The Lived Experience of Codependency

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    The Lived Experience of Codependency

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    Research Findings: Model of personhood - Codependency

    This was exploration of the experience of codependency through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).

    Several themes emerged from the study, in summary the results of the study demonstrated:

    1. The meaning that individuals attribute to the experience and label codependency. Theme: “Codependency as a useful label”
    2. Codependency was involved in shaping these individuals’ sense of identity.
      Theme: “The chameleon self”.
    3. Codependency affected these individuals, their everyday activities, emotional and occupational lives.
      Theme: “Seesawing through life”.
    4. The underlying childhood experiences which have encouraged these individuals to identify with the label codependency.
      Theme: “The family box!”