The Lived Experience of Codependency: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Codependency is a complex and debatable concept, which has been used over the years by mental health professionals to inform their practices. Researchers have attempted to identify the main problems associated with codependency; however, their evidence is still inconclusive. This is the first time t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of mental health and addiction 2020-06, Vol.18 (3), p.754-771
Main Authors: Bacon, Ingrid, McKay, Elizabeth, Reynolds, Frances, McIntyre, Anne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcoholism
Codependency
Community and Environmental Psychology
Health Psychology
Illnesses
Literature reviews
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental health
Original Article
Personality
Psychiatry
Psychology
Public Health
Qualitative research
Rehabilitation
Research methodology
Stereotypes
Students
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Summary:Codependency is a complex and debatable concept, which has been used over the years by mental health professionals to inform their practices. Researchers have attempted to identify the main problems associated with codependency; however, their evidence is still inconclusive. This is the first time that interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) has been used to explore the lived experience of codependency from the perspective of self-identified codependents. Eight participants recruited from local support groups for codependency in the UK, offered in-depth information about their subjective experiences, and embedded in their lifeworld. Data was gathered through interviews and a visual method. The shared experience of codependency was portrayed by the participants as a complex but tangible multidimensional psychosocial problem in their lives. It incorporated three interlinked experiences: a lack of clear sense of self, an enduring pattern of extreme, emotional, relational, and occupational imbalance, and an attribution of current problems in terms of parental abandonment and control in childhood.
ISSN:1557-1874
1557-1882
DOI:10.1007/s11469-018-9983-8