In this episode, Brian and Stephanie talk with Rebecca about the emotional complexities of self-discovery and growth within the context of codependency. We discuss Rebecca's relationships,  her struggle with being vulnerability, and the challenge of being authentic with others.

00:01:24 Little 't' and capital 'T' trauma

Thank you for liking/reviewing/following our podcast. It helps other people find it. 

Find us at: https://www.codependentmind.com/