When your happiness depends on other people, then you are an emotionally dependent person This problematic situation causes you to feel addicted to your partner even though things are not going well between you.
And although you already know that you have not been well in your relationship for a long time, you do not have enough strength to take a step forward due to fear of uncertainty or because you do not trust yourself when facing situations that may arise. In your day to day. You are afraid of being alone, and you prefer to stay there knowing that you are not happy.
If you feel identified with this and think that it would be positive to get out of this situation, in this article you can see some keys and tips to become an emotionally independent person
How to get out of this painful situation
Although men often hide this problem because they are ashamed to acknowledge and express that they are emotionally dependent on another person, this phenomenon affects both sexes equally.
Emotional dependence causes great suffering because Those who experience it think that they are incapable of living without the other person, and it occurs when she has low self-esteem or erroneous beliefs about what a relationship should be. It is a type of immature love that has no future. It takes courage and bravery to learn to overcome emotional dependence, but it is worth doing so that one is finally able to take control of one’s own life.
Tips to overcome emotional dependence
If you want to overcome emotional dependence and become a person with greater autonomy and independence, you can follow the advice you will find below:
1. Be honest with yourself and acknowledge that there is a problem
One of the most complicated things to do when someone finds themselves in this situation is to reflect deeply on what is happening. It is easier to look away or blame other people than to look inward and recognize that we have a problem.
Taking time for self-observation and sincerely recognizing that there is a problem is the beginning of being able to take a step forward and end emotional dependence.
2. Don’t be afraid of uncertainty
And, many times, it is the fear of being alone that makes us return and return to that toxic relationship that causes us so much pain and suffering. When we feel that the future alone is uncertain, we prefer to stay there, in the place we already know. Therefore, it is necessary get out of the comfort zone and adopt a positive attitude towards change.
3. Learn to say “no”
Learning to be assertive is essential to enjoy the emotional balance necessary to enjoy greater well-being. Being assertive means saying what you think while respecting the other person you interact with. That is to say, It’s about respecting the other party, but it also means respecting yourself Learning to say “no” is essential to recover emotional autonomy.
4. Work on yourself
The main problem with people who are emotionally dependent is that they are too dependent on the other person and forget who they are. One must pursue their goals, have their hobbies and work at grow a little every day as a human being or, in other words, self-actualization. To stop being an emotionally dependent person, one of the keys is to fight for your own personal development.
5. And… reinforce your self-esteem
Working on oneself is the first step to strengthening one’s self-esteem, which, as has already been said, is one of the main reasons why an individual finds themselves in this situation. Besides, The longer you are in this toxic relationship, the more you suffer the consequences in terms of self-esteem
That is why it is necessary to carry out strategies that help improve self-esteem. I recommend our article: “10 keys to increasing your self-esteem in 30 days” to be able to work on your self-esteem.
6. Check your beliefs
Another of the main reasons why someone can end up in a situation of emotional dependence are the beliefs that one has about what love is and what a relationship should be like.
To avoid this, it is necessary question one’s own beliefs and have critical thinking about them In movies, love may seem very beautiful, but reality is different. You should not force yourself to be in a relationship out of fear of being alone or out of the need to have a partner and get married.
You can enjoy great satisfaction and well-being being single. You can check it out in this article: “Is it possible to be single and be happy? The 8 benefits of not having a partner.”
7. Connect with other people
It may also happen that the emotionally dependent person has a poor social life, few friends or feels isolated. This causes a complicated situation, because the person has no one to talk to and explain what is happening to them. Also, have an active social life makes us enjoy much healthier relationships and let’s not depend so much on one person.
8. Be brave
To get out of this situation it is necessary to assume responsibility, because you can choose between staying there and taking a step forward to end the problem. You have to be brave and not fear the future. For it, There is nothing like setting short-term goals that are very clear from the beginning Changes require a period of adaptation, and over time you will not regret having made the decision to leave this toxic relationship behind.
9. Resist the temptation to go back
Obviously, there will be easier times and more difficult times as you step forward. But you should know that change is never easy and that there may be ups and downs along the way. Understanding this can make you aware that you must resist the temptation to go back.
10. Learn to love in a healthy way
To begin to heal our relationship we must love in a healthy way and leave behind many limiting beliefs that we have built in and that prevent us from enjoying relationships to their fullest As personal development experts say, this is a very heavy backpack. Going from emotional dependence to emotional autonomy is one of the keys to achieving well-being as a couple, and to do so, it is necessary to love maturely.
11. Avoid other people’s expectations
Many emotionally dependent people are likely to have unrealistic and overly intense expectations about what they can expect from others. This usually causes idealization towards the other party and it is not a wise decision to make up for the emptiness we may feel with ourselves with the need to have someone by our side at all costs.
Living with this illusory image of another person can be dangerous, because even in the face of evidence that the expectations we have are not true, these expectations can keep us clinging to something imaginary, an unreal image of what the other person is. Realizing this can help overcome emotional dependence.
12. Seek professional help
In some cases, these tips can help you overcome this situation and realize what the problem is. Being aware that you are emotionally dependent, recognizing that you are afraid of being alone and working to grow and develop as a person are strategies that will help you improve your well-being and empower you in the face of life and uncertainty.
However, getting out of this dark place, the toxic relationship, is not always easy. The best way to achieve this is to seek professional help since a psychologist can help you acquire tools to improve your self-esteem, your interpersonal skills and, therefore, your well-being.